Sexual Harm Lecture Notes

Good morning and welcome back.
Focus of today’s lecture is on sexual harm.
Importance of engaging with the topic for exam preparation and general understanding.
Need to interact more on discussion boards to share ideas.

We are now in week seven, having covered over half of the course content.
A reminder that the upcoming focus will blend exam preparation with current content.

No engagement from students on the discussion board thus far, with no posts.
Encouragement to utilize the discussion board to exchange ideas and understand material in depth.
Importance of context in understanding sexual harm and the implications of sharing ideas with peers.

Plan to initiate sample questions concerning material covered thus far.
Assessment style will include mainly short answer questions in a vignette format.
Emphasis on applying theoretical understanding to practical situations.

Understand different types of sexually harmful behavior.
Overview of the nature and extent of sexual offending, specifically within the UK context but also global application.
Examine specific theories of sexual offending, focusing on offenses against both adults and children.
Discuss relevance of theories to real-world applications and case management.

Acknowledgment that some students in the room may have personal or indirect experiences with sexual harm.
Assurance provided that the lecture will avoid graphic descriptions and focus on overarching themes.

Sexual harm extends beyond legal definitions.
Includes events and experiences that may not necessarily be categorizable as illegal but continue to impact individuals profoundly.
Encouragement to reflect on personal versus legal definitions.

Voyeurism: Observing individuals in private moments without consent. Examples in modern society include forms of “upskirting.”
Exhibitionism: Traditionally seen in public indecency acts, now can include the sending of unsolicited explicit images (e.g., “dick pics”).
Online offences: Producing or possessing child sexual abuse images and similar activities.
Property crimes relating to sexual fantasy (e.g., theft of underwear).

More commonly recognized as serious criminal acts. E.g., rape and sexual assault.

A higher prevalence of female victims in sexual crimes: 80% of sexual assaults involve female victims; 90% in cases of rape.
Reports indicate that a higher percentage of sexual offences are committed by known individuals rather than strangers—10-15% of offences are stranger-based.
Many sexual offences remain unreported—often due to various personal, psychological, and social barriers.

Cited statistics show discrepancies between reported crimes and actual incidents: crime surveys indicate 20% of women and 4% of men experience sexual assault in their lifetime.
Challenges in accurately reporting (under-reporting and under-recording) could compromise crime data reliability.
Need for critical analysis of conviction rates and systemic barriers within the justice system (known as the “justice gap”).

Embarrassment is a significant reason, as people feel judged or worried about not being believed.
Other reasons include lack of perceived efficacy of the justice system or fear of humiliation.

General Theory of Crime (Gottfredson and Hirschi) - Suggests that sexual offenders are not a unique subset but rather exhibit generalized deviance across criminal behaviors.
Evolutionary Theory - (not widely accepted) posits that rape may be an evolutionarily selected trait under specific conditions, demanding critical thinking of inherent biological arguments.
Right Myth Acceptance - Discusses societal beliefs that shift responsibility from the offender to the victim, affecting reporting and cultural stigma.

There is a need to differentiate between sexual motivations and an overall criminal mentality in offenders.
Cognitive distortions and schemas influencing perceptions of consent and acceptability are termed as implicit theories of sexual offending.

Precondition Model: Identifies four necessary preconditions for sexual offence against children:
1. Motivation to commit a sexual offence
2. Overcoming internal inhibitors (guilt, fear of repercussions)
3. Overcoming external inhibitors (access, opportunity)
4. Overcoming child resistance through grooming.

Connection between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and future offending behaviors.
Relationship between grooming, social power dynamics, and overcoming obstacles present in the victim's life.

Review and apply theories discussed (Precondition Model, Implicit Theories) in practical contexts.
Participation needed in the discussion board to facilitate learning and exam preparation.
Strong emphasis on moving forward in preparation for the exam while developing a comprehensive understanding of sexual harm.

Discussion and reflections on today’s material encouraged before moving forward to the next class.
Targeted discussion of complex topics regarding cognitive distortions and the implications they may hold for offenders and victims alike.