CH 2 - The Construction of Sexual Offending as a Social Problem: A Historical Perspective

The Sexual Deviant (1940s - 1970s)

• sexual psychopaths were not consciously perpetrating their sexual offense

  • victims of an uncontrollable disease

• Sexual Psychopath Laws: perpetrators were mentally disordered who needed to be removed from society until their pathology was addressed through medical treatment

  • treatment was implemented, though not empirically supported

Professor Paul Tappan argued…

sex offenders are not a homogeneous group

• sex offenders are not alike

• most commonly immature, sexually inexperienced

During the Sexual Deviant Era, researchers were concerned with sexual behavior involving…

• non-human objects (animals)

• sadomasochistic behavior

• children or non-consenting persons

• atypical sexual preoccupations

  • fetishes

The Angry Misogynistic Man (1970s-1980s)

• the sex offender was caused by the patriarchal society that contributes to aggression towards females and children

  • influenced by the feminist movement

  • social problem rather than health problem

• idea that men use force/threat. including sexual violence and coercion as strategies to maintain women in a state of oppression

  • motivated by nonsexual motivations such as power and control

• rational when they committed the crime

• marital rape began to be punishable

The Sexual Predator (1990s - 2010s)

• sex offenders thought of as cold, callous, ruthless, and calculating in order to capture prey

  • considered serial offenders

• Perpetrated by media

  • sensationalized rare cases involving kidnappings, disappearances, and homicides of children

    • laws should not be based solely on rare cases

The Sexual Predator (1990s - 2010s) — Registries

• Sex offender registries created

  • provides information such as name, address, gender, recent photo, physical characteristics, and prior sex offense history

  • can last up to a lifetime

  • Jacob Wetterling Act

  • Megan’s Law

    • information now able to be accessed by the public

  • mixed research on if it works

Sexual Violence by the Powerfuls (2010s-)

• broadened category of sexual crimes

  • sexual violence not only refers to sexual assault and rape, but sexual harrassment and misconduct

• new image of sexual offender

  • individual who is well-respected, suit-wearing, male

  • actors, doctors, icons, priests, politicians

• able to hide in plain sight due to social status

  • power and privilege

• #MeToo Movement