This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Nunes, K. L. Articles by Bradford, J. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Nunes, K. L. Articles by Bradford, J. M. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Denial Predicts Recidivism for Some Sexual Offenders

Programming Research Division, Research Branch, Correctional Service Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada, Kevin_Nunes{at}carleton.ca

R. Karl Hanson

Corrections Research, Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada

Philip Firestone

School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada, Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

Heather M. Moulden

School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

David M. Greenberg

School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

John M. Bradford

Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada, Sexual Behaviours Clinic, Royal Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, ON, Canada

This study examined whether there were variables that moderated the relationship between denial and recidivism among adult male sexual offenders. The first study (N=489) found that the relationship with sexual recidivism was moderated by risk (as measured by the Rapid Risk Assessment for Sexual Offense Recidivism) but not by psychopathy (as measured by the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised). Contrary to expectations, denial was associated with increased sexual recidivism among the low-risk offenders and with decreased recidivism among the high-risk offenders. Post hoc analyses suggested that the risk item most responsible for the interaction was "relationship to victims". For incest offenders, denial was associated with increased sexual recidivism, but denial was not associated with increased recidivism for offenders with unrelated victims. These interactions were substantially replicated in two independent samples (N=490 and N=73). The results suggest that denial merits further consideration for researchers as well as those involved in applied risk assessment of sexual offenders.

Key Words: Denial • Risk assessment ·Sex offenders • Recidivism

Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, Vol. 19, No. 2, 91-105 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/107906320701900202


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?