A Billion Distorted Thoughts: An Exploratory Study of Criminogenic Cognitions Among Men Who Sexually Exploit Children Over the Internet

• Date: 01 August 2020
• Published date: 01 August 2020
• DOI: 10.1177/0306624X19873082
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X19873082

International Journal of

Offender Therapy and

Comparative Criminology

2020, Vol. 64(10-11) 1114 –1133

© The Author(s) 2019

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DOI: 10.1177/0306624X19873082

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Original Manuscript

A Billion Distorted Thoughts:

An Exploratory Study of

Criminogenic Cognitions

Among Men Who Sexually

Exploit Children Over the

Internet

Sarah Paquette1, Nicholas Longpré2,

and Franca Cortoni3

Abstract

There is evidence that endorsing a higher level of offense-supportive cognitions is

associated with contact sexual offending. Such an association assumes the construct

of cognitions as unidimensional, thus ignoring the possibility that specific subtypes of

cognitions exist and that certain may be criminogenic. To investigate this possibility,

this study aimed at examining the associations between criminal behaviors and

cognitive themes found in the discourse of men who engage in sexual offenses against

children over the Internet. Through the discourse of a sample of 60 men with online

child sexual exploitation material and solicitation offenses, a previous study identified

eight cognitive themes: Uncontrollability, Nature of harm, Child as sexual being, Child as

partner, Dangerous world, Entitlement, Virtual is not real, and Internet is uncontrollable.

These themes were not investigated for their criminogenic nature. Thus, in this

study, bivariate analyses were used to determine whether these cognitive themes

were linked to three indicators of criminal behaviors: the extent of criminal charges,

the diversity of offending behaviors, and the nature of contact with victims. Results

suggest that, taken as a whole, online sexual offense–supportive cognitions may not be

criminogenic. Moreover, only cognitive themes related to antisocial orientation and

atypical sexuality were found linked with criminal behaviors, although associations

1Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

2University of Roehampton, London, UK

3University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Corresponding Author:

Sarah Paquette, School of Social Work and Criminology, Laval University, Pavillon Charles-De Koninck,

1030 Avenue des Sciences-Humaines, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada G1V 0A6.

Email: paquette.sarah@hotmail.com

873082IJOXXX10.1177/0306624X19873082International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative CriminologyPaquette et al.

research-article2019

Paquette et al. 1115

found remain limited. Findings and associated implications are further discussed for

research and clinical purposes.

Keywords

cognitive distortion, implicit theory, child exploitation material user, child-luring

offender, Internet sexual offender

Men who sexually offend against children are presumed to hold a variety of beliefs

about themselves, others, and the world which are hypothesized to facilitate their

offending behaviors (Ward, 2000; Ward & Keenan, 1999). There is empirical evidence

that these men express or endorse offense-supportive statements (e.g., Bumby, 1996;

Marziano, Ward, Beech, & Pattison, 2006; Paquette, Cortoni, Proulx, & Longpré,

2014; Seto, Reeves, & Jung, 2010) and that endorsing an overall higher number of

offense-supportive statements is associated with contact sexual offending (Helmus,

Hanson, Babchishin, & Mann, 2013). Among men with online sexual offenses against

children, initial studies provided knowledge on the content of cognitions they express

(e.g., Bartels & Merdian, 2016; Howitt & Sheldon, 2007; Paquette, 2018), but none

investigated whether specific types of cognitions are associated with their involve-

ment in criminality. Thus, to have a better picture of the role of cognitions in online

sexual offending against children, this exploratory study examines the associations

between offense-supportive cognitive themes and indicators of criminality among a

sample of men who had engaged in online child sexual exploitation material and solic-

itation offenses.

Defining Criminogenic Cognitions

Abel, Becker, and Cunningham-Rathner (1984) first suggested that men who sexu-

ally offend against children may hold criminogenic cognitions—referred to as cog-

nitive distortions—which would allow them to reconcile the discrepancy between

their sexual interest for children and societal norms. The authors defined these cog-

nitions as “an individual’s internal processes, including the justifications, percep-

tions and judgements used by the sex offender to rationalize his child molestation

behavior” (Abel et al., 1989, p. 137), a definition that encompasses several psycho-

logical phenomena—beliefs, justifications, perceptions, judgements, and rational-

izations. Over the years, additional psychological constructs have been added to this

definition, including attitudes (Helmus et al., 2013), excuses (Pollock & Hashmall,

1990), defensiveness (Rogers & Dickey, 1991), denials, and minimizations (Bumby,

1996). As a result of such amalgamation, researchers have raised the lack of precise

operationalization of the cognitive distortions’ construct; all these definitions are

referring to various cognitive constructs, such as excuse-making, pro-criminal atti-

tudes, or denial (Gannon, Ward, & Collie, 2007; Maruna & Mann, 2006) that may,

or may not, all be criminogenic by nature.