People from the community seeking treatment in frameworks such as Sexaholics Anonymous (SA) and sex offenders are preoccupied with sex, sexual fantasies, and behaviors. The rates of compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD), however, are reported to be substantially lower among sex offenders than SAs. In this study, we examined differences between SAs and sex offenders in CSBD and in processes that might be at the core of CSBD – maladaptive schemas about the self and others, impulsivity, and sensation seeking.
The study comprised 103 sex offenders, 68 SAs, and 81 violence offenders who served as controls aged 18–74 years, who completed self-report measures regarding CSBD, maladaptive schemas, impulsivity, and sensation seeking.