Offender Characteristics Research Articles

Female Sex Offenders: Is There a Difference Between Solo and Co-Offenders?

Studies on female sex offending have been limited for a number of reasons, such as societal perceptions that females are incapable of engaging in such behaviors because of their role as caretakers and nurturers in society. However, over the past few decades, studies examining female sex offenders have increased, revealing that females do commit sexual offenses and differ from their male counterparts. We examined offender, victim, and offense characteristics of female sex offenders who were convicted from 1995 to 2013 (N = 223) in Arkansas and were sentenced to serve time in prison or placed on probation. We focused on the similarities and differences of solo and co-female sex offenders because we know from previous studies that the pathway of offending can differ between solo and co-female offenders, yet few studies have exclusively compared the similarities and differences among female sex offenders. Our data were collected from offender files that included basic personal offender information, offender survey and social history, criminal history, incident reports while incarcerated, court records, police investigation reports, initial offender and victim statements (prior to offender incarceration), and probation/parole reports. We believe the results of this study will provide further insight into the types of female sex offenders as well as the possible differences between co- and solo-offenders in relation to their victim preferences, risk levels, rehabilitation amenability, and recidivism propensities.

Injury Patterns for Homicide Followed by Suicide by the Relationship Between Victims and Offenders

The connection between the victim–offender relationship and injury patterns has been established in the lethal violence literature; however, this association has not been explored in the study of homicide followed by the perpetrator’s suicide. Using data from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), we address this research gap by examining violence inflicted on 1,718 homicide–suicide victims that occurred between 2003 and 2013. Results show some support for variation in injury across intimacy and relationship status while considering victim and offender characteristics; however, results were not as predicted. Avenues for future research are discussed.

Sexual homicide offenders distinguished from non-homicidal sexual offenders: A review of the literature

Abstract Sexual homicide (or sexual murder) is largely referred to as a homicide that is committed with an apparent or underlying sexual motivation. Although this topic has been increasingly studied in recent years, little is known about how sex offenders who kill their victims differ from those who do not. This article recaps empirical findings related to sexual homicide offenders and then synthesizes 17 empirical studies that distinguish the demographic and psychosocial characteristics of sexual offenders who killed (i.e., sexual homicide offenders) and those who did not kill (i.e., non-homicidal sexual offenders). This review spans a period of 28.5 years (1988 to mid-2016). A number of key distinguishing characteristics emerged between the two groups. Some inconclusive differential features between the two subpopulations of sexual offenders appear to be partly due to different sampling procedures in these studies (e.g., small sample size, recruitment of specific groups of sexual offenders). Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed.

Examining the Ethical Behavior of Ontario Chartered Accountants: A Longitudinal Review of the Disciplinary Process

AbstractThe governing bodies of the Chartered Accountant (CA) profession and business schools go to great lengths to ensure accounting professionals are equipped with a skill set that meets technical, professional, ethical, and other general requirements. In spite of a strict code of ethics, violations of the professional conduct rules leading to disciplinary action are a reality. Using the total CA membership (N = 36,465) of Ontario, Canada, this study makes a 27‐year retrospective assessment of the frequency of disciplinary cases, the characteristics of offenders, the disciplinary process, and the sanctions imposed. Results indicate that: (i) approximately 1.38 percent of the members have been charged with violations of the Rules of Professional Conduct by the Institute of Chartered Accountants over that period; (ii) most were sole proprietors engaged in public accounting; (iii) on average, men make up 76 percent of the CA membership, outnumbering women by three to one (3:1); yet, men were 16 times more likely than women to be charged; (iv) the majority of the offences occurred while members with public accounting licenses were conducting external audits; and (v) sanctions ranged from a “rap on the knuckles” admonishment to expulsion from the CA profession. This study is exploring the CA disciplinary process as observed through disciplinary notices and suggests improvements to the system.

High-risk sexual offenders: Towards a new typology

PurposeHigh-risk sexual offenders have been identified as a distinct group of sexual offenders due to the seriousness of their offenses, as well as their high probability of reoffending. However, high-risk sexual offenders themselves represent a complex and heterogeneous group about which relatively little is still known. The purpose of this research was to provide a more refined understanding of high-risk sexual offenders by developing a profile of their behavior using offender and offense characteristics. MethodsLatent class analysis was utilized to develop a typology of some of the highest-risk sexual offenders (N=92) in Canada using characteristics of the offenders and their index crimes. ResultsThree subtypes of high-risk sexual offenders were identified in the latent class analysis. In follow up covariate analyses, these three distinct groups were found to significantly differ on important offender characteristics and prior criminal offenses. ConclusionsFindings from this study highlight the heterogeneity and complexity of the highest-risk group of sexual offenders in Canada, with important investigative, therapeutic and preventative implications.

Investigating Characteristics of the Nonrecidivating Psychopathic Offender

Psychopathic offenders are at higher risk to violently reoffend than nonpsychopathic offenders; however, about one in four psychopathic offenders are not reconvicted for a violent offense even over extended follow-ups. The characteristics of nonrecidivating psychopathic offenders (NRPs) remain underexamined. In a sample of 123 offenders with a minimum Hare Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL-R) score of 25, community follow-up of 5 years, and 4 months in a violence reduction program, 65 men receiving a violent conviction within 5 years (recidivating psychopathic offenders [RPs]) were compared with 58 who had not (NRPs). Comparatively, NRPs were older at release, had better community support, and were rated lower violence risk. NRPs also had significantly lower PCL-R Factor 2 scores, but higher Factor 1 scores. Post hoc analyses revealed prominent NRP characteristics included exploitative personality traits and a predilection for instrumentally violent crimes. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the risk assessment and treatment of psychopathic offenders.

Offense Trajectories, the Unfolding of Sexual and Non-Sexual Criminal Activity, and Sex Offense Characteristics of Adolescent Sex Offenders.

The current study examines offending trajectories of adolescent sexual offenders (ASOs). Until recently, classification frameworks have not been designed to account for the heterogeneity of offending patterns in adolescence, how these are associated with the unfolding of sexual and non-sexual criminal activity, and whether and to what extent they are related to the characteristics of sex offenses in adolescence. The current study takes a longitudinal view of offending in adolescence by examining retrospective longitudinal data of 217 ASOs referred for treatment to a clinical service between 2001 and 2009 in Australia. General offending trajectories in adolescence were examined using semi-parametric group-based modeling, and compared according to non-violent non-sexual, violent-non-sexual, and sex offending criminal activity parameters (e.g., participation, onset, frequency, specialization/versatility) and the characteristics of the referral sexual offense. The results show distinct differences in the unfolding of sexual and non-sexual criminal activity along different offending trajectories of ASOs, and further, that these trajectories were differentially associated with the characteristics of the sexual offenses they committed.

Fatal Factors for Preschoolers

This research examines how victim and offender characteristics, as well as contextual factors are related to the lethality of assaults for children less than 5 years old. The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data for 2006 to 2011 were analyzed using logistic regression techniques to estimate two models designed to explore factors associated with the death of preschoolers. Results indicate that the probability of fatality is significantly influenced by victim and offender characteristics, victim–offender relationship, weapon used, time of incident, and region of the United States in which the incident occurred.

The Effects of DNA Databases on the Deterrence and Detection of Offenders

Countries around the world use databases of criminal offenders' DNA profiles to match known offenders with crime scene evidence. The purpose is to ease police detection work and to increase the probability that offenders get caught if they reoffend, thereby deterring future criminal activity. However, relatively little is known about the behavioral effects of this law enforcement tool. We exploit a large expansion of Denmark's DNA database in 2005 to measure the effect of DNA profiling on criminal behavior. Individuals charged after the expansion were much more likely to be added to the DNA database than similar offenders charged just before that date. Using a regression discontinuity strategy, we find that the average effect of the DNA database is a reduction in recidivism. By using the rich Danish register data, we further show that effects are heterogeneous across observable offender characteristics; it is mainly offenders initially charged with violent crime that are deterred from committing new crimes. We also find that DNA profiling has a positive detection effect, increasing the probability that repeat offenders get caught. Finally, we find evidence that DNA profiling changes non-criminal behavior: offenders added to the DNA database are more likely to get or remain married. This is consistent with the hypothesis that, by deterring future criminal behavior, DNA profiling changes an offender’s life course for the better.

Internet sexual offending from an anthropological perspective: analysing offender perceptions of online spaces

ABSTRACTThis paper is based on anthropological research focused on users of online child sexual exploitation material. The empirical foundations are 17 months of participant-observation in UK group programmes for offenders, and semi-structured interviews with group participants and programme staff. While explanations for offending often emphasise individual-psychological characteristics of offenders, I suggest attention should also be given to offender perceptions and constructions of online spaces. For many in the sample, decision-making and the choice to view material were influenced by perceived boundaries and associated altered features of social interaction, said to demarcate online environments from other contexts. Participants perceived online offending spaces as lacking the interaction and potential gaze of others that normally reinforce social norms. This resulted in a feeling of freedom to break norms of childhood and sexuality online, contrasting offline society where such norms are actively reinforced. The article therefore localises factors for Internet offending in social processes.

How Do Forensic Clinicians Decide? A Delphi Approach to Identify Domains Commonly Used in Forensic Juvenile Treatment Planning.

Adolescents in forensic care display wide varieties of complex psychiatric, psychological, and contextual problems. Based on large amounts of information, clinicians need to consider, integrate, and prioritize these offender characteristics to construct individual treatment trajectories. So far, scientific knowledge on how these treatment decisions take place is scarce. Current study uses a qualitative design for detecting implicit knowledge of clinicians on which offender characteristics they consider while making treatment decisions. Using the Delphi method, 34 experienced clinicians working in forensic care facilities in the Netherlands were asked about the most important domains of offender characteristics that influence their treatment planning. Eight domains were identified as being crucial in treatment planning: Mental health problems, Personal characteristics, Family, Offense, Motivation, Treatment, School/Work/Housing, and Peers/Spare time. Based on current results, focus on a broad spectrum of individual and contextual characteristics is recommended. Moreover, protective factors and comorbid problems on multiple domains should be considered.

Sentencing Outcomes in U.S. District Courts

Numerous studies have examined the influence of offender characteristics on sentencing outcomes, yet little attention has been afforded to offenders’ educational attainment. The focal concerns theory provides reason to suspect that greater educational attainment may insulate offenders from the effects of criminal stereotypes linked to extralegal factors, including race/ethnicity, age, and sex. The current analysis employs a sample of 115,674 federal offenders to test this assumption on the in/out and sentence length decisions. Results of the in/out models demonstrate a general pattern where the effects of several extralegal factors (i.e., race, ethnicity, age, sex, and detention) are reduced, and in some cases fully moderated, by offenders’ educational attainment. This pattern, however, is not apparent during the sentence length decision.

Online child sexual exploitation: An investigative analysis of offender characteristics and offending behavior

Abstract The Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) III – Crimes Against Children analyzed 251 resolved FBI online child sexual exploitation investigations which included possessing, distributing, or producing child pornography, traveling to have sex with a minor, and/or contact offending against a child(ren). Analysis revealed that the all male convenience sample was predominately Caucasian with relative diversity in age, occupation, and marital status. The majority did not have a prior criminal arrest history. In addition many offenders exhibited a pattern of behavior involving both child pornography material and/or contact offending indicative of their sexual preference for children. The co-occurrence of offending behaviors among this sample is consistent with the characteristics of the preferential child sex offender, a sub-type of an investigative model initially developed by the FBI in the early 1980s. The authors highlight the motivations and behaviors among individuals who sexually abuse children, and how distinctions can impact the investigations and prosecutions of these types of offenders.

Offender Characteristics: A Study of 23 Violent Offenders in Sweden

ABSTRACTTwenty-three offenders convicted of homicide or attempted murder/manslaughter, and their respective crimes, were examined to identify any common characteristics. Court documents were assessed, and the most prominent information of the offenders was that they were often single, most of them had no psychiatric diagnoses, the most frequent modus operandi was a knife or sharp weapon (although firearms resulted in more homicides), and the most common homicide typology was domestic disputes, and disputes between friends or acquaintances. Based on a cluster analysis, two profiles emerged: one with so-called traditional criminals and another profile over-represented with offenders who commit domestic crimes.

Understanding Online Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses.

In the past three decades, there has been an exponential increase inthe worldwide availability of Internet accessand devices that areable to access online materials. This literature review investigated whether increased accessibility of Internet child pornography (CP) increases the risk of in-person child sexual exploitation. The current review found little to no evidence that availability of the Internet has increased the worldwide incidence or prevalence of in-person child sexual abuse. In fact, during the time period in which the Internet has flourished, international crime statistics have shown a steady decrease of in-person child sexual abuse. The only exception to this trend is an increase in Internet child pornography or luring offenses (e.g., Stats Can, 2014), which involves child abuseby definition. This article reviews the impact of the Internet on child sexual abuse. It also reviews the characteristics of online CP offenders. Treatment of these offenders and prevention of such offenses is also discussed.

Sentencing recommendations are insensitive to juvenile offender’s age and maturation

AbstractResearch on perceptions of juvenile criminals has long sought to understand what drives punishment of juvenile. While some researchers argue that age influences the punishment of juvenile offenders, others argue that more severe crimes receive harsher punishments. However, in much past research, information about the juvenile and the details surrounding the crime have been manipulated, yielding inconsistent results. In this study, we manipulated age, maturity, crime severity, and offender characteristics and measured blame, sentencing recommendations, and likelihood of a guilty verdict. We expected more severe crimes would garner harsher judgments. We also expected information about the juvenile’s reasons for acting would influence judgments. Results indicate that crime severity explained the largest amount of variance in sentencing. However, age and maturity influenced judgments about blame and guilt. This study helps clarify the effects of age and maturity on punishment-related judgments by demo...

The Influence of Age and Sexual Drive on the Predictive Validity of the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol-Revised.

The Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol-Revised (J-SOAP-II) is the most commonly used measure in the assessment of recidivism risk among juveniles who have committed sexual offenses (JSOs), but mixed support exists for its predictive validity. This study compared the predictive validity of the J-SOAP-II across two offender characteristics, age and sexual drive, in a sample of 156 JSOs who had been discharged from a correctional facility or a residential treatment program. The J-SOAP-II appeared to be a better predictor of sexual recidivism for younger JSOs (14-16 years old) than for older ones (17-19 years old), with significant differences found for the Dynamic Summary Scale and Scale III (Intervention). In addition, several of the measure's scales significantly predicted sexual recidivism for JSOs with a clear pattern of sexualized behavior but not for those without such a pattern, indicating that the J-SOAP-II may have greater clinical utility for JSOs with heightened sexual drive. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Учет личности виновного и обстоятельств, смягчающих и отягчающих наказание, как один из критериев справедливого наказания

The article is devoted to the analysis of the general principles, which are most frequently taken into account in infliction of penalty: perpetrator’s personality and the circumstances mitigating or aggravating the punishment. In particular, the author notes that negative personality characteristics, which do not manifest themselves in the criminal conduct and which do not give evidence of the social danger should not be taken into account in sentencing. The author examines which characteristics of the individual offender must be considered in sentencing. The author attends to errors arising from the use of the circumstances in question and resulting in the violation of the principle of justice. The main reasons for these errors are inattention of judges (with regard to non-recognition of a number of circumstances as mitigating or aggravating) and the imperfection of the law (in the wording of some circumstances). In conclusion, the author arrives at the idea about the necessity of formalization of the influence of aggravating and mitigating circumstances on punishment.

A New Leviathan: Benefit Sanctions in the Twenty‐first Century

This article highlights the spectacular growth of benefit sanctions in the United Kingdom which, at their peak, exceeded the number of fines imposed in the criminal courts. It proposes a three‐fold typology of monetary sanctions – punitive judicial sanctions, exemplified by court fines, regulatory administrative sanctions, exemplified by parking penalties, and disciplinary administrative monetary sanctions, exemplified by benefit sanctions – and compares them in terms of their main aims, how they are imposed, whether the interests of those sanctioned are protected, their severity, the socio‐economic characteristics of offenders, the hardship caused, how proportionate they are, and whether they are compatible with justice. It argues that they are particularly problematic because their severity causes great and disproportionate hardship, and because, in addition to punishing offenders, they also attempt to discipline them by managing their behaviour, and concludes that, in the United Kingdom, they function as a key instrument for disciplining and managing the poor.

The care of Filipino juvenile offenders in residential facilities evaluated using the risk-need-responsivity model

According to the risk-need-responsivity model of offender, assessment and rehabilitation treatment should target specific factors that are related to re-offending. This study evaluates the residential care of Filipino juvenile offenders using the risk-need-responsivity model. Risk analyses and criminogenic needs assessments (parenting style, aggression, relationships with peers, empathy, and moral reasoning) have been conducted using data of 55 juvenile offenders in four residential facilities. The psychological care has been assessed using a checklist. Statistical analyses showed that juvenile offenders had a high risk of re-offending, high aggression, difficulties in making pro-social friends, and a delayed socio-moral development. The psychological programs in the residential facilities were evaluated to be poor. The availability of the psychological care in the facilities fitted poorly with the characteristics of the juvenile offenders and did not comply with the risk-need-responsivity model. Implications for research and practice are discussed.