Psychosis and Sexual Offending: A Review of Current Literature

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (11) ◽  
pp. 3372-3384 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Thomas Lewis ◽  
R. Gregg Dwyer
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Mental Health Treatment ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Review Literature ◽  
Current Data ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Hospitalization Rates ◽  
Treatment Considerations

Sexual offending is a public health concern and societal risk requiring a multi-disciplinary approach. While current data give an indication of the frequency of sexual victimization, these figures likely underestimate the severity of the concern as many of these incidents go unreported. And while sex offender research has increased over the past several decades, particular attention to those offenders with severe mental illness remains limited. In this descriptive review, literature describing sex offenders with psychotic disorders is explored with a focus on recent research. Important considerations are described, including theories surrounding psychosis and sexual offending, hospitalization rates, recidivism, not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI), female offenders, and treatment considerations. By exploring these important aspects of sex offenders with psychosis, conclusions are drawn and future directions are proposed, with a particular emphasis on clinical application for the mental health treatment provider.

scholarly journals Self-harm and suicidality among three subgroups of male sex offenders: results from an Australian prisoner cohort

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathew Gullotta ◽  
David Greenberg ◽  
Olayan Albalawi ◽  
Armita Adily ◽  
Azar Karminia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Suicide Attempts ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Violent Offenders ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Psychiatric Medication ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
Self Report Data

Abstract Objective Prisoners complete suicide and self-harm more frequently than members of the community. Sex offenders have been found to be at greater risk of engaging in these behaviours. This study examines the characteristics, prevalence, and predictors of self-harm and suicide attempts among: sex offenders that only victimise children (ChildSOs); adults (AdultSOs); or both (age-crossover polymorphous; PolySOs). Methods Data from three waves (1996, 2001, 2009) of the New South Wales (NSW) Inmate Health Survey was linked to the State’s re-offending database to identify men with histories of sexual offending. The health surveys captured self-report data on self-harm and suicidality. Results Non-sexual violent offenders (15%) and AdultSOs (14%) had the highest rate of self-harm, significantly more than ChildSOs (11%), non-sexual non-violent offenders (10%), and PolySOs (0%). Several factors significantly predicted self-harm at the bivariate level for both ChildSOs and AdultSOs, with unique predictors for each group. At the multivariate level, manic-depression trended towards significance for ChildSOs and any mental health condition remained a significant predictor for AdultSOs who self-harmed relative to AdultSOs who had not (aOR = 11.989, 95%CI [1.14, 126.66]). Approximately 23% of AdultSOs, 22% of PolySOs, and 19% of ChildSOs reported a suicide attempt throughout their lifetime, whereas only 15% of non-sexual non-violent offenders reported an attempt. At the bivariate level, few factors were significant for ChildSOs while several factors were significant for AdultSOs. At the multivariate level, a diagnosis of depression and treatment with psychiatric medication trended towards being significant predictors of suicide attempts for ChildSOs. In contrast, treatment with psychiatric medication (aOR = 25.732, 95%CI [1.91, 347.19])] remained a significant predictor for AdultSOs who attempted suicide relative to AdultSOs who had not, as well as historical psychiatric hospitalisation (aOR = 6.818, 95%CI [1.04, 44.82]) and self-harm (aOR = 5.825, 95%CI [1.31, 25.99]). Conclusion Sex offenders are at significantly higher risk of attempting and completing suicide relative to non-sexual non-violent offenders and warrant special attention. The prevalence rates and predictors of self-harm and suicidality suggest differences between sex offender subgroups may exist. These hold implications for the criminal justice and public health systems for addressing needs and identifying those most at risk of self-harm and suicide.

Sex Offender Registration: Implications and Difficulties for Ireland

2000 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Marie McAlinden
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Social Constructionist ◽  
Sex Offender Registration ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Justice Process ◽  
Criminal Justice Process ◽  
The Media

This paper explores the implications and difficulties of a system of sex offender registration for the two jurisdictions of Ireland. From the orthodox perspective, registration appears justified. Sexual offending has increase and this is used by the media to generate a ‘moral panic’. However, in terms of Blumer's (1971) developmental perspective, sexual offenders in the community have been socially constructed in Ireland, as a problem requiring specific action. This perspective most adequately explains the formulation of legislation. Arguments expounded in favour of registration include the supposedly high recidivism among sex offenders, the inadequacy of supervision provisions and the resulting need to ‘track’ the offender for public protection. Yet a plethora of obstacles which were not considered at the time the legislation was being formulated, such as cost and inadequate policing resources, may impede its effectiveness in aiding law enforcement and reduce it to symbolic significance only. Given these difficulties, I argue that registration is not an appropriate response to the problem of released sexual offenders in Ireland. Rather, from the social constructionist perspective, I suggest that it is better to ‘treat’ the sex offender through less formal and stringent means in the community, away from the criminal justice process.

The juvenile sex offender

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catrien Bijleveld ◽  
Chantal van den Berg ◽  
Jan Hendriks
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Juvenile Sex Offenders ◽  
Criminal Career ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Juvenile Sex Offender ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Crucial Information

Juvenile sexual offending is often regarded as a precursor of serious and continued sexual offending in adulthood, but there has been little empirical evidence supporting this assumption. Could juvenile sexual offending be just a ‘passing phase’? The study discussed in this essay follows the criminal career about 1,600 juvenile sex offenders from early adolescence into adulthood. A comprehensive view of the entire criminal career is presented to establish whether juvenile sexual offending is a precursor of continued (sexual) offending in adulthood or if (sexual) offending is non-chronic for most. The sexual recidivists in the sample are identified, and this group is used to establish the risk factors associated with continued sexual offending. These risk factors are compared to the ones used in risk assessment instruments for (juvenile) sex offenders. This study holds crucial information for policy and theory regarding juvenile sex offenders.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in the Treatment and Management of Sex Offenders

2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 92-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Schaffer ◽  
Elizabeth L. Jeglic ◽  
Aviva Moster ◽  
Dorota Wnuk
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral ◽  
Offender Treatment ◽  
Sex Offending ◽  
Sex Offender Treatment ◽  
Adult Sexual Offending

In this article, current methods of conceptualizing and treating adult sexual offending are reviewed. First, the Risk-Needs-Responsivity (RNR) approach to sex offender management is presented and critiqued. Then, the newer Good Lives Model is discussed and contrasted with the aforementioned RNR approach. The discussion of these approaches to sex offender management and rehabilitation is followed by a review of those cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques used to treat risk factors associated with sex offending, as such techniques are employed in both paradigms. Finally, research regarding the efficacy of using CBT techniques to treat sex offending behavior is presented, and future directions for sex offender treatment and management are discussed.

A comparative analysis of Australian sex offender legislation for sex offender registries

2011 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 404-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Vess ◽  
Brooke Langskaill ◽  
Andrew Day ◽  
Martine Powell ◽  
Joe Graffam
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Perceived Threat ◽  
Law Enforcement Agencies ◽  
The Public ◽  
English Speaking

Australia has followed the course taken by other English-speaking countries in recent years of enacting legislation that requires convicted sexual offenders to register personal details with law enforcement agencies. These laws have been enacted to protect the public from the perceived threat posed by sex offenders, but have been written with little apparent reference to the available research literature about the nature and extent of this threat. In addition, there is no empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of legislatively based sex offender registries to either reduce sexual offending or to enable the police to investigate sex crimes and apprehend offenders. This article compares and contrasts the current laws governing sex offender registration enacted by the various states and territories in Australia, and offers a critical analysis of their provisions in light of the research literature on sexual offending.

Examining the Influence of Jessica’s Law on Reported Forcible Rape

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rick Dierenfeldt ◽  
Jennifer Varriale Carson
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Electronic Monitoring ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Moving Average ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
State Governments ◽  
Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average ◽  
Arima Modeling ◽  
The Impact

Since the 1990s, several measures intended to deter sexual offending have been instituted by state governments. A recent example is Jessica’s Law. First adopted in Florida, variations of Jessica’s Law have since been enacted by the majority of states. The impact of this legislation on forcible rape remains unexplored. Using a general deterrence framework, we apply Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) modeling to monthly Uniform Crime Report (UCR) aggregations of reported forcible rape from 2000 to 2011 in states requiring lifetime electronic monitoring of convicted sex offenders as a condition of Jessica’s Law. Results indicate a null relationship between Jessica’s Law and reported forcible rape. Policy implications related to the efficacy of sex offender legislation and alternatives for reducing sexual offending are discussed.

scholarly journals On the Effectiveness of Sexual Offender Treatment in Prisons: A Comparison of Two Different Evaluation Designs in Routine Practice

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 452-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Friedrich Lösel ◽  
Eva Link ◽  
Martin Schmucker ◽  
Doris Bender ◽  
Maike Breuer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Sexual Offender ◽  
Offender Treatment ◽  
Routine Practice ◽  
Sex Offender Treatment ◽  
Exact Matching ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Meta Analyses

Although there is less continuity of sexual offending in the life course than stereotypes suggest, treatment should lead to a further reduction of reoffending. Contrary to this aim, a recent large British study using propensity score matching (PSM) showed some negative effects of the core sex offender treatment program (SOTP) in prisons. International meta-analyses on the effects of sex offender treatment revealed that there is considerable variety in the results, and methodological aspects and the context play a significant role. Therefore, this study compared different designs in the evaluation of sex offender treatment in German prisons. PSM was compared with an exact matching (EM) by the Static-99 in a sample of 693 sex offenders from Bavarian prisons. Most results were similar for both methods and not significant due to low base rates. There was a treatment effect at p < .05 on general recidivism in the EM and at p = .06 on serious reoffending in the PSM. For sexual recidivism, EM showed a negative trend, whereas PSM suggested the opposite. Overall, the study underlines the need for more replications of evaluations of routine practice, methodological comparisons, sensitive outcome criteria, and differentiated policy information.

Child molesters and other sex offenders

2012 ◽  
pp. 1960-1965
Author(s):  
Stephen Hucker
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Child Molesters ◽  
Sexual Offender ◽  
Sexually Violent ◽  
Risk Treatment ◽  
Offender Assessment

In most Western societies sexual offenders are more reviled than almost any other type of offender. On both sides of the Atlantic this is reflected in the sanctions that specifically address this group such as Sexually Violent Predator laws in the United States, Dangerous and Long-Term Offender legislation in Canada, and Sex Offender Orders in the UK. Related approaches include the introduction of sex offender registries and the widespread requirement that children at risk from sexual predators be reported by professionals and others. Although prone to find reasons to delegate the assessment and management of sex offenders to specialized forensic services, the general psychiatrist will find it impossible to avoid them entirely. It is important, therefore, for the general psychiatrist to have some understanding of this area in order to make appropriate decisions and recommendations. This chapter looks at definitions of sexual offending, types of sexual offender, assessment of sex offenders, assessment of risk, treatment issues, and ethical issues.

Examining Ethno-Racial Related Differences in Child Molester Typology: An MTC:CM3 Approach

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 1683-1702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Schaaf ◽  
Elizabeth L. Jeglic ◽  
Cynthia Calkins ◽  
Linsey Raymaekers ◽  
Alejandro Leguizamo
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Child Molesters ◽  
White Child ◽  
Treatment Center ◽  
Child Molester ◽  
Axis Ii ◽  
Black Offenders ◽  
Axis I

Sex offender typologies have been developed in an effort to better understand the heterogeneity of sexual offending as well as offenders’ varied risk and therapeutic needs. Perhaps the most well-known and validated child molester typology is the Massachusetts Treatment Center: Child Molester Typology–Version 3 (MTC:CM3). However, this typology was developed and validated using primarily White sex offenders. The current study aimed to replicate this typology in an ethno-racially diverse sample of incarcerated White, Black, and Latino child molesters ( N = 499). Overall, we found that the MTC:CM3 was applicable to non-White child molesters but that there were differences in the proportion of offenders of different ethno-racial groups in Axis I type classifications. We found no differences in Axis II type classifications. Specifically, Black offenders were more often classified as socially incompetent and sexually attracted to adults compared with White and Latino offenders. Whereas White offenders were more often classified as socially incompetent and sexually fixated on children when compared with Black offenders, Latino offenders were more often classified as high in social competence and sexually attracted to adults than Black offenders. On Axis II, the majority of all three subsamples were classified as not having sexual contact with children beyond the offense, unlikely to inflict physical harm on victims, and as not having sadistic interests. Addressing these typological characteristics in the development and implementation of prevention and treatment efforts might increase the responsiveness of specific sex offender populations.

scholarly journals The attitudes of professionals towards implementation of the registry of offenders of sexual abuse of juveniles

Temida ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-131
Author(s):  
Nikola Petkovic ◽  
Zoran Pavlovic ◽  
Ljiljana Stevkovic
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Criminal Law ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Violent Behavior ◽  
Criminal Policy ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
The Republic

The sexual victimization of children has always drawn great attention from experts and criminal policy makers due to the nature of the violent behavior and the developmental specific characteristics of the victims which enjoy special criminal law protection in a developed society. The high dark number and sex offender recidivism, as referenced by the frequent media reports about new cases of sexual violence towards the youngest memebers of society, highlight the need to search for the most appropriate social response to this form of sexual offending. The establishment of a register of convicted sex offenders for acts of sexual violence committed against minors, as one approach with a primary special preventive purpose, found its application in criminal law theory and practice of the Republic of Serbia. The aim of the paper is to present the results of an attitudinal survey of professionals employed in the field of justice and social welfare in the Republic of Serbia on the provisions of the special measures to prevent the commission of crimes of sexual abuse against juveniles and the establishment of the register of sex offenders.

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