Negative emotionality and coping in forensic outpatients with sexually transgressive behaviour

ABSTRACT

Negative emotionality has been consistently linked to an increased risk of sexual offending. Ninety-one Dutch males treated in outpatient forensic psychiatry for sexually transgressive behaviour were studied on self-reported negative emotionality, coping and sexual coping, and therapist assessed corresponding dynamic risk factors. Outpatients reported more prevalence of high negative emotionality than therapists. Correlation analyses showed, amongst others, a significant positive association between emotional coping and all subscales of negative emotionality: stress (strong), aggression (weak) and alienation (weak). Furthermore, regression analyses revealed that self-reported stress was a significant predictor of several types of self-reported coping (task, emotional, avoidant, and sexual consent and molest) and assessed sexual coping. Additionally, self-reported aggression predicted consent and rape-themed sexual coping. These results indicate a nuanced relationship between different aspects of negative emotionality and coping mechanisms, underscoring the relevance of careful consideration tailored to characteristics of the patient involved when addressed in forensic treatment.

PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT

The observed associations between (aspects of) negative emotionality and coping, promote the use of patient-tailored emotion regulation interventions in the forensic treatment of outpatients with sexually transgressive behaviour. Moreover, self-report appears to provide useful additional information for further tailoring therapy.

KEYWORDS:

• Negative emotionality
• coping
• sexually transgressive behaviour
• forensic
• outpatient
• therapy

Disclosure statement

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