Denial can take many forms. From denying that you stole a piece of candy as a kid to something more serious like denying you committed a crime. In this instance, the focus is on those sex offenders who claim they haven’t committed a sexual offense.
These individuals are often known as categorical deniers. Denial of these crimes and overall accountability from sex offenders can be traced back to the 1960s and 1970s.
Over the years, reports continue to show that sex offenders characteristically deny various aspects of their offense. This can include information ranging from the crime scene, police reports, or judicial responsibility.
To learn more about categorical denial in sex offenders, continue reading.
Frequency of Categorical Denial
The use of the word denial makes it a bit difficult to estimate the exact number of times sex offenders have categorically denied their offense. Fortunately, various studies have shown instances and patterns of sex offenders denying or minimizing their crimes.
A study conducted by Alex Lord and Phil Willmot (2004) included their understanding of total denial in which the sex offenders acknowledged and agreed to having sex with the victim but denied it was a crime.
They claimed the victim explicitly gave their consent to engage in sexual activity.
Other instances of categorical denial were found in outpatient treatment. Studies found that 25% of outpatient clients that molested children categorically denied ever offending.
Similarly, offenders who attended a community clinic denied committing a crime made up 28% of the group. Higher rates of categorical denial have been found among sex offenders who have not been convicted.
According to a study conducted in 1999, adolescents who were not prosecuted but accused of sexual offenses were less likely to confess than those who were.
Characteristics of Deniers
There are no specific personality traits or characteristics to categorical deniers. However, several studies found aspects to base the deniers on, such as IQ, age, and ethnicity.
According to Baldwin and Roys’ research, categorical deniers had a lower IQ and were younger than those who admitted to their crimes. Other studies found that non-caucasian offenders were typically the ones denying their sexual offense rather than their counterparts.
Those were not the only characteristics found when conducting research. More information on sex offenders’ personality traits was uncovered by utilizing the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory or MMPI for short.
Based on the MMPI, rapists in categorical deniers were more likely to use impression management strategies than admitters.
Categorical deniers have also been found to minimize abnormal sexual interests at psychological assessments and show little to no sexual arousal to inappropriate information.
Denial and Sexual Recidivism
Categorical denial has been claimed to be a significant contributor to re-offense. While it might make sense that those who deny their sexual offense are likely to offend again, that is not always the case.
Studies have found both sides to be true. On one side, you have researchers and studies finding that categorical denial leads to a higher rate of sexual recidivism. The other side has found no relationship between the two.
Many studies have found both sides to be true because of the inconsistent definition of denial throughout the research.
Researchers determined from both studies that low-risk sex offenders who categorically denied their offenses were more likely to re-offend than those who partially or fully admitted to their crimes.
Furthermore, Nunes et al. concluded that high-risk offenders denied categorical benefits were less likely to re-offend.
Treatment for Categorical Deniers
The ultimate goal of sex offender treatment is to decrease the risk of re-offending.
Unfortunately, denial remains the leading obstacle that stands in the way of the sex offender to accept responsibility for the offense. Acceptance of their offense is a significant indicator of whether or not an individual is willing to go through treatment.
Research has shown that 91.8% of community programs and 91.1% of residential programs for adult sex offenders in the US focused on “offense responsibility” as the primary point in their treatment. Similar findings were reported in juvenile sex offenders as well.
Whether a client goes through treatment or not, it can’t improve if they are unwilling to admit and claim responsibility for their actions.
Angles to Treatment
There is no single treatment modality that can help with categorical deniers and sex offenders, but there are valuable techniques.
One of them is the development of different group treatments targeting categorical deniers.
Contrary to other studies, this strategy focuses on eliminating accountability of the offense and focusing more on what can cause the individual to re-offend.
These factors include:
- Unstable life
- Social skill deficits
- Family and marital problems
- Employment
- Substance abuse
Another approach suggests that treatment should focus on reducing resistance to treatment techniques rather than creating more tension or confrontation to treatment.
Contact Steps For Change Today!
Categorical denial will always be present, but there is hope to reduce the risk of re-offense with proper treatment. If you or a loved one is in need of sex offender treatment, contact Steps For Change today.
Our experts in sexual behavior problems and other mental health disorders are here to help. Call us today at (952) 522-2513.
