Sex crimes: The role of early childhood trauma, cognitive distortions, and psychopathy on the risk of recidivism

Journal title MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL’INFANZIA
Author/s Giuseppe Craparo, Silvia Fasciano, Antonia Tomasello, Angela Micciché, Giulia Costanzo, Valentina Costantino, Simona Grilli, Silvestro Lo Cascio, Vincenza Cannella, Irene Petruccelli, Alessio Gori
Publishing Year 2017 Issue 2016/3
Language Italian Pages 20 P. 11-30 File size 284 KB
DOI 10.3280/MAL2016-003002
DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation click here

Below, you can see the article first page

If you want to buy this article in PDF format, you can do it, following the instructions to buy download credits

Article preview

FrancoAngeli is member of Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), a not-for-profit association which run the CrossRef service enabling links to and from online scholarly content.

The aim of this paper is to evaluate, starting from analysis of scientific literature, the relationship, in sex offenders, between recidivism proneness and the following variables: early trauma, cognitive distortions, and psychopathy. In order to investigate the association among these variables, we subject two sex offenders to tests using the following instruments: PCL-R, PBI, TEC and MDS. We obtained positive and clinically significant associations among early trauma, presence of psychopathic traits, and risk of recidivism as per their stories and their test score. As we cannot generalize these data, we are led to maintain a suitable caution in evaluating them. Apart from this we hope that future studies are able to consider how early relationship traumas and psychopathic traits affect the risk of recidivism for sex offenders.

Keywords: Sex offenders, early childhood trauma, psychopathy, recidivism

  1. Adler, G. (1985). Borderline psychopathology and its treatment. New York: Jason Aronson.
  2. American Psychiatric Association (2013). DSM-5. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fifth Edition. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association (Tr. it., Manuale Diagnostico e Statistico dei Disturbi Mentali, Quinta edizione, DSM-5, Raffaello Cortina, Milano, 2014).
  3. Araji, S., & Finkelhor, D. (1986). Abusers: A review of the research. In D. Finkelhor (Ed.), A sourcebook on child sexual abuse (pp. 89-118). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
  4. Bandelow, B., Krause, J., Wedekind, D., Broocks, A., Hajak, G., & Ruther, E. (2005). Early traumatic life events, parental attitudes, family history, and birth risk factors in patients with borderline personality disorder and healthy controls. Psychiatry Research, 134, 2, 169-179,
  5. Bandura, A. (1995). Multifaceted scale of the mechanisms of moral disengagement. Available from A. Bandura, Stanford University, Stanford CA 94305-2130.
  6. Briken, P., Hill, A., Habermann, N., Kafka, M. P., & Berner, W. (2010). Paraphilia-related disorders and personality disorders in sexual homicide perpetrators. Sexual Offender Treatment, 5, 1, 1-7.
  7. Cale, J., Lussier, P., McCuish, E., & Corrado, R. (2015). The prevalence of psychopathic personality disturbances among incarcerated youth: Comparing serious, chronic, violent and sex offenders. Journal of Criminal Justice, 43, 4, 337-344,
  8. Caprara, G. V., Barbaranelli, C., & Vicino, S. (1996). La misura del disimpegno morale. Rassegne di Psicologia, 1, XIII, 93-105.
  9. Caretti, V., & Craparo, G. (2008). Trauma e psicopatologia: Un approccio evolutivo-relazionale. Roma: Astrolabio.
  10. Caretti, V., Craparo, G., & Schimmenti, A. (2013). Memorie traumatiche e mentalizzazione. Roma: Astrolabio.
  11. Caretti, V., Manzi, G., Schimmenti, A., & Seragusa, L., (2011). PCL-R Hare Psychopathy Checklist - Revised (2nd ed.). Firenze: O.S. Giunti.
  12. Coid, J., Hickey, N., Kahtan, N., Zhang, T., & Yang, M. (2007). Patients discharged from medium secure forensic psychiatry services: Reconvictions and risk factors. British Journal of Psychiatry, 190, 223-229,
  13. Craissati, J., Webb, L., & Keen, S. (2008). The relationship between developmental variables, personality disorder, and risk in sex offenders. Sexual Abuse, 20, 119-138, DOI: 10.1177/1079063208317464
  14. Craparo, G. (2014). The role of dissociation, affect dysregulation, and developmental trauma in sexual addiction. Clinica Neuropsychiatry, 11, 2, 86-90.
  15. Craparo, G., Gori, A., Mazzola, E., Petruccelli, I., Pellerone, M., & Rotondo, G. (2014a). Posttraumatic stress symptoms, dissociation, and alexithymia in an Italian sample of flood victims. Neuropsychiatric Diseases Treatment, 10, 2281-2284, DOI: 10.2147/NDT.S74317
  16. Craparo, G., Gori, A., Petruccelli, I., Cannella, V., & Simonelli, C. (2014b). Intimate partner violence: Relationships between alexithymia, depression, attachment styles, and coping strategies of battered women. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 11, 1484-1494,
  17. Craparo, G., Caretti, V., & Schimmenti, A. (2013). Traumatic experiences in childhood and psychopathy: A study on a sample of violent offenders from Italy. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 4, 1-6,
  18. Crume, T. L., Di Guiseppi, C., Byres, T., Sirotnak, A. P., & Garret, C. J. (2002). Under ascertainment of child maltreatment fatalities by death certificates, 1990-1998. Pediatrics, 110, 2, 1-6.
  19. Fadda, M. L. (2011). Il trattamento rieducativo dei detenuti sex offenders. Rivista di Sessuologia, 35, 2, 121-127.
  20. Favaretto, E., & Torresani, S. (1997). Il legame genitoriale come fattore predittivo dello sviluppo di disturbi psichiatrici. Epidemologia e Psichiatria Sociale, 6, 124-138, DOI: 10.1017/S1121189X00004929
  21. Fazel, S., Sjostedt, G., Langstrom, N., et al. (2007). Severe mental illness and risk of sexual offending in men: A case-control study based on Swedish national registers. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 68, 588-596.
  22. Fornari, U. (2012). Delitti folli, delitti di folli. Una lettura differenziale del crimine violento. Torino: Espress Edizioni.
  23. Fraley, R. C., Fazzari, D. A., Bonnano, G. A., & Dekel, S. (2006). Attachment and psychological adaptation in high exposure survivors of the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 538-551, DOI: 10.1177/0146167205282741
  24. Gaensbauer, T.J., & Hiatt, S. (1984). Facial communication of emotion in early infancy. In N. Fox & R. Davidson (Eds.), The psychobiology of affective development (pp. 207–230). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
  25. Giulini, P., & Xella, C. M. (2011). Buttare la chiave? La sfida al trattamento per gli autori di reati sessuali. Milano: Raffaello Cortina.
  26. Gordon, H., & Grubin, D. (2004). Psychiatric aspects of the assessment and treatment of sex offenders. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 10, 73-80,
  27. Gori, A., Craparo, G., Iraci Sareri, G., Caretti, V., Giannini, M., & Meringolo, P. (2014). Antisocial and Psychopathic personalities in a sample of addicted subjects: Differences in psychological resources, symptoms, alexithymia and impulsivity. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 55, 7, 1580-1586,
  28. Guzzo, G., Pace, U., Cascio, V. L., Craparo, G., & Schimmenti, A. (2014). Bullying victimization, post-traumatic symptoms, and the mediating role of alexithymia. Child Indicators Research, 7, 141-153, doi 10.1007/s12187-013-9206-6.
  29. Hanson, R. K., & Morton-Bourgon, K. (2004). Predictors of sexual recidivism. An updated meta-analysis. Canada: Public Works and Governental Services.
  30. Hare, R. D. (2003). The Hare Psychopathy Checklist - Revised (2nd ed.). Toronto, ON: Multi-Health Systems.
  31. Hare, R. D. (1991). The Hare Psychopathy Checklist - Revised. Toronto, ON: Multi-Health Systems.
  32. Hill, A., Habermann, N., Berner, W., & Briken, P. (2007). Psychiatric disorders in single and multiple sexual murderers. Psychopathology, 40, 22-28, DOI: 10.1159/000096386
  33. Kennedy, J. (2011). Personality disorder in an offending population: Developmental precursors and outcome from a therapeutic community prison. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Birmingham, UK.
  34. Långström, N., Sjöstedt, G., & Grann, M. (2004). Psychiatric disorder and recidivism in sex offenders. Sexual Abuse, 16, 139-150,
  35. Leue, A., Borchard, B., & Hoyer, J. (2004). Mental disorders in a forensic sample of sexual offenders. European Psychiatry, 19, 123-130,
  36. Lieb, K., Zanarini, M., Schmahl, C., Linehan, M., & Bohus, M. (2004). Borderline Personality Disorder. Lancet, 364, 453-461, DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(04)16770-6
  37. Luntz, B. K., & Widom, C. S. (1994). Antisocial personality disorder in abused and neglected children grown up. American Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 670-674,
  38. Lussier, P., & Beauregard, E. (2014). Sex offending: A criminological perspective. Journal of Criminal Justice, 42, 2, 105-110,
  39. Malacrea, M. (2008). Esperienze sfavorevoli infantili – Le premesse teoriche. In S. Gheno (Ed.), Quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle. Self empowerment e sviluppo della resilienza in monori vittime di esperienze sfavorevoli infantili (pp. 1-20). Milano: Guerini.
  40. Meloy, R. J. (2002). The “polymorfhously perverse” psychopath: Understanding a strong empirical relationship. Bulletin of Menninger Clinic, 66, 3, 273-289,
  41. Nijenhuis, E. R. S., van der Hart, O., & Vanderlinden, J. (1999). The Traumatic Experiences Checklist (TEC). In E. R. S. Nijenhuis (Ed.), Somatoform dissociation: Phenomena, measurement, and theoretical issues. Assen, the Netherlands: Van Gorcum (Tr. it., La dissociazione somatoforme. Elementi teorico-clinici e strumenti di misurazione (2007), Astrolabio, Roma).
  42. O’Connor, M., & Elklit, A. (2008). Attachment styles, traumatic events, and PTSD: A cross-sectional investigation of adult attachment and trauma. Attachment & Human Development, 10, 59-71, DOI: 10.1080/14616730701868597
  43. Olver, M. E., & Wong, S. C. P. (2006). Psychopathy, sexual deviance, and recidivism among sex offenders. Sexual Abuse, 18, 1, 65-82, DOI: 10.1177/107906320601800105
  44. Paris, J. (1996). Social factors in personality disorder: A biopsychosocial approach to etiology and treatment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  45. Parker, G., Tupling, H., & Brown, L. B. (1979). A Parental Bonding Instrument. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 52, 1-10,
  46. Pellerone, M., Craparo, G., & Tornabuoni, Y. (2016). Relationship between Parenting and Cognitive Schemas in a Group of Male Adult Offenders. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 302,
  47. Pham, H. T. (2012). Psychopathy and traumatic stress. Journal of Personality Disorders, 26, 213-225,
  48. Porter, S., Campbell, M., Woodworth, M., & Birt, A. (2001). A new psychological conceptualization of the sexual psychopath. In F. Columbus (Ed.), Advances in psychology research (V. 7, pp. 21-36). Hauppauge, NY: Nova.
  49. Powis, B. (2002). Offender’s risk of serious harm: A literature review. RDS Occasional Paper No 81. London: Home Office.
  50. Saleh, M. F., Malin, H. M., Grudzinskas Jr., A. J., & Vitacco, M. J. (2010). Paraphilias with co-morbid psychopathy: The clinical and legal significance to sex offender assessments. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 28, 211-223,
  51. Schimmenti, A., & Mulé, A. (2007). Inventario delle Esperienze Traumatiche (TEC). In E. R. S. Nijenhuis (Ed.), Somatoform dissociation: Phenomena, measurement, and theoretical issues (Tr. it., La dissociazione somatoforme. Elementi teorico-clinici e strumenti di misurazione, Roma: Astrolabio).
  52. Schimmenti, A., Passanisi, A., Pace, U., Manzella, S., Di Carlo, G., & Caretti, V. (2014). The relationship between attachment and psychopathy: A study with a sample of violent offenders. Current Psychology, 33, 256.
  53. Schwartz, M. F. (1992). Sexual compulsivity as post-traumatic stress disorder: Treatment perspectives. Psychiatric Annals, 22, 333-338.
  54. Taylor, G. J., & Bagby, R. M. (2013). Psychoanalysis and empirical research: The example of alexithymia. Japa, 61, 99-133, DOI: 10.1177/0003065112474066
  55. Turunen, T., Haravuori, H., Punamäki, R.-L., Soumalainen, L., & Marttunen, M. (2014). The role of attachment in recovery after a school-shooting trauma. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 5, 1-10, doi 10.3402/ejpt.v5.22728.
  56. Vigna, P. L. (2001). Codice Penale, Codice di Procedura Penale: annotati Norme Speciali. Roma: Laurus Robuffo.
  57. Vizard, E., Hickey, N., & McCrory, E. (2007). Developmental trajectories associated with juvenile sexually abusive behaviour and emerging severe personality disorder in childhood: 3-year study. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 190, 27-32,
  58. Zanarini, M., Williams, A., Lewis, R., Reich, R., Vera, S., Marino, M., et al. (1997). Reported pathological childhood experiences associated with the development of borderline personality disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 154, 1101-1106,

Giuseppe Craparo, Silvia Fasciano, Antonia Tomasello, Angela Micciché, Giulia Costanzo, Valentina Costantino, Simona Grilli, Silvestro Lo Cascio, Vincenza Cannella, Irene Petruccelli, Alessio Gori, Reati a sfondo sessuale: il ruolo dei traumi infantili, delle distorsioni cognitive e della psicopatia sul rischio di recidiva in "MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL’INFANZIA" 3/2016, pp 11-30, DOI: 10.3280/MAL2016-003002