Specifics of Sexual Self-Concept and Interpersonal Perception in Convicted Non-Imprisoned Sexual Offenders

Abstract

The article considers the specifics of the sexual self-concept and interpersonal perception in individuals convicted of sexual crimes and serving their sentences without legally imposed loss of freedom. The study was aimed at revealing the structure of intact and damaged elements of the sexual self-concept in this category of persons and the correspondence between this self-concept and the properties found in appetence disorders. The sample consisted of 60 persons: 30 of them were registered (at the time of the study) with Penal Enforcement Inspectorates of the Federal Penal Correction Service for committing sexual offences (without loss of freedom) and had no revealed mental pathology, whereas the other 30 persons had neither criminal records nor any revealed mental disorders. The techniques used were "Masculinity and Femininity", "Age Identity", "The Color Relationship Test", "Encoding". The research work had an increased emphasis on the qualitative analysis of associative images. From the results of an empirical study it was shown that the make-up of the sexual self-identity in a large proportion of the convict subjects has the nature of anomalous necessity, which poses the risk of repeated offences. The results of the study suggest the necessity to make recommendations for the judiciary about referral of this category of persons for a forensic examination of their mental condition. The psychologists of penal enforcement inspectorates were recommended to implement the techniques of diagnosing one's sexual self-concept as part of their day-to-day work on differentiating convicts by the risk they pose.