Cognitive distortions are the excuses that perpetrators of sexual misconduct use for their behavior. Perpetrators are very adept at denying or justifying the sexual offense in whole or in part. These cognitive distortions are believed to remove social and moral barriers to sexual misconduct, serve as an excuse afterward, and contribute to the likelihood of future sexual misconduct. To date, a link between the elimination of cognitive distortions and a lower risk of recidivism has not been demonstrated. Research into cognitive distortions is still in its infancy. Nevertheless, detecting and dismantling cognitive distortions has been an important approach to offender treatment for years. Research has shown that perpetrators with many cognitive distortions have a greater risk of recidivism. In this article we discuss all possible cognitive distortions that can occur in perpetrators.ยน
Cognitive distortions in sexual offenders
- Denial
- Externalization
- Downplay or minimize
- Rationalizations
- Idealizations
- Projection of one’s own drive
- Cognitive age bias
- Over-identification with the young victim
- Gender views
- Role reversal
- Hiding behind powerlessness
- Devaluation of the perpetrator
- Dissociation
Denial
Complete or partial denial by not admitting and recognizing that (parts of the) crime or the planning took place. Denial also means when feelings of guilt and shame are repelled or when the perpetrator does not recognize the effort it takes to commit the crime.
Externalization
The person concerned takes only limited responsibility for his behavior and tends to externalize, in other words, responsibilities are placed outside himself and shifted to someone else, such as the victim. ,I can’t help it. She came and sat on my lap herself, so she asked for it.,
Downplay or minimize
The consequences that the crime has for the victim or the scale of the crime are reduced by the transmitting perpetrator.
Rationalizations
seeking a rational explanation or justification for one’s own behavior. This also includes ‘nomality theories’, which are theories that emphasize that the alternative sexual desires of the person concerned are ‘natural’ and that it is society that makes it a problem.
Idealizations
Idealizing criminal behavior. For example, the perpetrator notes that he has a good relationship with his stepdaughter and that it was good for her to be sexually initiated by him.
Projection of one’s own drive
The perpetrator projects his own sexual drive onto the victim. He observes this in the victim.
Cognitive age bias
The perpetrator no longer perceives the age difference. Incest perpetrators in particular have a way of considering their daughter as an adult, so that the age difference is no longer seen. Or an offender convicted of indecency with a minor: ,I didn’t know she was that young. I can’t ask for ID, can I?,
Over-identification with the young victim
Pedophiles in particular have a tendency to become completely absorbed in the victim and to feel like a ‘child among children’, completely losing sight of the (sometimes significant) age difference.
Gender views
Views about masculinity and femininity that justify criminal behavior. For example, the dichotomy of ‘dirty’ and ‘neat’ girls used by perpetrators; women who dress scantily are simply asking for it. And men simply have a strong sexual drive.
Role reversal
The perpetrator presents himself as a victim by saying, for example: ,She forced herself on me, I was drunk and that’s why I succumbed to temptation.,
Hiding behind powerlessness
The sex offender claims that he could not do anything about it, for example due to substance use. ,I’m not normally like that, but because of the speed I didn’t know what I was doing.,
Devaluation of the perpetrator
These are distortions about the perpetrator himself, such as pronounced negative self-images that make the perpetrator feel very inferior, which can be a breeding ground for new criminal behavior because he starts to act accordingly.
Dissociation
The perpetrator cannot remember it at all. This is a serious and far-reaching form of denial and an indication of serious underlying problems.
Note:
- This article is largely based on chapter 11 ‘paraphilia and sexual offense’ by Sybille Labrijn p.173-195, in: ‘Disorder and offense – Handbook of psychiatric and psychological reporting in criminal cases’, De Tijds troom, Utrecht, 2nd edition, 2010.
read more
- STATIC-99: Estimation of recidivism risk for sexual offenders
- Electronic Surveillance / Electronic Control / House Arrest
- B-SAFER: assessing the risk of recurrence of relational violence
- ART Wiltshire-NL Aggression Regulation Training adults