Violent Sex Offenders Research Articles

Sex Offender Characteristics: Analysis Based on a Sample of Hungarian Prisoners

The present study introduces the differences in sex offender groups primarily from the perspective of prison, focusing on the attributes that determine placement, safety, and the conditionality of therapeutic programs. The study is primarily based on the risk analysis and registration database of the Hungarian Prison Service. The result of the study is that perpetrators of sexual abuse against children, and perpetrators of sexual assault against adults showed significant differences in each reintegration needs and in-prison risks, including their background and childhood, in-prison and out-of-prison vulnerability, integration issues, suicide risk, and other areas. Those who abuse children show a unique picture different from all other groups of offenders, while violent sex offenders targeting adults show similarities in most areas to violent offenders in the control group.

A Community Area Perspective of Real Estate and Crime in Chicago

This paper examines the relationships between crime-types and property values in the community areas of Chicago. Using a variety of unconventional web-based data sources, the authors use correlations, mapping, and regression analyses to find that while crime generally associates negatively with property values, not all crime-types have similar effects. Lower incidence of violent crimes and sex offenders in neighborhoods can have pronounced positive impacts on property values whereas certain types of property crimes gravitate toward neighborhoods with expensive homes. Further, crime rates may be similar or even higher than those in cheaper/disadvantaged areas. These types of offenses do not necessarily follow the price-dropping effect like other crime-types do on housing values. However, property crimes such as thefts do not follow this trend. They, thus, recommend that property crime alone should not be a factor when making decisions concerning home buying and/or where to live.

Long-term follow-up of 60 incarcerated male sexual offenders pharmacologically castrated with a combination of GnRH agonist and cyproterone acetate

ABSTRACTHerstedvester Prison is a penal institution and center for treating violent sexual offenders in Denmark. From 1989 to 2014, 60 dangerous sexual offenders were treated with the combination of a GnRH agonist and cyproterone acetate, providing pharmacological castration and androgen receptor blockade. Five years after initiation of treatment, 81.7% (95% CI 74.4, 92.1) of offenders were released. Twenty years after treatment initiation, 30.6% (95% CI = 19.6, 47.6) of offenders had a relapse to any crime, including sexual offense, and 13.6% (95% CI = 11.5, 33.3) had a relapse to sexual crime. Treatment was paused or discontinued for 44.1% (95% CI = 31.7, 61.4) of offenders. Cessation was not associated with higher recidivism to any crime (hazard ration [HR] = 2.2; 95% CI = 0.8, 6.3; p = 0.14), but the risk of a new sexual offense was 7.7 (95% CI = 1.4, 42.8; p = 0.02) times higher among those who stopped treatment, compared to those who continued it.

Sadipathy – Conceptualization and Elucidation

Sadipathy is a unique and relevant construct that merits full scholarly consideration and scientific investigation. Sadipathy has herein been conceptualized as a psychological and behavioral pathology directly cognate with extremely violent and sadistic actions. The sadipath is an individual that takes pleasure in victimizing others, inflicting serious pain and injury on others, and often even committing murder. Sadipathic individuals derive emotional, psychological, and/or sexual delectation in repeatedly inflicting suffering on others. Sadipathy is particularly associated with certain types of the most extreme offenders, such as serial killers and violent sexual offenders. Sadipathy is an apropos phenomenon to various academic and applied fields, such as psychology, psychiatry, criminology, sociology, criminal justice, law, and corrections. In the field of psychology, sadipathy would be particularly germane to the concentrations of criminal psychology, clinical psychology, and forensic psychology.

Sexual Murderers: Sex Offender, Murderer, or Both?

Sexual murderers perpetrate homicide and rape/sexual abuse, but it is unclear whether they should primarily be considered homicide offenders, sexual offenders, or both. Most studies have merged together different types of non-homicidal sex offenders (NHSOs), neglecting to consider the potential differences between the nonviolent and violent sex offenders. Here, we suggest it is important to isolate those violent sex offenders who inflict severe physical injuries that could potentially lead to a lethal outcome. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to compare different measures of the criminal career on three groups of sex offenders: NHSOs, violent NHSOs, and sexual homicide offenders (SHOs) using data from 616 incarcerated male sex offenders in a Federal penitentiary in Canada. Interestingly, the group of sex offenders with the worst criminal career profile was not the SHOs, but the violent NHSOs. Violent NHSOs had the greatest number of prior convictions and the most varied and versatile criminal career. Therefore, we suggest that based on their criminal career, SHOs should be considered more as murderers than sex offenders. However, to fully answer this question, future studies should include a group of non-sexual homicide offenders.

Use of structured professional judgment by probation officers to assess risk for recidivism in adolescent offenders.

The current study tested a method of risk assessment for adolescent offenders that relies on structured professional judgment: the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk for Youth (SAVRY; Borum, Bartel, & Forth, 2006). Trained probation officers in 3 jurisdictions administered the SAVRY to 505 adjudicated adolescents (M age = 15.43 years, SD = 1.62). The results supported the validity of the SAVRY administered in this juvenile justice context. Specifically, scores from the SAVRY differentiated violent from nonviolent offenders and predicted both violent and nonviolent recidivism over a 12-month follow-up period. Violent offenders showed more historical and individual risk factors than nonviolent offenders, and violent sex offenders were rated as more deficient in empathy and remorse. The anger control item was a particularly important indicator of risk for reoffending in the violent offender group. The implications of these findings for weighting risk factors in individual cases when using structured professional judgment are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record

Distinguishing homicide, violent sexual, and violent juvenile offending

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine temperament differences, notably effortful control and negative emotionality, and correlates that distinguish between homicide, violent sexual and other violent juvenile offenders. Exploring heterogeneity among violent offenders is relevant to intervention strategies and policy implications.Design/methodology/approachDemographic measures, temperament constructs and individual risk factor indicators were assessed across 30,303 violent juvenile offenders (including 397 homicide offenders) in Florida to assess their ability to distinguish among violent juvenile offender subgroups.FindingsAnalyses demonstrated temperament constructs distinguish among classifications of violent juvenile offenders with effortful control differentiating homicide and violent sexual offenders from other violent offenders, and negative emotionality distinguishing violent sexual from other violent offenders, with youth having greater negative emotionality and less effortful control being non-sexual violent offenders. Homicide offenders were more likely to be older, male and had histories of gang membership and weapon/firearm offending than other violent offenders, and evidenced greater negative emotionality than violent sexual offenders.Originality/valueThe differences across violent youthful offender subtypes suggest heterogeneity among violent offenders with distinct correlates more predictive of some subtypes than others. Additionally, the temperament constructs of effortful control and negative emotionality are useful in distinguishing violent offender subtypes, which points toward differing intervention/treatment strategies.

Sexual Violence Against Marginalized Victims: Choice of Victim or Victim of Choice?

ABSTRACTResearch shows that sex trade workers and homeless populations are at a high risk of severe violence and homicide. Based on a sample of 229 violent sex offenders, we investigate the differences between sexual crimes committed against marginalized (n = 73) and nonmarginalized victims (n = 156). Findings from logistic regression analyses show that offenders who target marginalized victims are more likely to degrade their victim and use a variety of torture methods. However, offenders who target nonmarginalized victims are more likely to use a weapon, and kill the victim by strangulation. Implications for future research are discussed.

The Impact of Persistent Deviant Sexual Interests and Persistent Low Self-Esteem on Sexual Homicide

Major commonalities among sexual homicide models include the presence of deviant sexual interests and low self-esteem. Using a sample of violent sexual offenders who have either physically injured or killed their victim ( n = 229), the current study investigates the impact of persistent deviant sexual interest(s) and persistent low self-esteem on sexual homicide. Findings suggest that both persistent deviant sexual interests and persistent low self-esteem are important predictors of sexual homicide. These findings suggest that there is a group of sexual murderers with low self-esteem who are driven by deviant sexual interests and may kill to satisfy their deviant sexual interests.

An examination of the relationship between childhood abuse, anger and violent behavior among a sample of sex offenders

BackgroundIncreasing attention has focused on the emotional dysregulation that can result from adverse childhood experiences among those who commit sexually violent crimes. While studies confirm a relationship between child maltreatment and anger the research is limited and it is unclear how anger and child maltreatment effect the use of violence during the commission of the sex crime.MethodsThis study examined the relationship between childhood maltreatment, anger and violent behavior by reviewing the records of 571 adult male offenders convicted of sexual assault or child molestation. The aims of the present study were to 1) examine differences in anger levels between those offenders who engaged in verbal or physical violence or used a weapon during the commission of their crime; 2) explore differences in anger levels for those sex offenders who experienced childhood abuse (physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect) and those who were not; 3) examine whether there were differences in anger between rapists and child molesters and 4) assess whether anger either mediated or moderated the relationship between childhood abuse and the use of violence in the commission of the crime.ResultsOverall we found that sex offenders who were rated as being angrier were more likely to have used violence in the commission of their crime and were more likely to be abused as children. Further, while these relationships held for both rapists and child molesters independently, rapists were found to be angrier than child molesters. Finally, anger neither mediated nor moderated the relationship between an offender’s adverse childhood and committing a violent sex crime.ConclusionsThese results suggest that anger should be target in intervention and prevention programs with violent sex offenders.

Underground Markets in the USA

Focus on investigating and convicting those who exploit and/or abuse immigrants, children, women, drug addicts, TGLB persons; and focus on sex traffickers and violent sex offenders. The sex trades seem to mirror the drug trades in the US. Things in general have moved up steady in the past several years, it seems only natural for the two of them to move hand in hand. I’d like to know what the text books are saying ever since the US, under the administration of Ronald Mc Reagan declared war on drugs back in the 60’s. It is eating away at us like a cancer, Reagan once said, and he may have been correct. The harm reduction model is committed to reducing drug-related harm among individuals and communities. It initiates and promotes local, regional, and national harm-reduction education, interventions, and community efforts. It fosters alternative models to conventional health and human services and drug treatment. It challenges traditional client/ provider relationships. It provides resources, educational materials, and support to health professionals and drug users in their communities to address drug-related harm. It believes in every individual’s right to health and well-being, and believes they are competent to protect and help themselves, their loved ones, and their communities.

Developmental risk factors distinguish violent sexual offending, violent non-sexual offending and versatile violent offending in adulthood

The continuity of developmental risk factors from childhood into adolescence to predict criminal adult offending has not been investigated. From a developmental and life-course perspective, the issue is of both theoretical and practical importance, as understanding the long-term impact of early life experiences on adult outcomes that carry forward across major developmental periods can assist clinicians with the identification of targets for early intervention and prevention. The aim of the present study was to examine the extent to which childhood and adolescent risk factors distinguish among three offender subgroups in a sample of adult male offenders. The results indicated that the groups were more clearly distinguished on adolescent risk factors, giving greater prominence to proximal than distal predictors. As well, from a dose-response perspective, the pure sex offenders showed the most adverse developmental history and were differentiated from both the versatile violent sex offenders and the violent non-sex offenders.

EPA-0103 – Sex Offenders, psychiatric illnesses and Addiction: Different profiles, clinical implication and recidivism

Sex offenders represent an heterogeneous sample of criminal subjects. They can be divided in child and adult sexual abusers, and any of them has some different characteristics from the other. They can also be divided in subjects who commit this kind of crime just few times and people who experience recidivism. The addiction field of Psychiatry is often involved, since sex offenders have a higher history of drug abuse than healthy controls. Half of them have a positive history for drug abuse, one quarter to half have an history of alcohol dependence and one quarter to half appear to be intoxicated at the time of the offence. Violent sex offenders are more prone to abusing of alcohol than non sexual violent offenders. Murderous sex offenders are in general more afflicted by Schizoid personality disorder and have a higher history of alcohol abuse than non murderous sex offenders, as well as sexual sadism and dysfunctions. Sex offender against adult women show an higher rate of addiction problems, impulsiveness and are younger at the time of the first offence than sex offenders against prepuberal females. Juvenile sex offenders are more incline to aberrant behaviours (e.g. online pornography). Regarding recidivism, people abusing three or more subjects have an higher score at Barratt Impulsiveness Scale and in Addictive behaviours. In conclusion, addiction is strictly linked to sexual aberrant behaviours, and it can be used as an indicator of different types of sexual offenders. Moreover, it could be seen as a part of sex offenders behavior since drugs and alcohol reduces inhibitions but meantime it migth be included in the presentation of some psychiatric disorders associated with aberrant sexual behavior.

So You Want to Find a Transitional House for Sexually Violent Persons

Many states passed legislation in the 1990s to address the problem of violent sex offenders. While academic inquiries into the nature and extent of sexual offending have revealed some interesting findings, very little is known regarding how communities address the issue of managing violent sex offenders. This account documents how the state of Wisconsin attempted to manage violent sex offenders once released from prison and civilly committed under a sexually violent person statute. It chronicles the experience of a committee charged with locating possible sites for a facility for sexual predators under supervised release to the community. In addition, this account shows the problematic nature of implementing a state statute in a large county and identifies barriers inherent to this process. The concept of political failure is introduced to describe why sex offender legislation is difficult to implement.

Chemical Castration for Sexual Offenders: Physicians' Views

Chemical Castration for Sexual Offenders: Physicians' Views

Increased Frontotemporal Activation During Pain Observation in Sexual Sadism

Sexual sadism is a psychiatric disorder in which sexual pleasure is derived from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on others. While the psychological and forensic aspects of sexual sadism have been well characterized, little is known about the neurocognitive circuitry associated with the disorder. Sexual sadists show increased peripheral sexual arousal when observing other individuals in pain. The neural mechanisms underlying this unusual response are not well understood. We predicted that sadists relative to nonsadists would show increased responses in brain regions associated with sexual arousal (amygdala, hypothalamus, and ventral striatum) and affective pain processing (anterior cingulate and anterior insula) during pain observation. To study the neural correlates of pain observation in sadists and nonsadists. Case-control cross-sectional study. Sadists and nonsadists viewed 50 social scenes, 25 that depicted a person in pain (eg, one person stabbing another person's hand with scissors) and 25 thematically matched no-pain pictures (eg, one person stabbing a table with scissors, with another person's hand nearby). Pain severity ratings (range, 0 [none] to 4 [severe]) were acquired following each picture presentation. Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center, Mauston, Wisconsin. Fifteen violent sexual offenders, including 8 sadists and 7 nonsadists (defined using the Severe Sexual Sadism Scale) who were matched for age, IQ, and education. Hemodynamic response revealed by functional magnetic resonance imaging and pain severity ratings. Sadists relative to nonsadists showed greater amygdala activation when viewing pain pictures. They also rated pain pictures higher on pain severity than nonsadists. Sadists but not nonsadists showed a positive correlation between pain severity ratings and activity in the anterior insula. These results provide neurobehavioral evidence of unusually heightened sensitivity to the pain of others in sadists.

Can We Distinguish Juvenile Violent Sex Offenders, Violent Non-sex Offenders, and Versatile Violent Sex Offenders Based on Childhood Risk Factors?

Understanding the developmental precursors of juvenile violent sex offending can contribute to the promotion of effective early intervention and prevention programs for high-risk children and youth. However, there is currently a lack of research on the early characteristics of adolescents who commit violent sex offenses. Drawing on the literature regarding the generalist and specialist positions of criminal behavior, the aim of the present study was to compare childhood risk factors for three groups of juvenile offenders: (a) pure sex offenders (PSO; n = 28); (b) violent non-sex offenders (VNSO; n = 172); and (c) versatile violent sex offenders (VVSO; n = 24). Nineteen risk factors comprising four life domains (individual, family, peer, and school) were identified from a file review. Three hierarchical logistic regression analyses examined associations between risk factors and offender groups. The results reflected the underlying heterogeneity of the sample, offering support for both the specialist and generalist positions of criminal behavior. PSOs differed from VNSOs on the basis of higher odds for precocious sexual behavior. Second, VVSOs differed from VNSOs on the basis of higher odds for precocious sexual behavior, criminal family members, and an adolescent mother, as well as lower odds for poor school behavior. Third, PSOs were marginally more likely to have engaged in early overt antisocial behavior compared with VVSOs. Fourth, many of the childhood risk factors examined were not associated with any offender group. In conclusion, VVSOs appeared to differ on the greatest number of risk factors from VNSOs, suggesting that VVSOs share a more similar developmental pathway with PSOs. The prevention and future research implications of these findings are discussed.

Sex Offender Civil Commitment: The Treatment Paradox

Twenty-one states and the federal government have civil commitment schemes that provide for the further confinement of sex offenders after they have completed their prison sentences. These schemes survive constitutional scrutiny on the grounds that they are not a second prison sentence, but rather serve the non-criminal ends of protecting society and helping treat violent sex offenders. The underlying legislation confirms the treatment objective by elaborating statutory guidelines for treatment programs.

Criminal Profiles of Violent Juvenile Sex and Violent Juvenile Non–Sex Offenders

Few studies have longitudinally investigated the criminal profiles of violent juvenile sex and violent juvenile non–sex offenders. To make up for this lack, this study used police records of juveniles to determine the nature of the criminal profiles of violent sex offenders ( n = 226) and violent non–sex offenders ( n = 4,130). All offenders committed their first offense in 1996 and were followed for 7 years. Results showed that violent sex offenders and violent non–sex offenders cannot be considered a homogeneous group because of different background characteristics and criminal profiles. Sex and violent offenses often constitute a small part of a broader criminal pattern. Further research is necessary to reveal in more detail the developmental and criminological patterns of violent and sexual delinquency. Treatment and intervention programs may benefit from this.

The Attitudes of Members of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers Towards Treatment, Release, and Recidivism of Violent Sex Offenders

Attitudes of members of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) towards treatment, release, and recidivism of sexual predators are assessed through an anonymous questionnaire. Fifty-two percent (540 members) responded. A large majority report little hope for cure (63%) and fear of recidivism after treatment (88%). No differences in opinion are found between respondents when grouped by age, gender, political orientation, occupational title, or years in occupation.