Characteristics of Child Molesters - Implications for the Fixated-Regressed Dichotomy

This study attempted to empirically validate the fixated-regressed typology used in the child sexual abuse literature. The sample consisted of 136 consecutive cases of convicted child molesters tried in Pima County, Arizona, over a 2-year period (1984-1985) for whom case history, MMPI, presentence r...

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Bibliographic Details
Contributors: Kahn, M. (Other) ; Simon, L. M. J. (Other) ; Sales, B. (Other) ; Kaszniak, A. (Other)
Format: Electronic/Print Article
Language:English
Published: 1992
In: Journal of interpersonal violence
Year: 1992, Volume: 7, Issue: 2, Pages: 211-225
Online Access: Volltext (doi)
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Keywords:
Sexualstraftäter
Description
Summary:This study attempted to empirically validate the fixated-regressed typology used in the child sexual abuse literature. The sample consisted of 136 consecutive cases of convicted child molesters tried in Pima County, Arizona, over a 2-year period (1984-1985) for whom case history, MMPI, presentence reports, and police report data were collected prior to sentencing. Application of the criteria defining fixated versus regressed status yielded a unimodal and continuous distribution of child molesters rather than the bimodal distribution predicted by theory. In a multiple regression analysis, two independent variables (i.e., whether the victim and offender were related and an offender's prior non-sex-criminal record) significantly predicted an offender's degree of regression, and a third independent variable (i.e., offender age) approached significance. Alternative conceptualizations to the fixated-regressed typology are described, and implications for understanding child molesters are discussed
ISSN:0886-2605
DOI:10.1177/088626092007002007