Underassertiveness

Underassertiveness is a unique type of tranquillity destroyer because we often think that if we just keep our mouths shut, “grin and bear it,” and “turn the other cheek,” we will be better off. True? Absolutely not.

While contact offenders had more cognitive distortions and victim empathy distortions, the internet offenders identified more with fictional characters and had increased scores on scales of fantasy and underassertiveness.

The Internet group had higher rates of socially desirable responding, emotional loneliness, and underassertiveness and lower scores on external locus of control, sexualized attitudes toward children, emotional congruence with children, and empathy distortions with regard to victims of abuse.