Extrafamilial Victims Research Articles

Factors Influencing Sexual Offenders' Modus Operandi: An Examination of Victim-Offender Relatedness and Age

Child sexual abuse is recognized as a national problem that has reached epidemic proportions. However, empirical investigations of offender behaviors associated with the sexual-offending process (i.e., modus operandi [MO]) are lacking in the literature yet critically needed to inform prevention and intervention initiatives. This investigation contrasted the MO of 114 adults and 114 adolescents who sexually offended against intrafamilial or extrafamilial victims. Study findings indentified adolescent offenders' more frequent use of a variety of MO strategies to gain victim compliance in sexual activity and to maintain victim silence following the onset of abuse, including approaches designed to coerce or manipulate victims. Results also indicated significant differences in offenders' MO based on their relatedness (i.e., intrafamilial or extrafamilial) to victims. Implications for prevention as well as offender and victim treatment are discussed.

Static and Dynamic Predictors of Recidivism in Sexual Aggressors

The aim of this study was to vefify whether static factors (criminal history, age, relationship status) and dynamic factors (deviance index based on phallometric data, score of psychometric testing) permit prediction of recidivism in sexual aggressors. Three types of recidivism (sexual, violent, criminal) were determined in 113 rapists and in 269 child molesters over an average follow-up of 64.5 months. The sexual reconviction rate was 21.2% in rapists and 13% in child molesters. Reconvicted rapists were younger and had more previous convictions than those who were not reconvicted, Compared with those who did not reoffend, the child molesters who were reconvicted for a sexual offense had higher pedophilic indices, had more previous sexual charges, were younger, more frequently had male victims, had more frequently extrafamilial victims, and a higher percentage of them were living alone. Psychometric data did not predict recidivism in either rapists or child molesters.

Static and dynamic predictors of recidivism in sexual aggressor

The aim of this stydy was to verify whether static factors (criminal history, age, relationship status) and dynamic factors (deviance index based on phallometric data, score of psychometric testing) permit prediction of recidivism in sexual aggressors. Three types of recidivism (sexual, violent, criminal) were determined in 113 rapists and in 269 child molesters over an average follow-up of 64.5 months. The sexual reconviction rate was 21.2% in rapists and 13% in child molesters. Reconvicted rapists were younger and had more previous convictions than those who were not reconvicted. Compared with those who did not reoffend, the child molesters who were reconvicted for a sexual offense had higher pedophilic indices, had more previous sexual charges, were younger, more frequently had male victims, had more frequently extrafamilial victims, and a higher percentage of them were living alone. Psychometric data did not predict recidivism in either rapists or child molesters.

Comparative psychopathology of women who experienced intra-familial versus extra-familial sexual abuse

The Diagnostic Inventory of Personality and Symptoms (DIPS) was used to assess psychopathology in a clinical sample of 30 women with histories of intra-familial sexual victimization, 22 women with histories of extra-familial sexual victimization, and 30 women with no victimization experiences. The present study examines whether the relative/nonrelative issue is significant to the impact of sexual victimization experiences. A clinical comparison of two point code types indicated that both sexually abused groups could be characterized as suffering an Affective Depressed-Dissociative Disorder. However, profile shapes produced for the intra- and extra-familial abused groups differed. A discriminant function developed via step wise selection procedures incorporated 12 of the 14 scales, correctly classifying 94% of the individuals (49 of 52) as members of the extra or intra-familial groups. Profile analyses, discriminant analyses, clinically descriptive comparisons, and post hoc analyses of individual scales all revealed that psychopathology is much more evident in those who have experienced sexual abuse. Methodological considerations are highlighted and implications for treatment and research are addressed.

Childhood Coping Strategies of Intrafamilial and Extrafamilial Female Sexual Abuse Victims

A sample of 66 college women's retrospective reports of childhood sexual abuse was examined in order to identify the coping strategies implemented by victims of intrafamilial and extrafamilial sexual abuse at the time of their victimization Results indicated that both intrafamilial and extrafamilial victims reported attempts to regulate their distress (with emotion-focused coping strategies) and to impact the actual abuse situation (using problem-focused coping strategies). However, intrafamilial victims reported employing more of both types of coping as compared to extrafamilial victims. With regard to more specific types of emotion-focused coping, intrafamilial victims reported using more wishful thinking, detachment self-blame, and self-isolation. Differences between the two groups are also examined on a strategy-by-strategy basis. The implications of these results are discussed with regard lo clinical interventions for victims.

The Multiphasic Sex Inventory: Diagnosis and Prediction of Treatment Response in Child Sexual Abusers

The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of the Multiphasic Sex Inventory (MSI) in predicting treatment progress and therapy outcome of child sexual abuse perpetrators and to examine the diagnostic potential of this instrument for differentiating perpetrator characteristics. The MSI was administered to 122 clients prior to their entry into therapy and again at three month intervals for nine months. No significant changes in MSI scales were found during the nine month period. Retest correlations on the initial test and the first three month retest period ranged from .42 to .84 with an average of .71. Using the initial MSI scores as predictors, the MSI was able to predict between 30% and 47% of treatment variance, depending on what measure was used as a criterion. It was able to differentiate between treatment outcome (success vs. failure) with 70.9% accuracy. The Sexual Assault, Aggravated Assault, Cognitive Distortion/Immaturity, Lie, and Sex Knowledge Scales were the most salient variables in predicting treatment progress and outcome. A factor analysis of the MSI Scales yielded four factors: Assault, Sexual Fantasy, Denial/Dysfunction, and Normal. The Assault Factor accounted for the largest proportion of variance. Results also indicated that the MSI could 1) differentiate among abusers who molest males, females, and both sexes and 2) among abusers who molest only intrafamilial victims, only extrafamilial victims, and those who molest both kinds of victims. The MSI is also an excellent instrument for differentiating between deniers and non-deniers of abuse. The implications of the MSI as an instrument measuring denial is discussed and an MSI profile of a successful therapy candidate is sketched.