A Meta –Analysis of the Relationship Between Social Skills and Sex Offenders

Tara M. Emmer-Sommer, Mike Allen, John Bourhis, Erin Sahlstein, Kara Laskowski, Wendy Faloat, Jeff Ackerman, Marian Erian, Doreen Barringer,

Judith Weiner, Jane Corey, Janice Krieger, Gren moramba, and Laurie Cashman

Jane Sirkel

Radford University

Purpose

• To examine the relationship between social skills ( communication competence) and weather the person was a sex offender

(rapist, molester, incest offender,

pedophile, exhibitionist)

• Can communication skills play a role in understanding the nature of sex offenders?

Considerations

• How are social sills to be defined ?

• Ability to interpret the message and situation correctly.

• Ability to generate the appropriate message within the context

Considerations

• How are social skills to be evaluated?

• Must include some ability of the individual to interact in an appropriate manner in a social setting

Considerations cont.

• How is sex offender to be defined? GUILTY by self-confession orlegal judgment of some sexual offence

• Incest, pedophilia-homosexual or heterosexual,

• child molestation • rape

Literature Search Procedures• 1983-1995• Method:

Hand search for journals

Electronic sources- Keywords: social skills, decoding accuracy, communicative competence, interpersonal competence, sexual offender, rapist, child molester, sexual aggression

Databases: ComIndex

ERICSocInfo

Literature ReviewResults

• Studies– Approximately 14 studies found– Three dropped

• Provided no appropriate statistical information

• Had no control groups

• Considered response from victim not aggressor

Evaluation of progress

•

Studies To Include• Group of persons

admitting to or adjudicated as guilty of nonconsensual sexual offenses

• Measure of social skill or communicative

competence• Use of non-offender

control group• Statistical information

Permitting the estimation of effect

Potential Moderators sex offenders

• Source of data• Measurement • Offense• Age• Gender• Relationship to victim• Sample • interrater bias

• Reference period• Definition of legal

system• Self reports• Statistics used to

calculate• Outcome measure

Potential Moderators social skills

• Source of data• Measurement• Age• Sample• Outcome measure• Interrater bias• Reference period

Results

• Average across ten studies demonstrates that less social skill is associated with greater likely hood of sexual offense / aggression.

• R = - .334, k = 10,

N= 918, var. r =.011• Homogeneous

sample of effects• X2 = 8.11, df =9,

N=918, p> .05

Discussion•Results indicate when compared to non offenders sexual offenders consistently demonstrate lower levels of social skills. •This does not indicate that all sex offenders have a low level of social skills or that all individuals with low levels f social skills are sex offenders.

Discussion

• Communicative competence is considered across collaborative norms, sex offenders may be competent however they measure competence along different expectations than other member of society.

End Notes

• One of the major conclusions of this study is that because of all the diverse aspects represented here there s need for further study in this area.