Discriminating among incarcerated sexual offenders by their perception of interpersonal problems and experience-related anxiety

Fifty-seven (57) incarcerated sex offenders were assessed for their capacit y to perceive interpersonal difficulties and experience related anxiety, Th e findings suggest that the men who have sexually transgressed against mine rs view themselves as easily exploitable and nurturant, and those who have sexually aggressed against adult females demonstrated minimal regard for ex ternal negative views of them. These two groups did not differ significantl y from each other along social avoidance and non assertiveness dimensions. Assertiveness was found to decrease as a consequence of multiple incarcerat ions in both groups. Furthermore, perception of interpersonal difficulties and experience related anxiety in our study correctly classified 72% of hig h and low violent sexual offenders. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All righ ts reserved.