Rational and experiential approach to decision making by future experts about their willingness to work with sex offenders

Cilj ovog rada je utvrditi čimbenike spremnosti na rad budućih stručnjaka pomažućih profesija s počiniteljima seksualnih delikata u okviru Kognitivno-iskustvene teorije samopoimanja. Istraživanjem se nastoji utvrditi značajnost razlika u sklonosti intuitivnom i racionalnom stilu donošenja odluka. Nadalje, istražuje se povezanost spremnosti na rad s počiniteljima seksualnih kaznenih djela s percepcijom počinitelja seksualnih kaznenih djela i samoprocjenom kompetentnosti za rad s istima te s izraženosti emocija koje se kod sudionika javljaju vezano za počinitelje seksualnih kaznenih djela. Osim toga, ispituju se razlike u spremnosti na rad s počiniteljima seksualnih kaznenih djela ovisno o tome jesu li sudionici bili žrtve seksualnog nasilja te poznaju li žrtvu seksualnog nasilja. Podaci su prikupljeni online putem tijekom veljače i ožujka 2021. godine. Obuhvaćen je prigodan uzorak od N = 193 studenata pomažućih struka, od kojih je N = 51 socijalnih pedagoga (26,4%), N = 57 socijalnih radnika (29%) i N = 85 psihologa (44,6%). Primijenjeni su sljedeći mjerni instrumenti: Upitnika spremnosti na rad s počiniteljima seksualnih kaznenih djela, Skale racionalnog i intuitivnog stila donošenja odluka, Skale percepcije počinitelja seksualnih kaznenih djela, Skale samokompetentnosti za rad s počiniteljima seksualnih kaznenih djela, te lista emocija pri pomisli na počinitelje seksualnih kaznenih djela te su sudionici pitani jesu li bili žrtva seksualnog nasilja i poznaju li žrtvu seksualnog nasilja. Osim toga, prikupljeni su podaci o spolu, dobi, sveučilištu i fakultetu koji sudionici pohađaju, studijskom usmjerenju i godini studija. Rezultati su pokazali da kod studenata pomažućih profesija na diplomskim studijima i završnim godinama integriranih studija prevladava racionalni stil donošenja odluka (N = 168) u odnosu na intuitivni stil (N = 17). Nadalje, pronađena je statistički značajna negativna povezanost između spremnosti studenata na rad s počiniteljima seksualnih kaznenih djela i percepcije sudionika o sankcioniranju i rehabilitaciji te između spremnosti na rad s počiniteljima seksualnih kaznenih djela i percepcije rizika iste skupine počinitelja, ali nije pronađena statistički značajna povezanost između spremnosti na rad s istom skupinom počinitelja i prihvaćanjem stereotipa. Spremnost na rad s počiniteljima seksualnih kaznenih djela pokazala se statistički značajno pozitivno povezanom sa samoprocjenom kompetentnosti za rad s istima te negativno povezana s doživljajem neugodnih emocija pri pomisli na počinitelje seksualnih kaznenih djela. Nije pronađena statistički značajna razlika u spremnosti na rad kod sudionika koji su bili žrtve seksualnog nasilja i onih koji nisu te onih koji poznaju barem jednu žrtvu seksualnog nasilja i onih koji ne poznaju ni jednu žrtvu seksualnog nasilja.The aim of this study was to determine factors of willingness for future professionals to work with sexual offenders within the framework of the Cognitive-Experiential Self Theory. The research seeks to determine the significance of differences in participants’ propensity toward intuitive and rational decision-making styles. Furthermore, the research investigates the relationship between willingness to work with sex offenders and perceptions of sex offenders, self-assessments of competence to work with them, and participants’ expression of emotions related to sex offenders will be examined. In addition, differences in readiness to work with sex offenders are examined depending on whether participants were victims of sexual violence and whether they know any victims of sexual violence. Data obtained in this study were collected during February and March of 2021. The study was conducted on a convenient sample of N = 193 students, of whom N = 51 were social pedagogues (26,4%), N = 57 social workers (29%) and N = 85 psychologists (44,6%). The following instruments were applied: Readiness to Work With Perpetrators of Sexual Crimes Questionnaire, Rational and Intuitive Decision Style Scale, The Perceptions of Sex Offenders Scale, The Self-Competence to Work With Perpetrators of Sexual Crimes Scale and also the list of emotions when thinking about sex offenders. Additionally, participants were asked if they were a victim of sexual violence themselves and if they knew any victims of sexual violence. Furthermore, data were collected on gender, age, university and faculty attended by the participants, study orientation and year of study. The results showed that students in the helping professions were more likely to use a rational decision-making style (N = 168) compared to an intuitive style (N = 17). Furthermore, a statistically significant negative relationship was found between students’ willingness to work with sex offenders and their perceptions of sanctioning and rehabilitation and between readiness to work with sex offenders and perception of risk among the same group of perpetrators, but no statistically significant relationship was found between willingness to work with the same offenders group and acceptance of stereotypes. A statistically significant positive relationship was found between participants’ willingness to work with sex offenders and self-assessment of competence to work with them, but a statistically significant negative relationship was found between willingness to work with sex offenders and the experience of unpleasant emotions when thinking about these offenders. No statistically significant difference was found in the willingness to work with sex offenders between participants who were victims of sexual violence and those who were not and those who knew at least one victim of sexual violence and those who did not know any victims of sexual violence