Sexual Offending Behavior Research Articles

Perceptions of family‐of‐origin belief systems among men in treatment for sexual offending: A phenomenological investigation

AbstractSexual offending is a public concern and results in lasting detrimental effects. Despite evidence demonstrating the impact of belief systems on sexual offending behaviors, research exploring family belief systems among individuals who perpetrate sexual offenses is limited. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of 10 cisgender men in outpatient treatment for sexual offending. Following Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), findings indicated a broad range of early experiences for men who have sexually offended. The rich findings that emerged from the lived experiences of the participants are presented in relation to current knowledge, and practice implications are shared.

Mental health intervention research in Latin American correctional settings: A scoping review.

The Latin American prison population has grown faster than anywhere else globally over the past two decades, reaching a total of 1.7 million people at any given time. However, research on mental health prevention and treatment interventions in Latin American prisons remains scarce. This study aimed to systematically review and synthesize research on prison mental health interventions conducted in the region. We used a two-stage scoping review design guided by the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. Searches took place in December 2021 in nine databases using descriptors and synonyms. First, all prison mental health research in Latin America was retained. Secondly, using title and abstract screening, all research possibly related to interventions was retained for full text evaluation. Studies reporting interventions were assessed by country, language, institution, population, intervention type, intervention focus and outcomes. N = 34 studies were included in this review. These were 13 case reports, seven expert consensus papers and 14 quantitative studies (four randomized controlled trials, nine cohort studies, one quasi-experimental study). Fourteen interventions were targeted at promoting prosocial behavior, seven studies each aimed to improve mental health and to treat substance use disorders. Six studies involved the treatment of sexual offending behavior, and 3 focused on reducing criminal recidivism. Psychoeducation (n = 12) and motivational interviewing (n = 5) were the most frequent intervention types studied. Promising data from trials showed that anger management, depression, substance use and reoffending could be successfully addressed through interventions. Implementation and effectiveness research of mental health interventions in Latin American prisons is scarce. Addressing mental health, substance use and prosocial behavior outcomes should be considered in future research. There is a particular dearth of controlled trials describing quantifiable outcomes.

Youth sexual offending in Hong Kong: examining the role of self-control, risky sexual behaviors, and paraphilic interests.

Little is known about the nature and prevalence of sexual offending among youth in Hong Kong. Testing self-control theory and sexual health risk factors (i.e., risky sexual behaviors [general and two subtypes] and paraphilic interests [general and 14 subtypes]), the prevalence of self-reported sexual offending behaviors (i.e., threat of sexual assault, penetrative sexual assault, and nonpenetrative sexual offense) was examined in a community-based sample of 863 young people (aged 17 to 20) in Hong Kong. In this study, men reported significantly higher levels of threat of sexual assault and of general and 12 subtypes of paraphilic interests than women; and women reported a significantly higher level of a specific paraphilic interest subtype (i.e., transvestic fetishism) than men. Logistic regressions found that, in general, a low level of self-control and high levels of risky sexual behaviors and paraphilic interests were important factors in the participants' likelihood of issuing threats of sexual assault and engaging in penetrative and nonpenetrative sexual assault. Important practical implications for reducing the tendency of young people to engage in sexual offending behavior can be derived from this study.

Unraveling the neuropsychological underpinnings of self-regulation problems in individuals convicted of sexual offenses against children: A look into reinforcement learning

Self-regulation problems are critically involved in the onset and the maintenance of sexual offending behavior against children. Studying the neuropsychological underpinnings of these problems could help deepen our understanding of this contributing factor and, thus, of sexual offending behavior. Whereas most studies have examined executive functioning in relation to self-regulation problems in individuals convicted of sexual offenses against children (ISOCs), this review aimed to provide an overview of what is known about another process that is involved in self-regulation, that is reinforcement learning. The results of this review suggested that ISOCs are impaired in their ability to acquire and reverse stimulus-reward and stimulus-punishment associations relative to nonoffender controls, but similar to a control group of individuals convicted of nonsexual violent offenses. These reinforcement learning impairments were found to be more pronounced in nonpedophilic ISOCs than in pedophilic ISOCs. By paving the way towards a deeper understanding of the self-regulation problems seen in ISOCs, this review can help guide treatment strategies for ISOCs.

Risky Sexual Behavior, Paraphilic Interest, and Sexual Offending: The Study of a Community Sample of Young Adults in Hong Kong.

Limited information is available on the prevalence and nature of sexual offending in Hong Kong. This cross-sectional study seeks to explore the role of risky sexual behavior (RSB) and paraphilic interests in self-reported sexual offending behavior (i.e., nonpenetrative-only, penetrative-only, and nonpenetrative-plus-penetrative sexual assault) in a community sample of young adults in Hong Kong. Using a large sample (N = 1885) of university students, the lifetime prevalence of self-reported sexual offending was 18% (n = 342; 23% males (n = 166), 15% females (n = 176)). Based on the study subsample of 342 participants who self-reported sexual offending (aged 18-35), the findings indicated that males reported significantly higher levels of general, penetrative-only, nonpenetrative-plus-penetrative sexual assault; and paraphilic interest in voyeurism, frotteurism, biastophilia, scatophilia, and hebephilia than females; while females reported a significantly higher level of transvestic fetishism than males. No significant difference was found in RSB between males and females. Logistic regressions found that the participants who possessed a higher level of RSB, particularly penetrative behaviors, and paraphilic interest in voyeurism and zoophilia were less likely to engage in a nonpenetrative-only sexual offense. Conversely, the participants who possessed higher levels of RSB, especially penetrative behaviors, and paraphilic interest in exhibitionism and zoophilia, were more likely to engage in nonpenetrative-plus-penetrative sexual assault. The implications for practice in areas such as public education and offender rehabilitation are discussed.

Pedophile, Child Lover, or Minor-Attracted Person? Attitudes Toward Labels Among People Who are Sexually Attracted to Children

The primary label for people who are sexually attracted to children (“pedophile”) is conflated with sexual offending behavior and tainted with stigma. In the present pre-registered mixed-method study, we therefore investigated attitudes and preferences regarding "pedophile/hebephile" and other labels among 286 people who report a stronger or equally strong sexual attraction to prepubescent and pubescent children than to adults. Overall, quantitative data showed acceptance of “pedophile/hebephile” as well as a range of alternative labels in a personal (Labeling Oneself) and a professional context (Being Labeled by Others). “Minor-attracted person” and “pedophile/hebephile” received generally higher support than other terms and appeared to be least divisive across three major online fora. Qualitative data revealed four themes: “Contested self-labels,” “Person-first language and pathologizing sexuality/identity,” “Stigma and shame,” and “Reclaiming the pedophile label.” Our results allow deeper insight into reasons for adopting certain labels over others, as well as difficulties of finding a non-stigmatizing label. We discuss limitations of the study and practical implications for clinical and research contexts.

Investigating the phenomenology and plausibility of sexual fantasies and their relationship with behavioural enactment and motivation

ABSTRACT This study examined whether the phenomenology (vividness, absorption, sexual arousal) and plausibility of sexual fantasies are associated with behavioural motivation and enactment. An online sample (N = 254) completed a working memory capacity (WMC) questionnaire. They then envisioned an unenacted sexual fantasy and rated its phenomenological characteristics and their motivation to enact it. Next, a questionnaire measuring deliberate sexual fantasising, spontaneous sexual thoughts, behavioural enactment, and content plausibility was completed. Phenomenological characteristics were unrelated to WMC, but positively associated with motivation. Deliberate fantasising was associated with behavioural enactment for both non-paraphilic and paraphilic content. Spontaneous thoughts were associated with the plausibility of non-paraphilic and paraphilic content, while deliberate fantasising was only associated with plausible non-paraphilic content. Plausibility mediated the relationship between sexual thinking and behaviour for both types of content. The results suggest that the phenomenology and plausibility of sexual fantasises are important factors for understanding the sexual fantasy-behaviour link. Practice impact statement The present results suggest that, in addition to content and frequency, the phenomenological characteristics and perceived plausibility of sexual fantasies are important factors to consider when trying to understand the link between sexual fantasising and behaviour, including sexual offending behaviour. As such, bringing the imaginative element of sexual fantasising into consideration may be a useful undertaking when assessing and managing problematic sexual fantasies.

Ecosystemic and Situational Determinants in the Onset of Youth-Perpetrated Sexual Offending

This study examined specific circumstances precipitating onset sexual offenses in a sample of 278 Australian male youth who have sexually harmed. Offense narratives—a description of how the onset offense was initiated, interactions and behavior that took place leading up to, and during, the offense, and how the offense ended—were qualitatively coded to identify how the sexual offense incidents manifested, particularly the motivations that interacted with opportunities to engage in sexual offending behavior for the first time. Three overarching themes emerged: sexual curiosity and/or gratification in the context of usual activities, broader non-sexual offending behavior that resulted in an opportunistic encounter with the victim, and peer-related influences in the manifestation of sexual offending. The findings highlight the importance of ecosystemic and situational factors in the commission of youth-perpetrated sexual offending which could be addressed to prevent sexual violence.

A perspective review of cannabis use and sexual offenses.

Substance abuse is an established risk factor for crime and violence, including sexual violence. Nevertheless, the link between cannabis use and sexual offenses remains poorly understood. Cannabis use has a broad effect on sexual functioning and can have both acute and lasting adverse effects on psychological functioning, which in turn can elevate the risk of sexual offending behavior. Yet there is a scarcity of studies that have examined the link between cannabis use and sexual offending. To help fill the gap, this perspective review investigates the link between substance use and crime with a particular emphasis on cannabis use and its effects on sexual and psychological functioning. It then explores how these mechanisms may contribute to sexual offenses and recidivism, with a final discussion on how cannabis use should be conceptualized as a risk factor for sexual violence.

The Role of Dysfunctional Sexual Beliefs and Sexual Self-Esteem in Sexual Aggression: A Study with Male College Students

This study aimed to understand how the endorsement of dysfunctional sexual beliefs is associated with sexual self-esteem and sexually aggressive behavior in male college students; it further tested the mediating role of sexual self-esteem in the relationship between sexual beliefs and sexual aggression. Results revealed significant relationships between dysfunctional sexual beliefs and sexual aggression; even so, no mediating effects were found. Findings suggest that students’ beliefs about sexuality, namely, a conservative pattern of sexual beliefs, work as predisposing factors for sexual aggression. The current results add to the knowledge on the preventive targets regarding sexual offending behavior in community samples.

Caregivers' Considerations of Remorse and Responsibility Among Youth Who Sexually Offend.

When a youth sexually offends, most of the reactions and repercussions that follow are understandably negative. However, there is limited research about mixed reactions involving remorse and responsibility on the part of the adolescent who offended and their relatives. Based on qualitative interviews with 16 caregivers among 10 families in Canada, this article presents the parents’ perspectives on the various processes, benefits, challenges, and outcomes related to expressions of remorse and experiences of responsibility among youth who sexually offended, their victims, and their parents. This study sheds particular light on how adolescent perpetrators of sexual harm and especially their caregivers do feel deeply remorseful and responsible for the impacts of sexual offending behavior, which is contrary to public scrutiny that negatively projects responsibility onto youth offenders and their parents. Thus, our findings emphasize the constructive and considerate ways in which remorse is felt and responsibility is assumed; and by extension, they point to the importance of restorative practices in efforts toward reconciliation and accountability.

Reconceptualising ‘risk’: Towards a humanistic paradigm of sexual offending

Within Western criminal justice traditions, the ‘risk’ paradigm has become the defining logic of contemporary laws and policies on sex offender management. This article critically examines the limitations of current technocratic and algorithmic approaches to risk in relation to sexual offending and how they might be addressed. Drawing on nearly two decades of theoretical and empirical research conducted by the author, it applies the learning on sex offender reintegration and desistance to advance a ‘humanistic’ paradigm of sexual offending. The paper attempts to counter some of the dangers of algorithmic justice and shift risk-based discourse away from its predominantly ‘scientific’ origins. It argues that such a move towards a more expansive and progressive version of risk within criminal justice discourses would better capture the realities of sexual offending behaviour and its real-world governance.

International overview of phallometric testing for sexual offending behaviour and sexual risk.

Phallometry is an objective method of assessing male sexual arousal. The main applications in forensic psychiatry concern the evaluation of men charged with or convicted of sexual offences, the evaluation of those with suspected paraphilias not subject to the criminal justice system, risk assessment and measurement of response to sex offender treatment. In some jurisdictions, phallometry is incorporated into legal decisions about release from custody or discharge from secure hospitals. This paper provides a brief overview of the international development of phallometry, considers challenges to its broader adoption and discusses future directions for research and clinical practice.

The Prevalence of Sexual Interest in Children and Sexually Harmful Behavior Self-Reported by Men Recruited Through an Online Crowdsourcing Platform.

This study examined the feasibility of using crowdsourcing to recruit men who self-report sexual interest in children or sexually problematic behavior involving children. Crowdsourcing refers to the use of the internet to reach a large number of people to complete a specific task. A nonrepresentative sample of men (N = 997) participated in a brief self-report survey examining age of attraction, sexual interest in children, proclivity toward sexual offenses involving children, and history of sexual offending. Almost a quarter of the sample (23.1%) indicated some degree of sexual interest in children, propensity to sexually offend against children, and/or actual offending behavior. We present our data broken down by type of interest or behavior and examine the frequency of these outcomes. Findings are likely to be of value to those considering the viability of crowdsourcing to overcome the limitations or challenges of face-to-face research on stigmatizing interests and behaviors. Findings also contribute to estimating prevalence of self-reported sexual interest in children, and sexual offending behavior toward children, across different countries.

Offence-Supportive Cognitions, Atypical Sexuality, Problematic Self-Regulation, and Perceived Anonymity Among Online and Contact Sexual Offenders Against Children.

Cognitions that support sexual offending, atypical sexuality, and problems with self-regulation are important indicators of offending among men who engage in contact sexual offences against children (e.g., Hanson & Morton-Bourgon, 2005). While sexual interest in children-a major indicator of atypical sexuality-has been identified as a risk factor for online sexual offending against children (Seto & Eke, 2015), several other indicators, such as offence-supportive cognitions, sexual preoccupation, sexual coping, and perceived anonymity-a presumed risk factor for online sexual offending-have not yet been investigated among men who use the internet to solicit children or to consume child sexual exploitation material. This study investigated the associations between offence-supportive cognitions, atypical sexuality, self-regulation using sex, and perceived anonymity with sexual offending behaviors against children in a sample of 241 men convicted of various sexual and non-sexual offences. Results from logistic regressions show that offence-supportive cognitions, sexual interests in children, and sexual coping, but not sexual preoccupation and perceived anonymity, are associated with either or both online and contact sexual offending behaviors against children. Our results support the prior finding showing that men with online sexual offences are more paraphilic or sexually preoccupied then men with only contact offences against children. They also suggest that offence-supportive cognitions, atypical sexual interests, and sexual coping may be motivating factors, and therefore relevant risk factors, for online sexual offending against children.

Offence-Supportive Cognitions, Atypical Sexuality, Problematic Self-Regulation, and Perceived Anonymity Among Online and Contact Sexual Offenders Against Children

Cognitions that support sexual offending, atypical sexuality, and problems with self-regulation are important indicators of offending among men who engage in contact sexual offences against children (e.g., Hanson & Morton-Bourgon, 2005). While sexual interest in children-a major indicator of atypical sexuality-has been identified as a risk factor for online sexual offending against children (Seto & Eke, 2015), several other indicators, such as offence-supportive cognitions, sexual preoccupation, sexual coping, and perceived anonymity-a presumed risk factor for online sexual offending-have not yet been investigated among men who use the internet to solicit children or to consume child sexual exploitation material. This study investigated the associations between offence-supportive cognitions, atypical sexuality, self-regulation using sex, and perceived anonymity with sexual offending behaviors against children in a sample of 241 men convicted of various sexual and non-sexual offences. Results from logistic regressions show that offence-supportive cognitions, sexual interests in children, and sexual coping, but not sexual preoccupation and perceived anonymity, are associated with either or both online and contact sexual offending behaviors against children. Our results support the prior finding showing that men with online sexual offences are more paraphilic or sexually preoccupied then men with only contact offences against children. They also suggest that offence-supportive cognitions, atypical sexual interests, and sexual coping may be motivating factors, and therefore relevant risk factors, for online sexual offending against children.

The Victim-Perpetrator Cycle of Sexual Abuse and Offending Behavior

Background: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is highly prevalent in India and a major public health challenge. CSA victims are at a greater risk for developing a range of negative behavioral and psychological outcomes across their life span. In this case report, we highlight the diagnosis and management of a boy who sexually victimized his classmate subsequent to his trauma of being sexually abused by a peer. Clinical Description: A 10-year-old child, was referred for sexual acting out behaviors, wherein he had attempted anal penetration of a classmate. History revealed multiple stressors including the death of his mother, history of sexual abuse by an older boy, prolonged exposure to digital sexualized content, father's remarriage, adjustment problems with stepmother, relocation, and a new school. A comprehensive psychosocial evaluation was conducted including the administration of a risk assessment tool, the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol-II. Management: The mainstay of management was psycho-education that focused on guiding his parents on the importance of intensive parental supervision, academic support, restricting the use of the Internet, and promoting healthy friendships. The child was encouraged to have healthy extracurricular interests, especially outdoor physical activities. Regular follow-up for over a year revealed significant behavioral improvement and no repeat of sexual offending behavior. Conclusion: High-risk children need to be provided with supportive family services and linked to child welfare organizations for long-term intervention. Health-care professionals can play a pivotal role in the prevention of inappropriate sexual behaviors and the promotion of healthy development among youth.

The Victim-Offender Overlap in Sexual Offending: Exploring a Community-Based Sample of Young Adults in Hong Kong.

This study examines the overlap between sexual offending perpetration and victimization among 1,171 participants (18-40 years) in Hong Kong. Testing the theoretical propositions of several criminological theories (i.e., self-control, general strain, routine activity, and social learning), the participants' prevalence of general, penetrative, and nonpenetrative sexual offending perpetration and victimization are explored. The findings indicated that sexual offending perpetration and victimization are generally positively correlated, and further tests using multivariate analyses confirmed the relationship between these two experiences. Less than 5% of the sample had both sexual offending perpetration and victimization experience. The results of logistic regression indicated that participants who engaged in sexual offending were 1.67 times more likely to fall prey to sexual victimization. Similar odds ratio (1.67 times) was true for sexual victimization in predicting sexual offending perpetration. A bivariate probit model confirmed the sexual victim-offender overlap, with the Spearman's rho correlation from the unadjusted model suggesting significant overlap with general sexual offending (79%). Having a high level of risky sexual behavior was found to be a general risk factor for engaging in sexual offending behavior and for falling prey to sexual victimization.

Risk Factors for Sexual Offending in Self-Referred Men With Pedophilic Disorder: A Swedish Case-Control Study.

BackgroundThe risk of child sexual abuse among non-forensic, non-correctional patients with Pedophilic Disorder (PD) is largely unknown.MethodsWe recruited a consecutive sample of 55 help-seeking, non-correctional adult men diagnosed with DSM-5 PD at a university-affiliated sexual medicine outpatient unit in Sweden. PD participants were compared with 57 age-matched, non-clinical control men on four literature-based dynamic risk domains and self-rated child sexual abuse risk.ResultsPD participants scored higher than controls on all tested domains (0–3 points); expectedly so for pedophilic attraction (2.5 vs. 0.0, Cohen’s d = 2.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): [1.91–2.89]), but also for sexual preoccupation (1.6 vs. 1.0, d = 1.11, 95% CI: [0.71–1.51]), impaired self-regulation (1.4 vs. 1.0, d = 0.44, 95% CI: [0.06 to 0.81]), impaired cognitive empathy and antisocial traits (0.9 vs. 0.1, d = 1.18, 95% CI: [0.78–1.59]), and self-rated child sexual abuse risk (1.0 vs. 0.0, d = 1.56, 95% CI: [1.13–1.98]). When summarizing all five domains into a pre-specified composite score (0–15 points), PD subjects scored substantially higher than matched control men (7.5 vs. 2.1, d = 2.12, 95% CI: [1.65–2.59]). Five (9%) PD participants self-reported any previous conviction for a contact child sexual offense and eight (15%) for possession of child sexual abuse material or non-contact sexual offending (adult or child victim). Eighteen subjects (34%) acknowledged past week, child-related sexual behaviors.ConclusionSelf-referred, help-seeking men with PD scored higher (small to very large effect sizes) than non-clinical control men on psychiatric measures of dynamic risk of child sexual abuse suggested in prior research with correctional samples diagnosed with PD. Our findings, including the composite risk measure, might inform clinical practice, but needs validation against actual sexual offending behavior.

Evaluative Attitudes May Explain the Link Between Injunctive Norms and Sexual Aggression.

The current study examined the extent to which evaluative attitudes toward sexual aggression (i.e., positive or negative evaluative judgments about sexually aggressive behavior) mediate the association between injunctive norms (i.e., extent to which peers approve or disapprove of sexually aggressive behavior) and self-reported sexual aggression against women. Participants were 200 male undergraduate students. Approximately one in four males reported engaging in at least one sexually aggressive act since the age of 16. Participants with a history of sexual aggression also reported the highest likelihood of engaging in sexually aggressive behavior in the future. We tested two separate mediation models to examine the extent to which evaluative attitudes account for the link between injunctive norms and sexual aggression: one model with self-reported history of sexual aggression as the outcome and the other with likelihood of engaging in sexually aggressive behavior as the outcome. Results showed that more positive evaluative attitudes toward sexual aggression accounted for the association between injunctive norms and self-reported history of sexual aggression. Similarly, evaluative attitudes accounted for the link between injunctive norms and self-reported likelihood of engaging in sexually aggressive behavior in the future. Overall, these findings are consistent with theoretical and empirical explanations of sexual offending and general criminal behavior; however, this is the first study to explore the relationship between injunctive norms and evaluative attitudes in the context of explaining sexually aggressive behavior. If more rigorous research establishes a causal relationship between injunctive norms, evaluative attitudes, and sexually aggressive behavior, this would suggest that targeting these factors in prevention programs may reduce sexual aggression by male undergraduate students.