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Alcohol and Drug Abuse Among Sexual and Nonsexual Offenders: Relationship to Intimacy Deficits and Coping Strategy

NCJ Number
206259
Journal
Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment Volume: 16 Issue: 3 Dated: July 2004 Pages: 177-189
Author(s)
Jan Looman; Jeffrey Abracen; Roberto DiFazio; Greg Maillet
Date Published
July 2004
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study examined alcohol and drug abuse among sexual and nonsexual offenders and their relationship to intimacy deficits and coping strategy.
Abstract
In order to complete this study, three groups of subjects consisting of rapists, child molesters, and a comparison group of violent offenders were examined with reference to history of alcohol abuse, history of drug abuse, intimacy deficits, and emotionally based coping strategies. The sample consisted of 95 men. All participants were incarcerated within the Ontario Region in Canadian Federal penitentiaries. All subjects were tested individually or in small groups under the supervision of correctional staff. The study found that the violent offenders as a group were significantly younger than the rapists or the child molesters. There were no significant differences in terms of age between the rapists and child molesters. There were no significant differences between the rapists and the violent offender groups with reference to the number of violent convictions. It appears that all three groups had extensive criminal histories, though the rapists and violent offenders had more extensive violent histories than the child molesters did. Based on the findings of this study and a review of the relevant research it may be that there is something about the combination of alcohol abuse, emotionally focusing coping, and possibly intimacy deficits that contribute to sexual offending. As this study involved a rather limited number of subjects perhaps larger scale studies will be needed to continue to examine the relationship between these variables. References and charts

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