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Publication
Características dos agressores sexuais encarcerados em Portugal: consumo de pornografia, transversalidade na escolha de vítimas e versatilidade criminal
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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
O consumo de pornografia constitui uma motivação que pode levar à perpetração de violência
sexual por parte de alguns indivíduos. Apesar disso, as características associadas ao consumo
de pornografia estão ainda insuficientemente compreendidas, designadamente as dos
indivíduos que cometeram agressões sexuais. Paralelamente, existe falta de informação sobre
o fenómeno dos agressores sexuais que são transversais na escolha de vítimas de diferentes
faixas etárias, de ambos os géneros, em relação às quais podem apresentar diferentes tipos de
relacionamentos. Os agressores sexuais transversais tendem a agredir várias vítimas, o que
está associado ao risco de reincidência sexual. De igual forma, a versatilidade criminal nos
agressores está relacionada com um maior risco de reincidência, sendo comum os agressores
sexuais também perpetrarem crimes de outra natureza. Este estudo teve como objetivo
principal contribuir para o desenvolvimento da compreensão das dinâmicas entre os
agressores sexuais e as suas vítimas. Especificamente, pretendeu-se: (a) caracterizar vários
aspetos do consumo de pornografia por parte dos agressores sexuais na altura em que
cometeram o crime e identificar características que distinguem aqueles que utilizaram este
tipo de materiais dos que não o fizeram; (b) examinar a prevalência dos agressores sexuais
transversais na escolha de vítimas numa amostra portuguesa, bem como verificar se um
conjunto de variáveis sociodemográficas e criminogénicas contribuem para a classificação de
um agressor como sendo transversal; e (c) testar dois modelos teóricos sobre a etiologia do
crime aplicados ao contexto da especialização/ versatilidade criminal em agressores sexuais.
Para a realização do estudo recorreu-se, inicialmente, a uma amostra retrospetiva, através da
consulta processual de 261 reclusos do sexo masculino a cumprir penas de prisão por crimes
sexuais. Apenas 146 reclusos aceitaram participar nas outras fases da investigação, que inclui
uma entrevista sobre o seu histórico de consumo de pornografia, sendo ainda administradas
medidas que avaliavam as fantasias sexuais, a impulsividade e o raciocínio moral. Os
instrumentos não aferidos para a população portuguesa foram validados no presente estudo.
Os resultados da análise ao consumo de pornografia indicaram que 43% dos agressores
sexuais tentavam reproduzir os conteúdos visualizados na pornografia na altura em que
cometeram o crime, e que as fantasias sexuais estavam associadas ao consumo de pornografia
nessa altura. Os resultados do segundo estudo revelaram que a idade aquando do cometimento
do crime, o consumo de álcool, estar divorciado/ separado/ viúvo, e estar empregado
contribuíam para a probabilidade de os agressores serem transversais na escolha de vítimas
em geral. No terceiro estudo, constatou-se que o raciocínio moral foi o único preditor
significativo da especialização/ versatilidade criminal nos agressores sexuais.
Em suma, esta investigação contribuiu com importantes evidências empíricas, possibilitando
o desenvolvimento do conhecimento relativamente a várias dinâmicas dos agressores sexuais.
Os resultados poderão ter impacto ao nível dos profissionais que trabalham nesta área, seja na
avaliação do risco, seja no desenvolvimento de programas de tratamentos adaptados
especificamente para as características destes indivíduos.
Pornography consumption can be a motivating factor that leads to the perpetration of sexual violence by some individuals. Despite this, few studies have sought to better understand the characteristics associated with the usage of pornography, specifically by individuals who have committed sexual assaults. At the same time, there is a lack of information on the phenomenon of those sexual offenders that cross over in their choice of victims of different age groups, of both genders and with whom they have different relationships. These individuals usually have a greater number of victims, which is a risk factor associated with sexual recidivism. Furthermore, offenders’ criminal versatility is related to a greater risk of recidivism, and it also common for sexual offenders to perpetrate other types of crimes. This study aimed to contribute to a better understanding of these dynamics with sexual offenders. In particular, we intended to: (a) characterize various aspects of pornography consumption by sex offenders at the time of the index offense and to identify features that were able to distinguish between those who used these types of materials and those who did not; (b) to examine the prevalence of crossover sexual offenders victim’s choice among a Portuguese sample, as well as to verify if a set of sociodemographic and criminogenic variables contributed to the classification of an offender as being crossover; and (c) to test two theoretical models on the etiology of criminal behaviors applied to the context of criminal specialization / versatility among sex offenders. To carry out the research, an initial retrospective sample was drawn from the official prison records of 261 male inmates that were serving sentences for sexual crimes. Only 146 inmates agreed to participate in the assessment studies, which included an interview protocol about their history of pornography usage, and measures that assessed sexual fantasies, impulsivity, and moral reasoning. Those measures not previously adapted for the Portuguese context were subsequently validated in the present research. The results of the pornography consumption analysis indicated that 43% of the sex offenders attempted to reproduce the content visualized in pornography at the time of the index offense, and that sexual fantasies contributed to them having used pornography at the time. The results of the second study revealed that age at the index offense, alcohol abuse, being divorced / separated / widowed, and being employed contributed to the probability of a sexual offender having crossed over in general. In the third article, moral reasoning was the sole significant predictor of criminal specialization / versatility among sexual offenders. Thus, this research contributed with important empirical evidence, allowing for a better understanding of the state of the art pertaining to several aspects of sexual offending. The results may have also an impact for professionals working in this area, either in risk assessment or in the development of treatment programs tailored specifically to the characteristics of these individuals.
Pornography consumption can be a motivating factor that leads to the perpetration of sexual violence by some individuals. Despite this, few studies have sought to better understand the characteristics associated with the usage of pornography, specifically by individuals who have committed sexual assaults. At the same time, there is a lack of information on the phenomenon of those sexual offenders that cross over in their choice of victims of different age groups, of both genders and with whom they have different relationships. These individuals usually have a greater number of victims, which is a risk factor associated with sexual recidivism. Furthermore, offenders’ criminal versatility is related to a greater risk of recidivism, and it also common for sexual offenders to perpetrate other types of crimes. This study aimed to contribute to a better understanding of these dynamics with sexual offenders. In particular, we intended to: (a) characterize various aspects of pornography consumption by sex offenders at the time of the index offense and to identify features that were able to distinguish between those who used these types of materials and those who did not; (b) to examine the prevalence of crossover sexual offenders victim’s choice among a Portuguese sample, as well as to verify if a set of sociodemographic and criminogenic variables contributed to the classification of an offender as being crossover; and (c) to test two theoretical models on the etiology of criminal behaviors applied to the context of criminal specialization / versatility among sex offenders. To carry out the research, an initial retrospective sample was drawn from the official prison records of 261 male inmates that were serving sentences for sexual crimes. Only 146 inmates agreed to participate in the assessment studies, which included an interview protocol about their history of pornography usage, and measures that assessed sexual fantasies, impulsivity, and moral reasoning. Those measures not previously adapted for the Portuguese context were subsequently validated in the present research. The results of the pornography consumption analysis indicated that 43% of the sex offenders attempted to reproduce the content visualized in pornography at the time of the index offense, and that sexual fantasies contributed to them having used pornography at the time. The results of the second study revealed that age at the index offense, alcohol abuse, being divorced / separated / widowed, and being employed contributed to the probability of a sexual offender having crossed over in general. In the third article, moral reasoning was the sole significant predictor of criminal specialization / versatility among sexual offenders. Thus, this research contributed with important empirical evidence, allowing for a better understanding of the state of the art pertaining to several aspects of sexual offending. The results may have also an impact for professionals working in this area, either in risk assessment or in the development of treatment programs tailored specifically to the characteristics of these individuals.
Description
Tese de Doutoramento em Psicologia na área de especialização de Psicologia Clínica apresentada no ISPA –
Instituto Universitário
Keywords
Agressores sexuais Pornografia Transversal Versatilidade Crossover Pornography Sex offenders Versatility