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Cited by 27Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual OffendingChild Abuse and TraumaCrime Patterns and Interventions

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Emotional Congruence with Children: Are Implicit and Explicit Child-Like Self-Concept and Attitude Toward Children Associated with Sexual Offending Against Children?

McPhail, Ian V., Nunes, Kevin L., Hermann, Chantal A., Sewell, Rikki, Peacock, Edward J., Looman, Jan, Fernandez, Yolanda M.·2018·Archives of Sexual Behavior
DOI 10.1007/s10508-018-1288-2
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Abstract

Some men convicted of sexual offences against children express an exaggerated affiliation with childhood, ascribe child-like characteristics to themselves, experience strong non-sexual liking of children, and hold positive views of children and childhood. These features are generally called emotional congruence with children. The present study examined child-like self-concept, which is an association of self with children and child-like characteristics, attitude toward children, and general emotional congruence with children as correlates of sexual offending against children and pedophilia. Male participants (18 sexual offenders against unrelated children; 7 incest offenders; 22 non-sexual offenders; 54 students) completed newly developed implicit and explicit measures of child-like self-concept and attitude toward children, as well as more established self-report measures of emotional congruence with children. Assessments of pedophilic interest and sexual recidivism risk were obtained from official file information. Sexual offenders against unrelated children reported higher levels of implicit child-like self-concept and self-reported emotional congruence with children when compared to the other three groups. Implicit child-like self-concept showed a small correlation with emotional congruence measures, whereas implicit attitude toward children was moderately correlated with the emotional congruence measures. Implicit child-like self-concept, implicit attitude toward children, and the emotional congruence measures were associated with greater pedophilic interest and sexual recidivism risk. The present findings provide a nuanced understanding of the emotional congruence with children construct and have implications for theory, research, and treatment of sexual offenders against children.

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Cited by

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Metadata

Authors
McPhail, I. V., Nunes, K. L., Hermann, C. A., Sewell, R., Peacock, E. J., Looman, J., & Fernandez, Y. M.
Affiliations
  • University of Saskatchewan (CA)
  • Carleton University (CA)
  • Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (CA)
  • Correctional Service Canada (CA)
  • Providence Care Hospital (CA)
Corresponding author
McPhail, Ian V.
ORCID
Venue
Archives of Sexual Behavior
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2018-11
Volume
47
Issue
8
Pages
2241-2254
ISSN
  • 0004-0002 (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-2800
DOI
10.1007/s10508-018-1288-2
OpenAlex
W2899358500
Cited by
27
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 3 · 2018: 1
FWCI
2.35
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • Archives of Sexual Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (410-2008-947)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime Patterns and Interventions
Keywords
pedophilia, sexual offenses against minors, pedophilic interests, incest offenders, implicit attitudes
MeSH terms
Adult, Child, Child Abuse, Sexual, Emotions, Humans, Incest, Male, Pedophilia, Self Concept, Sexual Behavior, Criminals

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