Personality characteristics and adaptive strategies to cope with negative emotional states and deviant sexual fantasies in sexual aggressors

Research has shown that personality is related to strategies used to cope w ith stressful situations No study, however; has investigated the link betwe en personality and coping strategies learned in treatment programs. Consequ ently the aim of this study was to determine whether the personality of sex ual aggressors was related to the strategies used to cope with negative emo tional states and deviant sexual fantasies. personality was assessed using the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-I and coping strategies with the C oping Strategy Report. Two personality profiles were identified: dramatic a nd anxious. Results showed that respondents with an anxious profile were le ss likely to use strategies to cope with conflicts and were less effective in coping with deviant sexual fantasies. Moreover; respondents with an anxi ous profile reported avoidance strategies as most effective to cope with ne gative moods, whereas those with a dramatic profile reported approach strat egies as most effective.