Personality Traits of the Child Molester

Background of Clinical Observations

Pedophilia, the adult sexual desire for a child, is sometimes viewed as a possible component of incest. Clinical observation reveals that pedophiliacs appear to be timid, passive, and immature with strong feelings of sexual inadequacy and impotence. These are men who lack the courage to attempt sexual contacts with adult women (Kopp, 1962). Studies of family histories comparing sexual deviancy suggest that pedophilia is familial (Gaffney, Lurie, & Berlin, 1984).

Peters (1976) studied sexual assault offenders and concluded that pedophiles produced an intelligence range which fell in the lower half of the normal-average range (96.9 on the Revised Army Beta Examination). All sex offenders studied produced scores in the pathologic range on the Cornell Medical Index and all scores for ego integration were different from normal men on the Bender Gestalt Test. Pedophiles scored higher on the somatic scale with fewer reports of emotional disturbances. Pedophiles' drawings showed immaturity, dependency needs, phallic inadequacy and over-all regression; the Rorschach showed pedophiles to be passi

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adequate social adjustment with stable marriages and home (Mey & Neff, 1982). Early views of the incestuous father report that they come from backgrounds of poverty, alcoholism, little education, inadequate housing, and little warmth or understanding from the paternal grandparents. They were found to demonstrate general occupational irresponsibility, and deserted their children at some time (Kaufman, Peck, & Tagiuri, 1954). More recently, incestuous fathers have been found to fit into a variety of categories: stable employment as professionals or blue-collar workers, a history of chronic unemployment, usually nonpsychotic, and nonalcoholics. Early childhoods may involve economic deprivation and disturbed parent-child relations with physical and sexual abuse (Swanson & Baggio, 1985). There appears to be no demographic profile of incest offenders; they tend to be a heterogeneous group that look like everyone else (Scheela & Stern, 1994). Psychometric Studies of Sex Offenders Carroll and Fuller (1971) reported that prisoners whose criminal behavior was classified as sexual, demonstrated dependent, insecure personalities. Non-violent offenders differed from sexual offenders on six MMPI variables (F, K, Pd (4), Pa (6), Sc (8)
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Approximate Word count = 1814
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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