Child Abuse Myths are Pedophilic Myths: Cognitive Distortions are Stronger in Individuals Convicted of Sexual Offenses Diagnosed with Pedophilia Compared to Those Without Such Diagnosis

ABSTRACT

Based on the theory of cognitive dissonance and the understanding of cognitive distortions as defense mechanisms, we argued that individuals convicted of sexual offenses diagnosed with exclusive pedophilia (epICSOC) report more child offense related cognitive distortions compared to individuals convicted of sexual offenses without such diagnosis (oICSOC). In the present study, we aimed to empirically validate these clinical observations and previous results by relating cognitive distortions to four measures of pedophilic preference, namely, a clinical diagnosis of pedophilia, viewing time captured and self-reported pedophilic preference (EISIP; as well as the SSPI-2). Results revealed that cognitive distortions in general and minimizing sexually offending behavior toward children or attributing sexual interest to children in particular, significantly correlated with all four measures of pedosexual preference. Regression analyses, furthermore, indicated that attributing sexual interest to children was the best predictor for a pedosexual preference. Results thus show that cognitive distortions typically associated with child molesting in general are, in fact, more common in individuals convicted of sexual offenses diagnosed with exclusive pedophilia than in those without such diagnosis.

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sabrina Eberhaut

Sabrina Eberhaut works as a clinical psychologist at the Federal Evaluation Centre for Violent and Sexual Offenders (FECSVSO) of the Austrian Ministry of Justice in Vienna, Austria. She also works for the International Association for the Treatment of Sexual Offenders (IATSO) and is a doctoral student at the Medical University in Ulm, Germany.

Alexander F. Schmidt

Alexander Schmidt is a senior lecturer at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany, and has an approbation as cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist for adults. He serves as an expert witness on paraphilic interests in family and criminal court proceedings and has been working with offending and non-offending psychotherapy populations. He serves as an associate editor of the Archives of Sexual Behavior and is member on several editorial boards.

Rainer Banse

Rainer Banse is professor of social and forensic psychology at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University Bonn. He is also an honorary fellow of the University of York, United Kingdom, and a member of the Correctional Services Advisory and Accreditation Panel, National Offender Management Service, Ministry of Justice, United Kingdom.

Reinhard Eher

Reinhard Eher is a psychiatrist and clinical psychotherapist. He is a co-founder of the International Association for the Treatment of Sexual Offenders (IATSO) and is currently the president of IATSO. Since 2001, he is the head of the Federal Evaluation Centre for Violent and Sexual Offenders (FECVSO) of the Austrian Ministry of Justice in Vienna, Austria. He is professor for forensic psychotherapy at the Medical University in Ulm, Germany.