Chapter 12: Sexual Offending

What do the case studies examine concerning sexual offenders?

• highlights class between community safety concerns and rights and suffering of people who are attracted to children

What is paraphilia?

• intense and persistent, sexual interest

• not all manifest into criminal offending

What is pedophilic disorder?

• recurrent, intense fantasies over 6 months

What does sexual offending include?

• with or without physical contact, that involve people who do not or cannot give informed consent

Explain the term paraphilia

• different types: pedophilia, exhibitionism, voyeurism, sexual sadism

• not all paraphilias lead to crime

Explain the nature of sexual offending

• most offenders are male

• family members most responsible when victims are children

• strangers more common for adolescents and adults

Explain sexual recidivism rates

• lower: under 10%

• sexual offences under reported: 8 in 10 incidents never coming to attention

What is rape myths?

• who hold stereotypical attitudes towards rape, more likely to judge defendants as not guilty

more oppressive beliefs

Explain sexual victimization

• physical health

• emotional well being

• interpersonal relationships

• religious and spiritual belief

Explain Seto’s Motivation - Facilitation Model

• sexual offending needs both motivation and facilitation factors plus situational opportunity

What is trait factors?

• antisocial personality

What is state factors?

• changes more quickly

Explain evolutionary theories of sexual offending

• suggest some men, especially young, competitively disadvantaged, may use coercion as mating strategy

explain sexual specific risk factors

— beliefs tolerant of sexual offending, atypical sexual interests, emotional congruence with children, sexual preoccupation

Explain general risk factors

• include antisocial traits, poor self regulation, employment instability

what does not predict sexual reoffending?

• depression

• mental illness

• poor victim empathy

• poor treatment motivation

• denial

• low self esteem

• childhood sexual abuse

explain psychosexual evaluations

• combine file review, clinical interview, risk tools, and specialized testing to understand persons sexual history, risk factors, and treatment needs

What are the most common tools for assessment strategies?

• static 99R, Stable 2007, acute 2007, VRS-SO: assess atypical sexual interests, though each approach has ethical and validity challenges

What are the treatment approaches?

• pharmacological

• behavioral

• cognitive behavioral

• building prosocial goals

What do the meta analyses show?

• well designed, RNR, CBT based can reduce sexual recidivism, although effects vary by quality of study