Child molesters' implicit theories

In this article, the authors argue that child molesters' cognitive distorti ons emerge from underlying causal theories about the nature of their victim s, the world, and themselves. These implicit theories function like scienti fic theories and are used to explain empirical regularities (e.g., other pe ople's actions) and to make predictions about the world. They are relativel y coherent and constituted by a number of interlocking ideas and their comp onent concepts and categories. Drawing on recent work in the cognitive dist ortions area, the authors identify five core implicit theories. Each theory is described in detail and its relationship to cognitive distortions discu ssed. Finally, the clinical and research implications of the implicit theor y perspective are outlined.