2007 Marshall: The role of attachments intimacy and loneliness in the etiology and maintenance of sexual offending

The vulnerability of the offender is a crucial component of our general theory of sex offending. This susceptibility develops mostly from poor quality attachment relationships between the parent and the child who may commit sex crimes. Poor attachments cause low self-esteem, poor social skills, and a lack of empathy for others, which make the transition to peer relationships throughout puberty more challenging and present people as objects of sexual gratification. In order to show a connection between low-quality attachments, loneliness, closeness, and the inclination to offend, this paper tries to combine all of these processes.