TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2019//
TI  - Predicting sexual offenders' specialization/versatility: the role of impulsivity and moral reasoning
JO  - Sexual abuse: a journal of research and treatment
A1  - Saramago, Mariana A.
A1  - Cardoso, Jorge
A1  - Leal, Isabel
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - The main purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the predictive ability of impulsivity and moral reasoning on offending specialization/versatility. The latter was measured using the diversity index which calculates the amount of variation within an individual's criminal history. The sample consisted of 88 individuals convicted of sexual offenses incarcerated in a Portuguese prison. Group comparisons and multiple linear regression analyses on untransformed and corrected versions of the diversity index were conducted. Overall, the different versions of the diversity index presented disparate results. Individuals were found to be generally alike, but those convicted of rape tended to be more versatile than those who molested extrafamilial children. Moral reasoning was the strongest predictor of offending specialization/versatility, while impulsivity was mostly not statistically significant. A better understanding of these predictors' roles on offending specialization/versatility, as it relates to recidivism, is important to tailor successful interventions.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1079-0632
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1079063219878164
ID  - ref1
ER  -