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The relation between negative affect and sexual offending: a critical review
Katrina McCoy1, William Fremouw
1Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506-6040, United States. Katrina.McCoy@mail.wvu.edu
Clinical Psychology Review
|January 16, 2010
Summary
Current theories link negative affect to sexual offending. However, this review finds no evidence that negative affect causes sexual offending or that sex alleviates negative affect in offenders.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Criminology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Theories suggest a causal link between negative affect and sexual offending.
- One theory posits that sexual behavior serves as a coping mechanism for sex offenders to alleviate negative affect.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically review research on the role of negative affect in sexual offending.
- To examine the hypothesis that sexual behavior functions as a coping strategy for sex offenders.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies examining the relationship between negative affect, deviant sexual fantasies, and sexual offending.
- Critical analysis of methodological strengths and weaknesses in existing research.
Main Results:
- The reviewed literature does not support a causal relationship between negative affect and sexual offending.
- Evidence does not support the hypothesis that sexual behavior alleviates negative affect among sex offenders.
Conclusions:
- Methodological limitations in current research hinder definitive conclusions.
- Future research should address these limitations to better understand the etiology of sexual offending.
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