INTIMACY DEFICITS, FEAR OF INTIMACY, AND LONELINESS AMONG SEXUAL OFFENDERS

Intimacy deficits and loneliness recently have been theorized as influ ential factors in the etiology and maintenance of sexually offending b ehaviors, although to date there has been a lack of empirical research conducted to address this proposition. The present study examined int imacy deficits, fear of intimacy, and loneliness among intrafamilial c hild molesters, rapists, nonsexually offending inmates, and a communit y sample of adult males. The child molesters and rapists reported grea ter overall intimacy deficits than did the nonsexually offending inmat es and community controls, with rapists reporting the greatest intimac y deficits, Fear of intimacy was found to be a particularly salient ch aracteristic of the child molesters. The child molesters and rapists r eported experiencing more overall loneliness and emotional loneliness. It is suggested that intimacy deficits, fear of intimacy, and lonelin ess should be addressed in comprehensive theories of sexual offending and incorporated into assessment and treatment approaches.