fpsyc lec 9

old definition of SA

• heavily gendered language

• reflect. an era before modern notions of equality/legal. propriety

  (e.g) male rapes when has sexual intercouse w. a woman who is not his wife = w/o her consent

modern definition of SA

• any nonsexual act by person (M/F) towards victim (M/F) regardless of relationships involved

• more nuance and context

• inclusive of range of experience around SA

levels of SA

1. SA lvl 1

2. SA lvl 2

3. SA lvl 3

4. other sexual crimes

SA level 1

• “simple assault”

• assault committed in circm. of sexual nature

• integrity of victim is violated

• minor/none physical injuries

• max. sentence = 10 yrs

SA level 2

• SA w. weapon, threats

• causes bodily harm

• max. sentence = 14 yrs

other sexual crimes

• group of offences

• primarily addressing incidents of SA directed @ kids

  • sexual interference

  • invitation for sexual touchng

  • sexual exploitation

  • incest

  • corrupting children

  • luring a child via comp.

  • bestality

  • voyeurism

SA level 3

• aggravated SA

• SA results in wounding/maiming/disfiguring/endangering life of victim

• max. sentence = life in prison

physical sexual violence effects on victims

• general body trauma

• genital trauma

• STI pregnancy

• chronic phys symp.

  • back/muscle pain

  • headaches

rape myths

1. SA not a common problem

2. SA most committed by strangers

3. women = asking for it; based on dress

4. avoid being in dark deserted places

5. women are pleasured from being a victim

6. women lie abt SA

offenders classification & terminology

• based on behaviour, victim age, relationship

• no contact offenders

• rapists

• pedophiles

• child molestors

types of contact offenders

1. voyeurs

2. exhibitionists

voyeurs

• ½ no contact offender

• sexually gratified by watching unsuspecting ppl

exhibitionist

• 2/2 no contact offender

• sexually gratified by exposing genitals to strangers

types of child molestor

1. intra-familial molester → within family

2. extra-familial molester → outside of family

intra-familial molester

• ½ type of child molestor

• within family

extra-familial molester

• 2/2 type of child molestor

• outside of family

pedophile

• adult who sexually prefers kids

rapists

• SA victim >16 yrs & older

types of female offenders

• major limitation → extremely small sample sizes

1. teacher/lover

2. male coerced

3. male accompanied

4. predisposed

empathy

• understanding person from their frame of reference

• versus owns one

• most SO don’t empathize w. victims

RRT

• REVISED RAPIST TYPOLOGY

• dev. by Massachusetts treatment center

• diff. behaviors/motivations across rapists

1. opportunistic type

2. pervasively angry type

3. vindictive type

4. sexual type

5. sadistic type

opportunistic type

• 1/5 rape type RRT

• impulsive, controlled by situational factors

• devoid of gratuitous violence & sexual fantasies

pervasive angry type

• 2/5 rape type RRT

• high level of anger directed @ everyone

• impulsive

• use of necessary force, cause serious injury

vindictive type

• 3/5 rape type RRT

• anger focused solely @ women

• not impulsive or preoccupied w. sexual fantasy

• purpose = demean/degrade victim

• aggression = ranges from verbal abuse to homicide
  

sexual type

• 4/5 rape type RRT

• primarily motivated by sexual fantasies

• 5/5 rape type RRT

• motivated by sexual fantasies

• involve torture and pain

• often ritualized

GRT

• GROTHS RAPIST TYPOLOGIES

1. anger rapist (50%)

2. power rapist (45%)

3. sadistic rapist (5%)

anger rapist

• 1/3 type of rape GRT

• 50%

• not primarily motivated by sexual aggression

• more force used than necessary

• high levels at anger directed @ women

power rapist

• 2/3 type of rape GRT

• 45%

• seeks to establish control/dominance

• freuq. rape fantasies

sadistic rapist

• 3/3 type of rape GRT

• 5%

• sexual gratification from hurting the victim

• freuq. violent rape fantasies

online child pornography vs contact offenders

online child porngraphy offenders:

• younger

• more highly educated

• less like to be victim of SA

• more empathetic towards victims

online sexual offenders

alexy et al. (2005)

1. trader

2. traveller

3. trader/traveller

trader

• 1/3 online sexual offender types (alexy et al. (2005))

• possesses/distributes/produces CP

traveller

• 2/3 online sexual offender types (alexy et al. (2005))

• engages w. children online

• w. aim to meet in person

teacher/lover

• ¼ type of female offenders

• victim = male adolescent

• offender = position of power over victim

• doesn’t perceive behaviour as abuse

• believes they are nurturing

• victim doesn’t report feeling victimized

male coerced

• 2/4 type of female offenders

• forced into the abuse by male partner

• victim → often female offenders daughter

• passive, low self esteem

male accompanied

• 3/4 type of female offenders

• engage in abuse w. male partner

• willing participants

• victims → in./outside of family

  (e.g - karla homolka)

predisposed

• 4/4 type of female offenders

• intitates abuse online

• more violent/bizarre offences

• perps. often experience severe CSA & victims of IPV

• victims → often own children

denial & cog. distortions

• 70% of offenders - deny/minimize ever committing a crime

• shift blame to victims or situational factors

cognitive distortions

• deviant beliefs/values used to justify sexual offences

  (e.g - “It would be better for my sister to have her first sexual experience with me rather than some random teenager”)

child molestor typologies

• groth typology of child molestors (groth et al., 1982)

groth typology of child molestors

(groth et al., 1982)

1. fixiated child molestor

2. regressed child molestor

fixated child molestors

• ½ type of groth typology of child molestors

• sexual pref. for children → begins in adolescence, persits through adulthood

• little to no sexual interest in adults

• planned offences

• rarely demonstrate remorse

• poor social skills + emotionally immature

regressed child molestors

• 2/2 type of groth typology of child molestors

• sexual interest for children → begins in adulthood episodic

• primary sexual pref. = adults

• stressful events/ feelings of inadequacy → ‘trigger’ interest in children

• impulsive offences

• many offenses related to alcohol use

• more likely to report remorse

rape trauma syndrome

• Burgess & holmstrom (1974) → not psychologists

2 phases:

1. acute - immediate emotional and phys. rxns.

2. reorganizations/reactions - how trauma integrated into their life

issues:

• coping mechanisms → conceptualized as disordered symptoms

• survivors described as passive/neg. terms

  (e.g - fear)

• vague terms, not testable, culturally insesnitive

sex offender treatment goals

psychological treatment programs to address:

• denial & cog. distortions

• victim empathy

• modification of deviant sexual interest

• enhanced social skills

• substance abuse issues

• relapse prevention plans 

empathy training

• teach offenders to understand impact of crime on their victim

  • dev. sense of remorse

• read/watch survivors accounts of SA

  • compare to how victims felt

• roleplay as victim

effectiveness of treatment STATS

• HANSON ET AL. (2009)

  • meta analysis on 23 studies

  • 3625 - untreated

    • 19.2% (effective)

  • 3123 - treated

    • 10.9% (effective)

• 27.6% quit treatment (Olver, Stockdale, & Wormith, 2011)

difficulties assessing effectiveness of treatments (ETHICS)

• random + experimental design is ideal

  • group 1 → SO who want + receive treatment

  • group 2 →SO who want + but dont get treatment

  • comparison recidivism rates

• not v. ethical

why are female offenders so underestimated

1. abuse masked as caregiver activities

   • more difficult to recog.

     (e.g - changing diapers, playing)

2. more likely to target own children → less likely to report

3. boys less likely to report

SA effects adolescent victims

• more likely to meet DSM criteria in adulthood

• links to future offending behaviour

SA victim mental illness

1. depression

2. ptsd

3. substance abuse

ptsd

• 1/3 of SA victim mental illness

• most cases

• lifetime prevalence for F - 50% (Creamer et al., 2001)

• SA most common cause of PTSD for women

• 12 month analysis

  • 1 month → 75% (meet diagnostic criteria)

  • 12 month → 42%

theories of sexual aggression

1. precondition model

2. integrated model

3. pathways model

precondition model

• 1/3 type of theory of sexual aggression

• (FINKELHOR, 1984) - child molestation

1. motivated to abuse

   • emotional (feelings of power/control)

   • sexual

   • blockage (non deviant outlets = not available)

2. lack of offender’s internal inhib.

3. offender overcomes external inhib.

   (e.g - alone w. a child)

4. offender overcomes child’s resistance

integrated model

• 2/3 type of theory of sexual aggression

• bio. factors

• childhood experiences

• sociocultural influences

• situational events

• fail to acquire inhib. control due to combination of factors

pathways model

• 3/3 type of theory of sexual aggression

• 5 casual pathways:

  1. intimacy & social deficits

  2. deviant thought processes

  3. poor emotional regulation

  4. antisocial cognitions

  5. comb. of risk factors from other pathways