Attachment Styles, Oxytocin and Sexual Offenders

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Attachment Styles, Oxytocin and Sexual Offenders

• by Norma Gonzalez
• Northeastern Illinois University

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Background

• Evidence that problematic adult attachment styles
  stems from problematic childhood attachment
  development which has been implicated with
  decreased oxytocin levels.
• B. Evidence that sexual abuse offenders have
  problematic adult attachment styles which
  suggests that there is a connection between
  oxytocin levels and the sexual abuse.

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Two Studies

• Methods
• Literature review
• Human and non-human subjects

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• A. Study 1. Carter (1998). Neuroendocrine
  Perspectives on Social Attachment and Love.
• Attachment development
• Caretaker-child bonding/attachment
• Adult relationships/attachment and oxytocin
  levels

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• Study 2. Beech Mitchell (2004).
• A Neurobiological Perspective on Attachment
  Problems in Sexual Offenders and the Role of
  Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors in the
  Treatment of Such Problems.
• Attachment development
• Caretaker-child bonding/attachment
• Adult relationships/attachment

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• Problematic parental relationships and insecure
  attachment styles in sexual offending
• Preoccupied style/child sexual contact.
• Dismissing style/violent sexual abuse
• of women.
• Fearful/disorganized style /nonviolent
• sexual offense of women or children.

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Child nonviolent
violent
sex
offender sex offender sex offender
(N29)
(N30)
(N30)

• Preoccupied 30 17 21
• Dismissive 14 13 22
• Fearful/disorganized 27 59 17

Attachment style categories are based on scores
on the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale
(Brennan, Clark, Shaver, 1998).
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Conclusions

• Insecure attachment styles associated with lower
  levels of oxytocin and sexual offenders.
• Suggested connection between low oxytocin levels
  and sexual offense.

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Implications and Questions for future studies

• Early intervention in problematic parental
  relationships and insecure attachment styles in
  sexual offending
• Would increase in oxytocin levels paired with
  socially acceptable relationships eventually
  decrease sexual offense desires in sexual
  offenders?
• How else is decreased oxytocin level expressed
  other than sexual offense?
• Is decreased oxytocin level expressed in females
  the same as in males?