Shame, Anger, and the Social Bond: A Theory of Sexual Offenders and Treatment

KEYWORDS: SEXUAL OFFENSE: SOCIOLOGY OF EMOTIONS: SHAME: SEXUAL COMPULSION

This article proposes a new approach to male sexual offenses: a theory of the relational-emotional basis of sexual compulsion, and a treatment procedure that deals directly with emotions and relationships. There are two central hypotheses: 1. Offenders have no secure social bonds. 2. The offender’s extensive unacknowledged shame takes the direction of compulsive assaults on women. To underline the meaning of social bonds and shame, we review the literature on these two related topics. Assuming for the sake of argument zero bonds and shame outside of awareness as root causes of sexual compulsion, we outline an approach to treatment that increases awareness of social bonds, uncovers hidden shame, and decreases the arousal of shame in the offender’s relationships with others.