Cohen et al. (2002), studying child sex offenders, states that pedophiles have impaired interpersonal functioning and elevated passive-aggressiveness, as well as impaired self-concept. Regarding disinhibitory traits, pedophiles demonstrate elevated sociopathy and propensity for cognitive distortions. According to the authors, pathologic personality traits in pedophiles lend support to a hypothesis that such pathology is related to both motivation for and failure to inhibit pedophilic behavior.[1]
According to Wilson and Cox (1983), "The paedophiles emerge as significantly higher on Psychoticism, Introversion and Neurotocism than age-matched controls. [But] there is a difficulty in untangling cause and effect. We cannot tell whether paedophiles gravitate towards children because, being highly introverted, they find the company of children less threatening than that of adults, or whether the social withdrawal implied by their introversion is a result of the isloation engendered by their preference (i.e., awareness of the social approbation and hostility that it evokes" (p. 324).[2]
Studying child sex offenders, a review of qualitative research studies published between 1982 and 2001 concluded that pedophiles use cognative distortions to meet personal needs, justifying abuse by making excuses, redefining their actions as love and mutuality, and exploiting the power imbalance inherent in all adult-child relationships.[3] Other cognitive distortions include the idea of "children as sexual beings," "uncontrollability of sexuality," and "sexual entitlement-bias."[4]
One review of the literature concludes that research on personality correlates and psychopathology in pedophiles is rarely methodologically correct, in part owing to confusion between pedophiles and child sex offenders, as well as the difficulty of obtaining a representative, community sample of pedophiles.[5] Seto (2004) points out that pedophiles who are available from a clinical setting are likely there because of distress over their sexual preference or pressure from others. This increases the likelihood that they will show psychological problems. Similarly, pedophiles recruited from a correctional setting have been convicted of a crime, making it more likely that they will show anti-social characteristics.[6]
[1] Cohen LJ, McGeoch PG, Watras-Gans S,
et al. (October 2002). "
Personality impairment in male pedophiles".
[2] Wilson, G. D., & Cox, D. N. (1983). Personality of paeodphile club members.
"Personality and Individual Differences".
[3] Lawson L. (2003 September-November
. "
Isolation, gratification, justification: offenders' explanations of child molesting".
[4] Mihailides S, Devilly GJ, Ward T. (October 2004). "
Implicit cognitive distortions and sexual offending".
[5] Okami, P. & Goldberg, A. (1992). "
Personality Correlates of Pedophilia: Are They Reliable Indicators?".
[6] Seto MC (2004). "
Pedophilia and sexual offenses against children".