Do Adverse Childhood Experiences Impact Adult Emotional Regulation and Interpersonal Functioning among Individuals Convicted of Sexual Offences? Implications for Assessment, Treatment, and Prevention

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are well-known risk factors for poor physical and mental health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between ACEs and self-report measures of emotional regulation and interpersonal functioning among a sample of individuals provincially incarcerated for sexual offending. In total, 112 males participating in an in-custody sexual offender treatment program completed the study measures. Two-stage hierarchical linear regression was used to examine the association between cumulative ACE scores and each self-report measure. Individual ACE item impacts were also explored using two-stage hierarchical regression. Higher cumulative ACE scores were associated with greater emotional dysregulation and multiple indices of interpersonal dysfunction. Several ACE items were consistently associated with greater emotional and interpersonal difficulties. The findings have clinical implications for sexual offender assessment, treatment, and prevention. Specifically, the findings support a growing movement towards trauma-informed practice, incorporating attachment theory and intimacy-based interventions, and promoting empirically supported interventions for cultivating emotional self-regulation. Les exp & eacute;riences n & eacute;gatives de l'enfance (ENE) sont des facteurs de risque connus de cons & eacute;quences n & eacute;fastes sur la sant & eacute; physique et mentale. La pr & eacute;sente & eacute;tude visait & agrave; explorer la relation entre les ENE et les mesures autod & eacute;clar & eacute;es de r & eacute;gulation & eacute;motionnelle et de fonctionnement interpersonnel au sein d'un & eacute;chantillon de personnes incarc & eacute;r & eacute;es dans un & eacute;tablissement correctionnel provincial d & eacute;linquants sexuels. Au total, les 112 hommes qui ont particip & eacute; & agrave; un programme de traitement pour d & eacute;linquants sexuels pendant leur incarc & eacute;ration ont termin & eacute; les mesures de l'& eacute;tude. Les auteurs ont recouru & agrave; la r & eacute;gression lin & eacute;aire hi & eacute;rarchique en deux & eacute;tapes pour examiner l'association entre les scores d'ENE cumulatifs et chaque mesure autod & eacute;clar & eacute;e. Ils ont & eacute;galement explor & eacute; les cons & eacute;quences de chaque & eacute;l & eacute;ment li & eacute; aux ENE & agrave; l'aide de la r & eacute;gression hi & eacute;rarchique en deux & eacute;tapes. Des scores d'ENE cumulatifs plus & eacute;lev & eacute;s & eacute;taient associ & eacute;s & agrave; une plus grande dysr & eacute;gulation & eacute;motionnelle et & agrave; de multiples indices de dysfonctionnement interpersonnel. Plusieurs & eacute;l & eacute;ments de l'ENE & eacute;taient constamment reli & eacute;s & agrave; de plus grandes difficult & eacute;s & eacute;motionnelles et interpersonnelles. Les r & eacute;sultats ont des r & eacute;percussions cliniques sur l'& eacute;valuation, le traitement et la pr & eacute;vention de la d & eacute;linquance sexuelle. Notamment, ils appuient le mouvement croissant vers une pratique respectueuse des traumatismes, l'int & eacute;gration de la th & eacute;orie de l'attachement et des interventions ax & eacute;es sur l'intimit & eacute;, de m & ecirc;me que sur la promotion d'interventions empiriques pour cultiver la r & eacute;gulation & eacute;motionnelle.