Denial and Minimization Among Sex Offenders: A Review of Competing Models of Deception

Defensiveness in sex offenders (DISO), although a very common phenomenon, is poorly understood by clinicians. Three explanatory models of DISO are explored. The pathogenic model postulates from a psychodynamic perspective massive repression and denial are operative in the service of ego functions. The criminogenic model associates deception with the antisocial characteristics of sex offenders. The adaptational model assumes that the sex offender is faced with a highly adversarial setting and chooses defensiveness based on its expected utility. Models of malingering are compared and implications of DISO for clinical treatment and management are discussed.