Sex Offenders Research Articles

Pain in Prison: A Risk Factor Analysis of 57 Prisoners' Deaths by Suicide in Illinois, United States.

United States prisons have elevated rates of suicide deaths compared to the general population. Thus, this manuscript aims to identify suicide risk factors, using data collected in Illinois (IL) state prisons between 2013-2021. First, we present comprehensive demographic, psychological, and prison-related descriptive statistics regarding 57 suicide decedents. Next, we compared this subset to IL state population-level prison reports to identify suicide-specific risk factors. Suicide decedents were predominately male, White, serving their first sentence, had a psychiatric diagnosis, and had no work assignment. Lethal attempts frequently occurred during evening off-hours, on Wednesdays, and were preceded by "mental health decompensation" and significant life transitions. Suicide-specific risk factors included identifying as White or Asian, having an offense type of habitual criminal or sex offender, being divorced, and not having children. We close with readily implementable suggestions to reduce suicides in prisons such as increasing off-hours and shift change staffing and social support interventions.

Exploring the relationship between criminal narrative experience (CNE) and criminal thinking, among sexual offenders

Purpose The criminal narrative experience (CNE) framework posits that criminals’ personal experiences of offending can be differentiated into distinct narrative themes. This study aims to examine whether CNE themes of sexual offenders (SO) was related to particular cognitive distortions (criminal thinking). Additionally, given previously identified psychological differences between child SO and SO that target adults, the study also compared CNE and criminal thinking styles between these SO groups. Design/methodology/approach Twenty-six adult male offenders convicted for sexual crimes completed a survey composed of the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (Version 4) and a Criminal Narrative Experience Questionnaire which identified two narrative themes of sexual offending (The Intrepid Professional-Adventurer, IPA; and The Dejected Revenger Victim, DRV). Findings Analyses failed to identify significant relationships between CNE themes and most of the criminal thinking styles. However, offenders reporting the DRV narrative displayed greater fears about the prospect of changing. Additionally, child SO displayed the IPA narrative more than SO that targeted adults. Practical implications The CNE framework can assist practitioners who are working towards a goal of desistance, as the experience of crime from the perspective of the offender is understood through their narrative roles and emotional experience. Identifying an individual’s strongest CNE theme could aid practitioners in identifying and planning interventions which challenge the distorted thinking. Originality/value This study is the first to examine the relationship between CNE and cognitive distortions that enable (re)offending.

Evaluating Treatment Characteristics and Outcomes for Juvenile Sexual Offenders: A Review

Improving treatment effectiveness for adolescent sexual offenders is believed to be able to reduce the number of recidivism. This review aims to evaluate treatment characteristics and outcomes for the juvenile sexual offender. Existing treatments focus on sexual behavior management, primarily with cognitive behavioral theory and social learning theory. This study used EBSCO databases related to psychology science, such as Academic Search Complete, APA PsycArticles, MEDLINE, and APA PsycINFO. The search was for peer-reviewed empirical studies published between January 2010 and February 2020 with the inclusion criteria that focus on the treatment outcomes evaluations. Eleven studies categorized as mixed therapy programs, family-based treatments, and other specific treatments were reviewed and revealed limitations in methodology, which contributes to the obstruction of treatment evaluation. The key finding of this study suggests the developmental aspect of juvenile sexual offenders when designing interventions and effectivity measurements. Previous treatments for juvenile sexual offenders have developed with several approaches, such as cognitive behavioral perspectives and social learning theory. Keywords: juvenile sexual offender ( JSO), treatment, treatment evaluation

The Use of LGBT Films in Adolescent Victim-Turned Sex Offender Counseling: The Standard of Care and Professional Clinical Discretion of Psychologists Clinical Discretion of Psychologists

The Use of LGBT Films in Adolescent Victim-Turned Sex Offender Counseling: The Standard of Care and Professional Clinical Discretion of Psychologists Clinical Discretion of Psychologists

Differences in Risk for Sexual Violence Protocol (RSVP) risk factors among older and adult men who have sexually offended

ABSTRACT Ageing has a protective impact on recidivism risk, including for those who offend sexually (Ambroziak, G., Kahn, R. E., Mundt, J. C., Keiser, K. L., & Thornton, D. (2020). Are civilly detained and committed sexually violent persons released after age 60 low risk? Criminal Justice and Behavior, 48(7), 981–998; Doren, D. M. (2006). What do we know about the effect of aging on recidivism risk for sexual offenders? Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 18; Harris, G. T., & Rice, M. E. (2007). Adjusting actuarial violence risk assessments based on aging or the passage of time. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 34(3), 297–313). Recent research of the Risk for Sexual Violence Protocol (RSVP) suggests increased age may affect the validity of this guideline, with good predictive performance in samples of men mostly aged under 50 (Davis, M. R., Woods, M., Raymond, B., Ogloff, J. R. P., & McEwan, T. E. (in submission). Does it work? Convergent and predictive validity of the Risk for Sexual Violence Protocol (RSVP) in an Australian Community Forensic Mental Health Setting. Manuscript submitted for publication; Vargen, L. M., Jackson, K. J., & Hart, S. D. (2020). Interrater reliability, concurrent validity, and predictive validity of the Risk for Sexual Violence Protocol. Law and Human Behavior, 44(1), 37–50), but poor predictive performance in a sample aged over 50 (Raymond, B. C., Davis, M. R., Ogloff, J. R. P., & McEwan, T. E. (in submission). Convergent and predictive validity of the sexual violence risk-20 and risk for sexual violence protocol with older sexual offenders. Manuscript submitted for publication). This study investigated possible reasons for these contrasting results by investigating age-related differences in risk factor endorsement and the relationships between risk factors. RSVP risk factors in two samples of men with prior sexual offending, older adults aged between 50 and 78 (n = 95) and adults aged between 18 and 46 (n = 139). Few differences were identified in risk factor endorsement or the relationship between risk factors. The younger adult sample were observed to have more risk factors present. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT This research adds to the literature regarding older men who offend sexually. It is anticipated that further research into factors that are associated with this age group, may encourage future research of gerontological literature in a forensic arena. Until more reliable evidence is available, the current risk assessment tools may require a level of caution when used with older men.

SPECIAL MEASURES FOR SEX OFFENDERS AND POTENTIAL HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Child sexual abuse has attracted enormous attention and occupied significant media space in recent decades. This increased attention has resulted in the creation of strategies aimed at responding to sexual abuse in general, and has been motivated by both the need to prevent reoffending and the desire to adequately respond to the expectations of the wider public. Measures aimed at responding to sexual offenses have become fertile ground for the introduction of various innovations. This may result in the violation of sex offenders’ human rights, and any state based on the rule of law should not allow this. This paper is devoted predominantly to the analysis of the Croatian and Serbian current legal frameworks related to the application of specific measures aimed at sex offenders to establish whether these frameworks are aligned with the relevant human rights protection standards. It has been established that the level of compliance of the two national legislations with the international legal framework is high although there is room for additional corrections. The objective of the paper is to give recommendations for harmonizing the above area with the modern legal acquis, and primarily with the standards established through the case law of the European Court of Human Rights.

Registered sex offenders’ experiences of home visits in England & Wales: are the police expected to integrate “risk” with “desistance”

Purpose In England and Wales, adult male registered sex offenders (RSOs) are risk assessed and managed using a tool known as the Active Risk Management System; a risk assessment designed specifically for police management of RSOs and carried out by a specialist group of police officers known as Management of Violent or Sexual Offenders (MOSOVO) at the RSO’s home, known as “the home visit”. The purpose of this paper is to explore RSOs views of the home visit and risk assessment and to make recommendations to MOSOVO to improve future home visit & risk assessment practice. Design/methodology/approach This study aimed to examine a sample of adult male RSOs’ views of the risk assessment and home visit process. Three police forces in England and Wales agreed to facilitate the sampling of 10 RSOs who varied in their level of risk, namely, low, medium, high and very high. Findings Three themes were developed from the analysis: anxiety and shame; perceptions of the first home visit; and the property search and observations. This paper discusses these experiences in light of the growing call for MOSOVOs to both manage risk and assist desistance and present recommendations for improving both the home visit and risk assessment practice. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to understand and explore RSOs views of the home visit and risk assessment process.

Predictive Validity of Tools for Assessing Recidivism Risk in Men Convicted of Sex Offending: Static-99R, Static-2002R and BARR-2002R.

Recidivism risk assessment is crucial for effective case management of men convicted of sex offending. The use of empirical actuarial risk tools has become routine in the field. However, the development of actuarial risk scales for assessing general, violent and/or sexual recidivism in these men is ongoing: The Static-99 led to the Static-99R and the Static-2002R, and the BARR-2002R emerged to assess violent recidivism risk. A study was undertaken to evaluate and compare the inter-rater and predictive validity of the Static-99R, the Static-2002R, and the BARR-2002R in a sample of 328 men convicted of sex offending released from prison in French Belgium. When the instruments were considered integrally, the two versions of the Static-the Static-99R and the Static-2002R-proved better at predicting sexual recidivism and the BARR-2002R was better at predicting violent recidivism. And, the predictive and incremental predictive validity of the factor structure identified by Brouillette-Alarie et al. (2016) was examined. Results proved consistent in that the Youthful stranger aggression and General criminality factors were better at predicting general recidivism and violent non-sexual recidivism while the Persistence/paraphilia factor was better at predicting sexual recidivism.

A new identity: Enhancing life skills and work-readiness for those with a sexual offending history

The purpose of this research was to examine the experiences of individuals, with a sexual offending history, who have engaged with a community-based life skills and work-readiness programme. With a view to understand the impact of such programmes on their rehabilitation and to inform a growing body of research around the approaches needed for promoting rehabilitation within this group. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four participants about their experiences of accessing a community-based charity and three themes were identified using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis: “a place to belong without fear or judgement;” “creating an identity away from offending;” and “space and time to realise own potential.” These findings were discussed in relation to the Good Lives Model; previously identified protective factors for people with a history of sexual offending; and desistance research. The research offers a number of recommendations for practice which can be used by organisations to help them develop an inclusive and meaningful approach to supporting individuals with a history of sexual offending.

The Dynamics of Internet Sexual Solicitation: Examining the Criminal Careers of Online Groomers

ABSTRACT The criminal career approach has been widely employed in the context of sexual delinquency, contributing significantly to our understanding of the criminal activities of sex offenders. To date, no studies have examined the criminal trajectories of online groomers within the framework of a criminal career analysis. To address this gap, the primary objective of this paper is to analyze this group’s criminal trajectories to expand our knowledge on participation, frequency, duration, seriousness, and versatility. To achieve this, an LPA was thus conducted using a sample of 1201 online groomers. The results support the existence of multiple distinct trajectories followed by individuals who engage in online sexual solicitation of minors, revealing the presence of four distinctive profiles: one-timer groomers, versatile and late groomers, specialist sex offender groomers, and polymorphous and prolific groomers. The profiles differ based on the number and types of offenses committed, the duration of their criminal involvement, and the diversity of their criminal activities.

A Cross-Sectional Study On Profile And Working Conditions Of Mortuary Workers At Victoria Hospital

Mortuary workers play a crucial role in ensuring the respectful, safe and dignified handling of human bodies. But despite of their irreplaceable role, there is prolonged neglect and under recognition of these mortuary staff in our country. It is in fact correct to say that mortuary workers were as important as nurses were to the Forensic Pathologists. The mortuary attendants assist in preparing bodies, specialized dissection and collecting specimens that were pertinent in performing meticulous autopsy techniques. Apart from this they also help in the examination of sexual offenders. These kind of diverse responsibilities makes them an integral part in the medicolegal system in India. There was only a few research done in regard to the mortuary staff. Understanding the work conditions and challenges faced by them will help in improving work environment. This will help in promoting the quality of work they offer and attract more eligible youth to take up this essential, yet risky profession.

Identifying Risk Factors of Gender-Based Harassment

ABSTRACT Gender-based harassment is a common and damaging form of gender-based violence that encompasses a wide range of behaviors (e.g. cat calling, using sexist language, using homophobic slurs, etc.). Despite its negative impact on victim-survivors, very few studies have identified risk factors associated with the perpetration of gender-based harassment. In the current study, we examined whether well-established risk factors for in-person sexual offending were also predictive of gender-based harassment behaviors. Participants (N = 1,200) were recruited via Qualtrics’ research panels and completed measures assessing potential risk factors (i.e. younger age, sexual deviancy, general antisociality) and whether they had perpetrated gender-based harassment in the preceding twelve months. Overall, 14.0% of the sample reported perpetrating gender-based harassment. All factors independently predicted harassment perpetration. When considered within a multivariate model, being a man, being younger in age, and scoring higher on hypersexuality and anger were significantly predictive of gender-based harassment when controlling for all other variables. Results suggest that established risk factors for in-person sexual offending, including elements of sexual deviancy and general antisociality, might also be important in predicting the perpetration of gender-based harassment, and may therefore serve as potential treatment targets.

Killing Two Birds with One Stone: Mandatory Therapy and the Prevention of Sex Crime in France.

This paper considers the development of new clinical and medical practices in the early 2000s in France, after the adoption of legal reforms aiming at the prevention of sexual infractions and the protection of minors. The paper explains how the reform led to the creation of a new form of punishment for sexual offenders, l'obligation de soin (therapeutic obligation), which can be described as long-term mandatory therapeutic monitoring. This paper offers an analysis of the implementation of this measure from the standpoint of the specialized mental health care unit which were entrusted the mission of caring for the new group of convicted patients, i.e., patients sentenced to undergo mandatory therapy, after this legal reform. In the new regime these mandatory therapies created, clinicians are tasked to combine their conventional mission of care for the patient in the present, with the judicial mandate of detecting and preventing the patient's relapse qua recidivism in the future. Mobilizing ethnographic examples that evidence the way clinical care comes to encompass a penal mandate of long-term surveillance of convicted patients, I argue that the dual injunction of procuring care while preventing relapse-recidivism constrains the psychodynamic forms of clinical intervention deployed by French clinicians, realigns both psychiatric and clinical interventions along penal lines, and revives interest in some of the diagnostic categories and aims of criminal psychiatry which were important for the development of psychiatry in France.

Vulnerability to incest – Findings from a comparative single-case study of the onset of intrafamilial child sexual abuse

Previous research about intrafamilial child sexual abuse was not able to identify specific risk factors that distinguish this unique subgroup from other sexual offending subgroups. In comparison to other groups of sexual offenders, men convicted of intrafamilial sexual child abuse (ICSA) are found to exhibit more similarities to non-offending fathers than extrafamilial sexual offenders. Consequently, the risk assessment of sexual recidivism among “incest offenders” lacks evidence-based evaluation criteria. Given the suggestion that family system factors should be included in research on the onset of ICSA, we employed the Vulnerability to Incest Model proposed by Trepper and Barrett (1989, https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203776605) in a qualitative single-case analysis. A comparative analysis of ten court evaluations of ICSA offenders revealed that all families in which ICSA has occurred demonstrated at least two vulnerability factors. The analyzed offenders exhibited comparable patterns of masculine sexual entitlement. The utility of this recently developed construct for sexual violence research is discussed and implications for further research proposed.

French national helpline “stop” for minor-attracted persons: First findings

ObjectivesPreventing minor-attracted persons from acting on their impulses is a significant public health concern. To address this, the STOP telephone helpline was established nationwide in France in January 2021. This service acts as a bridge, connecting callers with their nearest CRIAVS (resource centers for professionals working with sex offenders) where they can speak with a healthcare professional who can guide them toward appropriate care if needed. Our study is a detailed look at the STOP service's activity from January 1st, 2021, to December 31st, 2022, covering a span of 24 months. MethodWe developed a structured approach to collecting data for analysis. Data were extracted from the centralized database of the STOP service, allowing for the collection of quantitative variables and qualitative variables. ResultsOver the study period, there were 5442 calls made to the service. After filtering out calls that were unsuccessful or too short (mostly under 5minutes), we analyzed 369 records. Among these, 79.1% were first-time callers, with 73.3% of them admitting to being attracted to children, a group which predominantly consisted of men. Notably, 46.7% of callers expressing an attraction to children were referred to further care. In total, 72.6% of callers learned about the service through media channels. ConclusionAnalysis revealed that the STOP service was primarily utilized by the intended audience–minor-attracted persons. The gradual decline in call volume over time and the reliance on media for awareness highlight the importance of widespread publicity. The findings from our study, spanning twenty-four months of the STOP service's operation, highlight the value of having such a platform available to facilitate access to mental health support for minor-attracted persons. They emphasize the need for increased communication efforts to promote the STOP service and call for further data analysis to enhance its effectiveness.

Are risk assessment tools more accurate than unstructured judgments in predicting violent, any, and sexual offending? A meta-analysis of direct comparison studies.

We conducted a pre-registered meta-analysis of studies that directly compared the predictive validity of risk assessment tools to unstructured judgments of risk for violent, any, or sexual offending. A total of 31 studies, containing 169 effect sizes from 45,673 risk judgments, met inclusion criteria. Based on the results of three-level mixed-effects meta-regression models, the predictive validity of total scores on risk assessment tools was significantly higher than that of unstructured judgments for predictions of violent, any, and sexual offending. Tools continued to outperform unstructured judgments after accounting for risk of bias. This finding was also robust to variations in population, assessment context, and outcome measurement. Although this meta-analysis provides support for the use of risk assessment tools, it also highlights limitations and gaps that future research should address.

Protective Factors Related to Desistance in Sexual Offending: A Scoping Review

Protective Factors Related to Desistance in Sexual Offending: A Scoping Review

Psychoanalytic Interpretation of the Killings by Javed Iqbal Mughal aka Kukri

The current case study article is an attempt to interpret the killings by notorious serial killer of Pakistan, Javed Iqbal Mughal aka “Kukri” via a psychoanalytic prism. For this purpose, facts about the case were collected from authentic secondary sources (like international news reports, books and encyclopaedic works) and analyzed. It utilized case study method. The analysis reveals that he was a homosexual paedophile sex offender who was a psychopath and megalomaniac. He had a high need for dominance and control. Before the precipitating event, he was dominated by his sexual drive and was using his ability to fulfil it by creating opportunities of encounter with his preferred sex objects. But in response to the attack, he developed a very strong vengeance fantasy and due to a lack of superego, he was dominated by death instinct and executed his vengeance fantasy. It appears that what forced him to complete this process was his desire of fame that was present even before he was attacked by a masseur but was intensified as it glorified his revenge. This article revels the psychological process that manifested in the killings by Javed Iqbal and explains the phenomenon in context of the thinking and behaviors of a psychopath.

How Children Stop Adult Perpetrators From Unwanted Touching Within an Institutional Setting: Termination Patterns During Sexual Contact Stage.

This qualitative study analyzes victims' narratives of male-on-male child molestation within the Boy Scouts of America. The focus of previous literature on sex crime victims mostly centered on how to avoid sex offenders based on the offenders' behaviors and effective victims' treatment plans to alleviate their posttrauma as a result of sexual abuse. Yet studies have not provided detailed descriptions of when and how to resist sexual advances to children when such incidents are in progress within youth-oriented institutions. Few have examined victim narratives to discover the dynamics of child molestation, such as physical and verbal interactions between the two parties while sexual touching is occurring. The author used victims' narratives to identify how boy victims responded to unwanted sexual advances by scout leaders within the Boy Scouts of America. Based on qualitative-oriented analysis, this study presents verbal and physical resisting patterns of male victims and the effectiveness of such actions in terminating sexual advances. The findings suggest practical and potential intervention strategies so children know how to stop adult perpetrators from developing unwanted touching within youth-centric institutions.

Criminal Histories, Risk Profiles, and Predictors of Recidivism Among Men Who Sexually Offend Over the Age of 60 Years

Research has consistently found sexual recidivism risk drops as men convicted of sexual offenses age, but little research exists on those few men who do sexually offend when older. The current study examined the criminal histories, risk profiles, and predictors of sexual recidivism in a large sample of men who sexually offended over the age of 60 years. Analyses showed low levels of sexual offending under the age of 60 years prior to the commission of a sexual offense over the age of 60 years, with only 27% of the sample having sexually offended under 60 years. Examination of the risk profiles of the sample evidenced high levels of possible deviant sexual attraction and sexual cognitive distortions, which restricted the range on these variables, and limited their ability to predict sexual recidivism. Instead, nonsexual risk factors and protective factors appeared better predictors of sexual recidivism for men who have sexually offended over the age of 60 years.