CH 1 - Sexual Offending: An Elusive Phenomenon in Criminology

Contact Sexual Offending

any sexual act including:

• rape

• sodomy

• sexual assault with an object

• fondling

directed against another person without the consent of the victim

• includes instances in which the victim is incapable of giving consent

Non-Contact Sexual Offending

any sexual crime that does not involve any physical contact on the part of the perpetrator

• viewing child pornography

Sexual Violence

set of behaviors that involve sexual contact with or without sexual penetration against a victim that did not consent, either explicitly or because they were unable to do so

• rarest form of sexual offense

  • but most studied

Sexual Misconduct

set of actions/behaviors that violate a particular rule/code of conduct in which a non-consenting victim is involved

Sexual Exploitation

behaviors in which individuals take advantage of or benefit from the body of another

• quid pro quo in a workplace/academic setting

Challenges of Studying Sexual Offending

• by the time researchers understand some key policy aspects, society and the legal system have already changed their perspective

• Policies/laws have mainly been reactive

• Poor job at debunking myths, misconceptions, and hasty conclusions

  • media

Absence of Clear Conceptualization of Sexual Offending

• Federal government has its own set of definitions

  • State has its own set of definitions

• Sex offending is not a static, fixed, and agreed-upon set of behaviors

What are some factors in explaining why myths/misconceptions of Sexual Offending/Offenders are commonplace?

• Literature has mainly focused on victim’s rights but research into perpetrators has been neglected

• Media highlights atypical cases that poorly reflect on the multidimensional varied nature of sexual offending