Who are sexual offenders? A survey of pre-trial psychiatric reports

Abstract

Sexual offending is a serious and growing problem in our society. The aim of the study was to investigate the main characteristics of people charged with sexual offences who presented before the criminal courts. The survey was conducted retrospectively between August 2001 and August 2006 on pre-trial court reports stored in a computer database shared by forensic psychiatrists using The Grange consulting rooms in West Yorkshire. A data collection form was used to gather the characteristics of sexual offenders. The data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics. Our survey revealed the following results. Out of 78 cases evaluated, the commonest sexual offence was against children (68.8%). Thirty-two per cent of those with paedophilic behaviour had a history of childhood sexual abuse. Rape was alleged as the main sexual offence in 27.27% cases. Substance abuse (30.76%) and sexual motivation (42.30%) were the predominant motives for offending behaviour. Low rates of sexual fantasy and sadistic behaviour (8.97%) in our sample could be due to the non-disclosure by sexual offenders. Mental disorder was observed in 7.69% cases. Significant personality factors were observed in 14.10% of the sample. A sexual offending treatment programme was recommended in 57.69% cases. A very high risk of re-offending was recorded in 32.25% cases. Of the total sample, 93.50% were deemed fit to plead.