Cognitive Distortions of Perpetrators of Sexual Assault Against Children and Adolescents

Abstract

The study aimed to analyze cognitive distortions present in the content of interviews with five male perpetrators of child and adolescent sexual assault aged between 19 and 58 years (M=30.8). The research, with a qualitative approach to the data, involved a convenience sample of the participants. A semi-structured interview was used, carried out in a Prison Unit in Parauapebas - Pará - Brazil. A content analysis of the interview transcripts was carried out, considering pre-existing categories in the literature. The following categories of distortions were identified: (a) Complete Denial, (b) Partial Denial, (c) Acceptance of Sexual Aggression, (d) Minimization of Aggression, (e) Minimization of Responsibility, (f) Denial/Minimization of Consequences, (g) Denial/Minimization of Planning and (h) Denial/Minimization of Treatment. The findings are in line with the literature, which suggests the predominant presence of cognitive distortions that may have been used to justify or deny factors associated with the practice of this aggression. It is worth highlighting the importance of systematically investigating these distortions to understand factors present in the life trajectory of perpetrators of sexual aggression, and thus enhance the effectiveness of actions capable of minimizing the recurrence of aggressive behavior by preventing risk patterns and developing psychoeducational strategies, among others.