9. Sexual Offending

Topic 9

Define: Paraphilia

strong & recurrent sexual interest/arousal to atypical stimuli

Paraphilia vs Paraphilic Disorder

considered a disorder if feel distressed by recurrent, powerful sexual urges & related fantasies → does not require the individual to act on it

Define the Following Paraphilias / Paraphilic Disorders:

1. Frotteurism

2. Fetishism

3. Voyeurism

4. Exhibitionism

5. Transvestic Disorder

6. Sexual Sadism 

7. Sexual Masochism

1. Frotteurism → touching/rubbing against a nonconsenting person

2. Fetishism → arousal to object/material that is not generally used in sexual behaviour

3. Voyeurism → viewing unsuspecting person

4. Exhibitionism → exposing oneself to others w/o consent

5. Transvestic Disorder → dressing in opp. gender’s clothes

6. Sexual Sadism → inflicting humiliation, bondage, or suffering

7. Sexual Masochism → undergoing humiliation, bondage, or suffering

Pedophilic Disorder

sexual arousal involving prepubescent children (usually 13 years or younger)

the individual must be min 16 years old & 5 years older than the child

specify:

• exclusive or nonexclusive (attracted to adults too?)

• attracted to males, females, or both

• is it limited to incest (w/in the family)

Why might paraphilia be more common among males?

compared to women, men have…

• lower sexual inhibition

• higher sexual excitation

• lower sexual disgust sensitivity

• higher preference for novelty & sensation-seeking

Four Categories of Sexual Offending in the Criminal Code

1. sexual offences, public morals, disorderly conduct

2. offences tending to corrupt morals → relates to children

3. assaults

4. commodification of sexual activity → material benefits or procuring

Stats:

1. ___% report offences to the police

2. ___% of women & ___% of men experience childhood sexual abuse

3. ___% of women & ___% of men experience sexual abuse since 15 years

4. victimization is highest for women ___-___ years old

5. ages 12-17 are ______ reported

1. 5% report → highly underreported

2. 10% of women, 5% of men → childhood sexual abuse

3. 30% of women, 10% of men → sexual abuse since 15

4. highest for women 25-35 years old

5. ages 12-17 are most reported to police

Scope of Sexual Offending:

1. reported CSEM offences ______ from 2010-2017

2. ______ are more likely to experience sexual violence

3. _______, _______, _______, _______ are at increased risk

1. CSEM increased by 288%

2. women/girls are more likely to experience sexual violence

3. increased risk individuals:

• indigenous

• w disability

• non-heterosexual

• having experience childhood maltreatment

Offence Characteristics:

1. Individuals who commit sexual offences are mostly _______

2. Teenagers are _____ likely than adults to commit sexual offences involving children/youth

3. ______ the perpetrator knows the target of sexual offence

4. ________ are the most common perpetrators of sexual offences involving children

5. ________ are the most common perpetrators of sexual offences involving adolescents & adults

6. Overlap b/w sexual offending behaviour & other offending behaviour is ______

7. Individuals who commit sexual offences generally ______ extensive criminal histories & _______ persist in their sexual offending

1. mostly males

2. teens more likely commit involving kids

3. often perp knows target

4. family member most common perps involving kids

5. friends/acquaintances most common perps involving adolescents/adults

6. overlap is present

7. don’t have extensive criminal histories & don’t persist in sexual offending 

Periodically Prurient Internet Offenders

(Elliot & Beech)

act on impulse &/or curiosity → engage in CSEM as part of a broader interest in pornography (may not include a sexual interest in children)

*no contact

Fantasy-Only Internet Offenders

(Elliot & Beech)

uses images of children to fuel/satisfy sexual interest in children

no know contact offences 

Direct Victimization Internet Offenders

(Elliot & Beech)

use the online platform as part of a wider patter of sexual offending → use internet to find, solicit, & groom potential contact offences

Commercial Exploitation Internet Offenders

(Elliot & Beech)

produce/exchange abusive image for financial gain

may be more antisocial

Three Key Factor Types for Committing Sexual Offences

1. motivational factors → e.g. atypical sexual interests & self-regulation issues

2. situational & state disinhibition factors → e.g. opportunities to offend & reduced inhibition

3. facilitation factors → attitudes supportive of sexual offending & antisocial attitudes (cognitions) 

Seto’s Motivation-Facilitation of (Child) Sexual Offending

interaction b/w…

• motivational factors → interest for sexual behaviour

• facilitative factors → inc. likelihood of acting on motivations

  • trait factors → stable psychologically meaningful risk factors

  • state factors → acute risk factors that change more frequently across time

• situational factors → provide opportunity to offend

theory that they must hold motivational & facilitation factors → situational factors provide the opportunity

Risk Factors Common Across Offending

(2)

risk factors that predict general & violent offending also predict sexual offending

risk factors common across offending (antisociality, self-regulation, impulsivity) facilitate sexual offending

Risk Factors Common Across Offending as Strong Predictors of Sexual Recidivism

(2)

antisociality one of the strongest predictors of sexual recidivism

atypical interest & psychopathy interact in predicting sexual offence recidivism

Four Sexual Specific Risk Factors

1. attitudes that support sexual offending

2. atypical sexual interests

3. emotional congruence w children (specific to offences against children)

4. sexual preoccupation

Sexual Recidivism Rates:

1. routine sample, average risk: ____% after 5 years and ___% after 10 years

2. CSEM: ___% after 13 years

3. CSEM & contact offending: ___% after 13 years

4. Women: ___% after 5 years

1. average risk → 4.6% after 5 years & 7.2% after 10 years

2. CSEM: 3% after 13 years

3. CSEM & contact offending: 9% after 13 years

4. Women: 1-3% after 5 years

Pornography & Sexual Aggression

general porn consumption is not assoc. w sexual aggression

inc. availability of porn in society is assoc. w reduced sexual aggression at the pop level

unclear whether owning a child sex doll is related to inc. risk of contact sexual offences against children

Childhood Sexual Abuse & Sexual Offending:

1. Individuals who commit sexual offences have ______ rates of child sexual abuse

2. Relationship is more specific to future sexual offending against ________

3. _____, ______, ______, are most strongly assoc. w future sexually coercive behaviour

4. _______ evidence childhood sexual abuse predicts sexual offence recidivism

1. higher rates of child sexual abuse

2. against children, particularly related children

3. physical neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse most strongly assoc.

4. no evidence

Generally, risk factors are predictive across sexual offending type. What is the exception? How do they differ?

intrafamilial sexual offending (against related child)

• less antisocial

• less atypical sexual interests

• better sexual self-regulation

• score lower on emotional congruence w children

factors related to family dynamics may play a role

Four Specialized Measures of Sexual Interest

1. PPG (Penile Plethysmography)

2. Unobtrusively recorded viewing time

3. Self-report questionnaires

4. SSPI-2 (Revised Screening Scale for Pedophilic Interest) → sexual offence history information

PPG as a Specialized Measure of Sexual Interest

(Penile Plethysmograpghy)

physiological measurement of erection during presentation of various stimuli

compare responses to typical & atypical stimuli

Nine Risk Assessment Tools for Sexual Recidivism

1. ERASOR (Estimate of Risk of Adolescent Sexual Offence Recidivism)

2. PROFESSOR (Protective & Risk Observations for Eliminating Sexual Offence) → identifies areas of concern for treatment

3. Static-99

4. RSVP (Risk for Sexual Violence Protocol)

5. VRS:SO (Violence Risk Scale: Sex Offending Version) → static, dynamic, integrates stages of change

6. STABLE-2007

7. ACUTE-2007

8. SAPROF-SO (Structured Assessment of Protective Factors Against Sexual Offending)

9. CPORT (Child Pornography Offender Risk Tool)

Static-99R as Risk Assessment Tool

actuarial risk assessment → completely atheoretical/research based & requires high attention to score properly

moderately predictive → pretty good predictive validity

STABLE-2007 as Risk Assessment Tool

assesses stable dynamic risk factors → can use to guide treatment

scores can be combined w Static-99

Five Areas Assessed by the STABLE-2007

1. significant social influences

2. intimacy deficits

3. general self-regulation

4. sexual self-regulation

5. cooperation w supervision

Pharmacological Treatment

antiandrogen drugs → block the release of hormones that stimulate testosterone secretion thus reducing sex drive

• potentially help reduce reoffending → still recommend psychological treatment as well

• have serious side effects

Aversion

(Behavioural Treatment)

involves pairing atypical stimuli or thoughts w aversive stimuli

goal to dec atypical sexual interests by developing assoc. b/w atypical stimuli & unpleasant stimuli

Covert Sensitization

(Behavioural Treatment)

pair neg. thoughts (e.g. consequences of sexual offending) w atypical stimuli

Masturbatory Satiation

(Behavioural Treatment)

masturbate to appropriate fantasy until orgasm → then continue to atypical fantasy during this refractory period in which the stimulation is not arousing/is boring or unpleasant

goal: inc. appropriate interests by pairing w pleasant stimulation/orgasm & reduce deviant interests by pairing w unpleasant stimulation

CBT Treatment Approach

focuses on thoughts, emotions, & behaviours as they related to sexual offending

treatment often covers main risk factors → (1) healthy sexuality, (2) emotional/sexual self-regulation, (3) healthy relationships/social skills, (4) emotions, (5) behavioural plan/risk management planning

Good Lives Model for Treatment

strengths-based & restorative model

idea that humans have “basic goods” → when not being met, individuals can seek out inappropriate or antisocial means of meeting them

help identify & achieve healthy goals that promote psychological wellbeing & achieving these needs prosocially

the main goods: (1) friendship, (2) enjoyable work, (3) loving relationships, (4) creative pursuits, (5) sexual satisfaction, (6) pos. self-regard, (7) an intellectually challenging env.

Defining Denial

exists on a continuum → deniers/admitters are no two dichotomous groups & is dynamic

(1) full responsibility take blame → (2) minimization I know was wrong but… → (3) justification not wrong b/c… → (4) categorical denial I didn’t do this

Addressing Denial in Treatment

confrontational approaches to sex offender treatment have been show to reduce overall effectiveness of the treatment → not important to get them to admit what they did

w deniers/reluctant clients → therapeutic engagement is core focus irrespective of whether or not the offender remains in denial

Mad or Bad as a Therapeutic Countertransference Response Set

dismissal of the client as beyond hope

limited effort is client is presumed to be only a personality disorder (e.g. antisocial or borderline)

Moralistic-Punitive as a Therapeutic Countertransference Response Set

characterized by a condemnatory & moralistic response to a client’s offence &/or criminal status

strong aversive rxn to them

Aggression-Violence as a Therapeutic Countertransference Response Set

characterized by feelings of helplessness, anxiety, anger, or denial in response to client’s violent behaviour

can be fear of client or desire to punish them

Periodic Negative as a Therapeutic Countertransference Response Set

sporadic displays of disapproval & negativity w clients w personality disorders

inconsistency of therapist, frustration when clients aren’t progressing/engaging how you want them to

Treatment Effectiveness

treatment reduces recidivism

• treated participants → 9.5% recidivism (after 7 years)

• comparison group → 14.1% recidivism (after 7 years)

recidivism rates lower the longer the person has been offence-free in the community

Five Qualities of an Effective Treatment Program

1. group-based

2. involve sexual arousal reconditioning

3. doesn’t use polygraphs

4. uses input from psychologists

5. uses RNR principles