ch 6 fpsy

Child Molester

An adult who has sexually abused a child.

Pedophile

An adult attracted to prepubescent children.

Paraphilia

A mental illness characterized by persistent sexual urges, fantasies, or behaviors involving nonhuman objects, humiliation, or nonconsenting persons.

Cognitive Distortions

Errors in thought that allow offenders to rationalize, minimize, or justify their behavior.

Penile Plethysmograph

A device used to measure physiological sexual arousal in response to stimuli.

SVR-20

A structured professional judgment instrument assessing 20 risk factors for future sexual violence.

Static-99/Static-99R

Actuarial instruments predicting sexual recidivism among adult male sexual offenders.

Kansas v. Hendricks

A Supreme Court case that upheld civil commitment laws for sexual offenders.

Megan's Law

Legislation requiring convicted sexual offenders to register their whereabouts and mandates public notification.

Risk Assessment Instruments

Tools used to evaluate the risk of recidivism among sexual offenders.

Residency Restrictions

Laws prohibiting registered sexual offenders from living near locations where children congregate.

Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) Laws

Laws allowing for the involuntary civil commitment of sexual offenders likely to reoffend.

Relapse Prevention

A treatment strategy aimed at reducing the likelihood of reoffending by managing high-risk situations.

Online Offenders

Individuals committing sexual offenses through digital platforms, including grooming and solicitation of minors.

Juvenile Sexual Offenders

Minors who commit sexual offenses, requiring assessment methods suitable for their developmental stage.

Clergy Offenders

Individuals within religious institutions who have committed sexual offenses exploiting their position of trust.

Treatment Effectiveness

The evaluation of treatment strategies in reducing recidivism among sexual offenders.

Phallometric Measurement

An assessment method using penile plethysmography to measure sexual interests via physiological response.

Dynamic Risk Factors

Factors that can change over time and impact an offender's risk of recidivism.

Institutional Neglect

Failure by organizations to respond adequately to reports of sexual abuse.

Public Stereotype of Sexual Offenders

The common but misleading perception that all sexual offenders are dangerous strangers.

Civil Commitment

Legal procedures allowing for the involuntary treatment of offenders deemed likely to reoffend after completing their criminal sentence.

Assessment Measures

Tools and methods used to evaluate the risk, treatment needs, and behaviors of sexual offenders.

Ethical Implications of Registration Laws

Concerns regarding the stigmatization and challenges faced by sexual offenders due to public notification requirements.

Risk Factors for Sexual Offending

Variables that increase the likelihood of an individual committing sexual offenses, such as history of abuse or antisocial traits.

Grooming Victims

Techniques used by offenders to establish trust or manipulate victims prior to committing abuse.