The Anger Expression Patterns and Early Abuse Experiences in Turkish Male Sex Offenders

Objective: Childhood trauma and neglect have adverse effects not only in the childhood period, but also in the adulthood of individuals. Trauma can cause various psychiatric disorders and may also influence the child towards expressing his/her increasing anger in aggressive behaviors which may also lead to some criminal behaviors. That is why the relationship between traumatic experiences and anger expression styles was considered to be critical, especially in understanding criminal behavior. Material and Methods: The sample of the study consisted of 74 convicted male sex offenders from Istanbul Umraniye prison. Data was collected with a demographic information form, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Trait Anger- Anger Expression Scales. Results: The results showed that, in sexual offenders, a positive and significant relationship between their childhood traumatic experiences and their trait anger, externalized and internalized anger. Additionally, their anger control was found to be negatively and significantly correlated with physical and emotional abuse experience during childhood. Conclusion: Offenders with high childhood trauma experiences tend to direct their anger to others and act aggressively. The effect of physical abuse comes forward when the relationships are analyzed deeply. The results of this study, parallel with the literature, thought to give some good insights for the intervention and prevention of the sexual offences and it is considered to be a starting point for the future studies what will be conducted in that context.