Browsing by Author "Nunes, Kevin L."
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Item Are cognitive distortions associated with denial and minimization among sex offenders?(2012) Nunes, Kevin L.; Jung, SandyAlthough there has been much speculation about the relationship between cognitive distortions and denial/minimization, little research on the subject is available. The authors conducted secondary analyses on existing data sets to further examine the degree of association between various measures of cognitive distortions and denial/minimization among child molesters (Sample 1, n = 73; Sample 2, n = 42; Sample 3, n = 38) and rapists (Sample 1, n = 41; Sample 3, n = 14). Meta-analysis of the findings from Samples 1, 2, and 3 indicated that greater endorsement of cognitive distortions about sex offending in general was significantly associated with greater denial/minimization of one’s own guilt and deviance (r = .24), harm to one’s own victims (r = .32), one’s need for treatment (r = .21), and responsibility for one’s sex offenses (r = .16). Although correlated, cognitive distortions and denial/minimization, at least as typically measured, are distinct constructs.Item Denial and its relationship with treatment perceptions among sex offenders(2012) Jung, Sandy; Nunes, Kevin L.We examined the relationship between denial/minimization and treatment perceptions using multiple measures of each construct in a sample of 185 adult male sex offenders. Denial/minimization was measured with the Comprehensive Inventory of Denial—Sex Offender version (CID-SO), Sex Offender Acceptance of Responsibility Scales (SOARS), and an item from a risk assessment measure (Sexual Violence Risk-20; SVR-20). Treatment perceptions were measured with the treatment readiness scale of the Multiphasic Sex Inventory (MSI and MSI-II) and the treatment rejection scale of the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). Most aspects of denial and minimization had significant moderate to strong associations with more negative perceptions of treatment. Questions about the distinctiveness versus overlap between measures of denial/minimization and treatment perceptions notwithstanding, our findings are consistent with conceptualizations in past research and practice that greater denial/minimization is associated with lower motivation for treatment. Rather than excluding deniers from treatment, additional efforts are required to engage higher risk sex offenders exhibiting denial and minimization.Item Explicit and implicit self-esteem, narcissism, and recidivism risk in a sample of men who have sexually offended against children(2019) Pettersen, Cathrine; Nunes, Kevin L.; Kostiuk, Nicole; Jung, Sandy; Atlas, MayaThe relationship between implicit and incongruent explicit and implicit (i.e., discrepant) self-esteem, narcissism, and sexual offending against children requires further research. We examined the relationships between self-esteem, narcissism, and risk of violent (including sexual) recidivism and compared sexual offenders against children (n = 28) and non-sexual offenders (n = 44) on these measures. All participants were adult men. In both groups, greater narcissism was associated with greater risk. Among sexual offenders against children, contrary to theoretical accounts and previous research findings, higher explicit self-esteem was associated with greater risk. However, further analysis indicated that explicit self-esteem may only be relevant to recidivism risk insofar as it reflects narcissism. Neither implicit nor discrepant self-esteem were related to recidivism risk in either group. Group comparisons indicated that sexual offenders against children had lower explicit self-esteem and narcissism than non-sexual offenders. In summary, our findings suggest that although sexual offenders against children have lower explicit self-esteem and narcissism than other offenders, within this group, higher explicit self-esteem and greater narcissism may be associated with greater risk. Taken together, previous and current findings suggest that including measures of narcissism in psychological assessment batteries administered to sexual offenders against children could be beneficial. Our findings also further question the wisdom of targeting low self-esteem in correctional treatment programs aimed at reducing recidivism.