scholarly journals Response Bias on Self-Report Measures of Sexual Fantasies Among Sexual Offenders

2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kindra Seifert ◽  
Jenna Boulas ◽  
Matthew T. Huss ◽  
Mario J. Scalora
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Treatment Response ◽  
Response Bias ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sexual Deviance ◽  
Sexual Fantasies ◽  
Future Risk ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Impact

The impact of sexual fantasies in future risk and treatment response among sexual offenders has long been known. However, as we develop objective self-report measures of sexual fantasies, response bias is becoming an increasing concern. In examining a sample of institutionalized sex offenders, the present study suggests that offenders’ responses on these measures are prone to response bias, the bias does not negate their associations with other self-report measures of sexual deviance, and relationship of their sexual fantasies does not appear to relate to actual behavioral indications. Clinical and research implications for these findings are discussed.

scholarly journals The Utility of Post-Conviction Polygraph Testing Among Sexual Offenders

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Elliott ◽  
Birgit Vollm
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Deviant Behavior ◽  
Evaluation Studies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Recidivism Rates ◽  
Sexual Offenses ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Impact

It is often difficult to ascertain the true extent and nature of sexually deviant behavior, as much relies on self-report or historic information. The polygraph has been proposed as a useful tool in the treatment and supervision of sex offenders. The current review aims to provide a coherent, objective, and recent synthesis of evaluation studies exploring the utility of the post-conviction polygraph (PCSOT) in the treatment and management of sexual offenders. This was assessed based on offense recidivism rates and disclosure; self-reported utility was also considered. Nineteen studies were identified from the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands with no randomized controlled trials identified. Overall, there was a significant increase in relevant disclosures associated with the polygraph. The impact on reoffending rates was significant for violent but not sexual offenses. A number of methodological factors introduced the potential for bias in a significant number of studies reviewed in this review.

Biosignal measures of female sexual interest: their feasibility in a forensic context

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ciara Staunton ◽  
Sean Hammond ◽  
Derek Perkins ◽  
Sharon Lambert
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Arousal ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sexual Interest ◽  
Sexual Offender ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Adult Women ◽  
Female Sex Offenders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Female Sex

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the status of biosignal measures of female sexual arousal with a view to examining the feasibility of such procedures in a forensic context. Although adult women represent the minority of sexual offenders, female perpetrated sexual abuse has been gaining increasing attention in the forensic psychological literature as criminal justice is confronted with female offending populations to a greater extent than previously recognised. Design/methodology/approach – Psychological assessments of sex offenders have tended to be over-dependent on the use of self-report measures (i.e. an individual's appraisal and report of their emotional state of sexual arousal). There is a dearth of empirical knowledge concerning the psychophysiological assessment of female sexual interest in general and especially so for female sex offenders. Physiological measures are those that rely on directly observable physiological responses of the individual in order to identify patterns of sexual interest or arousal. Findings – Because deviant sexual interest (in children or the use of violence) as assessed by penile plethysmography, has been established as one of the strongest predictors of recidivism in male sex offenders (and as a viable alternative to self-report methodologies), an analogue measurement approach for female sex offenders is desirable. This paper considers: first, theoretical problems (e.g. what does female physiological arousal mean in terms of sexual arousal/desire?; second, technical measurement problems (e.g. reactivity of the measure in within subject designs); and third, procedural/ethical problems (e.g. invasiveness of the application). Originality/value – While a number of physiological assessment devices are considered in this paper, the paper discusses the labial photoplethysmograph as a promising method for female sexual offender populations.

The Impact of Interpersonal Style on Ruptures and Repairs in the Therapeutic Alliance Between Offenders and Therapists in Sex Offender Treatment

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 709-728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachael Watson ◽  
Stuart Thomas ◽  
Michael Daffern
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Therapeutic Alliance ◽  
Therapeutic Relationship ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Group Treatment ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Psychological Treatment ◽  
Offender Treatment ◽  
Interpersonal Style ◽  
The Impact

The therapeutic relationship is a critical component of psychological treatment. Strain can occur in the relationship, particularly when working with offenders, and more specifically, those offenders with interpersonal difficulties; strain can lead to a rupture, which may affect treatment participation and performance. This study examined ruptures in the therapeutic relationship in sexual offenders participating in offense-focused group treatment. Fifty-four sex offenders rated the therapeutic alliance at the commencement and completion of treatment; at the completion of treatment, they also reported on the occurrence of ruptures and whether they believed these ruptures were repaired. Ruptures were separated by type, according to severity—Each relationship was therefore characterized as experiencing no rupture, a minor rupture, or a major rupture. Offender characteristics including interpersonal style (IPS) and psychopathy were assessed at the commencement of treatment; their relationship with ruptures was examined. Results revealed that more than half of the offenders (approximately 55%) experienced a rupture in the therapeutic alliance, with one in four of these ruptures remaining unresolved. Offenders who did not report a rupture rated the therapeutic alliance significantly higher at the end of treatment compared with those offenders who reported a rupture that was not repaired. Offenders who reported a major rupture in the therapeutic relationship were higher in interpersonal hostility and hostile-dominance. No interpersonal or offense-specific factors affected the likelihood of a rupture repair.

The Relationship of Statistical and Psychological Risk Markers to Sexual Reconviction in Child Molesters

2007 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 314-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leam A. Craig ◽  
David Thornton ◽  
Anthony Beech ◽  
Kevin D. Browne
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Child Molesters ◽  
Distinct Pattern ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Sexual Deviance ◽  
Risk Markers ◽  
Psychological Risk ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Sexual Interests

This study examines the integration of statistical and psychological risk factors using psychometric markers of psychopathology and psychosexual characteristics from the Static-99 in 119 sexual offenders. Psychological risk markers are combined to approximate four deviancy domains: sexual interests, distorted attitudes, socio-affective functioning, and self-management. The sexual interests domain predicts sexual reconviction independent of Static-99. The four deviancy domains are used to calculate the Psychological Deviance Index, which was also found to predict sexual reconviction independent of Static-99. Organizing the Static-99 risk items into three subscales (sexual deviance, general criminality, and immaturity) reveals a distinct pattern of correlations within the psychological markers and risk domains. The Static-99 sexual deviance and general criminality subscales make modest predictions. Results support the use of integrating statistical and psychological markers within a risk domains framework in predicting sexual reconviction.

The Proportion of Sexual Offenders Who Are Female Is Higher Than Thought

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franca Cortoni ◽  
Kelly M. Babchishin ◽  
Clémence Rat
Keyword(s):  
Juvenile Offenders ◽  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Fixed Effect ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Female Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenses ◽  
Adult Sex Offenders

Women commit sexual offenses, but the proportion of sexual offenders who are female is subject to debates. Based on 17 samples from 12 countries, the current meta-analysis found that a small proportion of sexual offenses reported to police are committed by females (fixed-effect meta-analytical average = 2.2%). In contrast, victimization surveys indicated prevalence rates of female sexual offenders that were six times higher than official data (fixed-effect meta-analytical average = 11.6%). Female sexual offenders are more common among juvenile offenders than adult offenders, with approximately 2 percentage points more female juvenile sex offenders than female adult sex offenders. We also found that males were much more likely to self-report being victimized by female sex offenders compared with females (40% vs. 4%). The current study provides a robust estimate of the prevalence of female sexual offending, using a large sample of sexual offenses across diverse countries.

scholarly journals Characteristics of some features of drawings of convicts who have committed sexual crimes against minors, according to the associative drawing test

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 236-251
Author(s):  
A.V. Dydenko ◽  
O.M. Pysarev ◽  
M.N. Lanina
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sex Characteristics ◽  
Subjective Perception ◽  
Sexual Crimes ◽  
Drawing Test ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Graphic Elements ◽  
Relationship Of

The purpose of the study: to study the possibility of using the associative drawing test (ART) on sexual offenders who have committed crimes against minors and serving criminal sentences in prisons. Object of research: analysis of specific manifestations of graphic phenomena and their interpretation in the aspect of the relationship of the individual to the opposite sex, characteristics of his image, the severity and direction of aggression, as well as features of subjective perception and evaluation of the surrounding reality. The study included 34 male convicts, of which sex offenders made up 12 people (the first group), property offenders, 22 people (the second group). The results of the study: it was found typical for sex offenders, graphic elements and interpretation, indicating the presence of current problems related to paralioi identification, unstable poliolefin by the way I split gender roles for men and women, the inability to build a constructive relationship or dissatisfaction with relations with the opposite sex. The use of ART in dealing with sexual offenders serving criminal sentences in correctional institutions for crimes committed against minors as a basic technique is limited, since graphic images can be associated with psychogenic factors of the penitentiary social environment that affect the actual mental state.

scholarly journals Managing Risk of Sex Offenders Released from Prisons: An exploration of how local communities respond to these events

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jordan Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
State Power ◽  
The State ◽  
Risk Society ◽  
Community Notification ◽  
Central State ◽  
Neoliberal Restructuring ◽  
The Impact

<p><b>Throughout the main Anglo-American democracies, state power has been tested in recent decades by the presentation of the risks posed by sexual offenders. The capacity of the state to take decisive action in these jurisdictions has been significantly challenged by neoliberal restructuring from the 1980s onwards, and criminal justice has been one of many policy areas affected by the shrinking of central state power. The development of intolerance for risk of sexual harm posed specifically by offenders released from prison has provided an opportunity for the state to take unique action to maintain an impression of control. As governments have sought extraordinary legislative and policy measures to control or remove these specific risks of sexual harm from the community, communities and individuals have responded to their place in the ecosystem of the risk society.</b></p> <p>The release of a high-risk sex offender into a community is a microcosm of the modus operandi of the modern state, providing a context through which the operation of the modern risk society can be examined. This thesis explores the reactions of three New Zealand communities to instances of de facto community notification of sex offender release, and explains the differences in their reactions through the lens of Zygmunt Bauman’s (2000a) Liquid Modernity. In each of the three case studies of Whanganui, Napier, and Ōtāhuhu I examine the processes around an instance of community release, the reactions of the community, and the impact of the incident within the community and the implications of this for our understanding of risk society.</p>

A systematic review exploring the role of gender in staffs experience of working with sexual offenders

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbie Woodhouse ◽  
Sarah Craven-Staines
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Emotional Impact ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Client Group ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Although literature surrounding sexual criminality is growing; with recent research, this paper aims to focus more upon burnout and emotional impact in therapists who study with sex offenders, little is known about possible gender differences in their experiences. Design/methodology/approach The study presents a systematic review that aims to provide an impartial critical examination of relevant existing literature, with the main aim of exploring the role of gender (both the staff members and the clients) in staffs’ experience of working with sexual offenders. Findings Findings retrieved 10 eligible studies indicating evidence of the influential role in which gender plays in the experienced staff may have when working with sexual offenders. Studies within the review demonstrated variability in views towards sexual offenders across genders; with studies finding female staff to hold more positive perceptions of sexual offenders. Further evidence suggested a global impact of working with the client group; with professionals holding differential and largely more positive views of sexual offenders than the general public. However, an adverse impact of working with sexual offenders was highlighted, particularly for staff who have worked longest within their role or have increased frequency of contact. Research limitations/implications Limitations were highlighted in relation to the reviews ability to truly explore gender; given there are no current studies within this research area defining gender beyond male and female, losing the voices of those non-binary and transgendered individuals. Practical implications The paper includes implications for staff working with sexual offenders; including adverse affects of the clinical contact and the impact of working with same/opposing gendered clients. Research also takes a gender informed stance in exploring how staff gender impacts the relationships with sexual offenders, and the effect this may have on client outcomes. Originality/value Research is the first of its kind in taking a systematic approach to exploring the current literature surrounding staffs experiences of working with sexual offenders, through a gender informed lens.

scholarly journals The Emotional Experience behind Sexually Offending in Context

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 242-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benoit Leclerc ◽  
Marie Rosenkrantz Lindegaard
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Affective State ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Sexual Crime ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Crime Event

Objectives: The current study focused on the role of affective states in adult sexual offending. We look at the prevalence of a range of affective states throughout sexual crime events. We break down the crime event into three stages—immediately before, during, and after the offense. We examine transitions of affective states—stage by stage—but also across victims. Finally, we investigate the impact of situational factors on affective states. Method: The sample consisted of a total of 553 adult males who had been convicted of a sexual offense. Self-report data on sexual crime events were collected from these offenders. Apart from descriptive and bivariate analysis, “affective state-switching patterns” are investigated through transition matrices. Results: Findings show large variations in affective states before, during, and after the offense but show little variation across victims. Alcohol usage and offender–victim relationship were related to affective states of offenders. Conclusions: We conclude that the found association between affective states and decision-making of sexual offenders calls for more research on within crime event variations especially, and future research should focus on causal mechanisms related to affective states.

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