scholarly journals “It’s Sort of Reaffirmed to Me That I’m Not a Monster, I’m Not a Terrible Person”: Sex Offenders’ Movements Toward Desistance via Peer-Support Roles in Prison

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 759-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Perrin ◽  
Nicholas Blagden ◽  
Belinda Winder ◽  
Gayle Dillon
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Peer Support ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
Sexual Offenses ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Future Utility ◽  
Reduced Risk

Individuals incarcerated in prisons across the United Kingdom and abroad are able to volunteer for a variety of peer-support roles, which are characterized by prisoner-to-prisoner helping. Some research has found that such roles can represent turning points in the lives of those who have offended and encourage movements toward desistance. This proposed redemptive influence is argued to result from the prosocial behaviors that such roles appear to elicit in their holders. The present study aims to explore the mechanics of this claimed influence. While a limited amount of research has attempted this on a general offending population, no research has done so with a sample of sexual offenders. Given the intensive treatment programs involved in such contexts, and the requirements for sexual offenders to demonstrate reduced risk, the authors believe those serving time for sexual offenses represent an important sample on which to explore the potentially redemptive properties of peer-support roles. To this end, 13 peer supporters participated in semistructured interviews. Transcripts were analyzed using a phenomenologically oriented thematic analysis. Results suggest that sexual offenders who adopt peer-support roles are able to live up to desired selves by “doing good” in prison, “giving back,” and consequently resisting negative labels. These benefits have been theoretically linked with better reintegration outcomes for sexual offenders, who are publicly denigrated in the extreme and find it especially difficult to (re)integrate. Suggestions regarding the future utility of such schemes are offered.

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.

Evaluation of New Jersey's Sex Offender Treatment Program at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center: Preliminary Results

2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen M. Zgoba ◽  
Wayne R. Sager ◽  
Philip H. Witt
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Correctional Facility ◽  
Treatment Center ◽  
Offender Treatment ◽  
Sexual Offense ◽  
Sex Offender Treatment ◽  
Sexual Offenses

This study examined 10-year sexual and non-sexual offense recidivism for sex offenders released from New Jersey's general prison system and from the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center (ADTC), New Jersey's correctional facility and treatment center for repetitive-compulsive sexual offenders. The study found that sexual offenders released from the ADTC had significantly lower rates of committing both non-sexual offenses and any offense, compared with the general prison population of sex offenders. For both groups, the 10-year sexual offense reconviction rates were relatively low, 8.6% for the ADTC offenders and 12.7% for the general prison sexual offenders, while reoffense rates for non-sexual offenses were 25.8% and 44.1% for ADTC and general prison sex offenders, respectively.

An Opportunity View of Child Sexual Offending: Investigating Nonpersuasion and Circumstances of Offending Through Criminological Lens

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 869-882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benoit Leclerc ◽  
Jean Proulx
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Sexual Contact ◽  
Sex Offending ◽  
Modus Operandi ◽  
Sexual Activities ◽  
Sexual Offenses ◽  
Reported Data

The empirical evidence indicating that sexual offenders against children manipulate their victims to participate in sexual activities dominates the literature on sex offenders and their modus operandi. However, recent evidence suggests that a high proportion of these offenders do not try to persuade their victims for sexual contact in the first place by using coercion or manipulation but simply assault them when an opportunity arises. Using self-reported data from a sample of incarcerated adult sexual offenders against children, we investigate whether sexual offenses against children committed by the use of nonpersuasion are characterized by little planning and by offense features that are indicative of opportunistic offending. We also examine the interaction between the type of offending strategy and the context of abuse. Findings reveal that offenders using nonpersuasion do not seek out potential victims, but rather seize an opportunity to offend. The type of offending strategy also interacts with the context of abuse for most preoffense and offense variables. These interactions are informative of the conditions favoring opportunistic sex offending against children.

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.

Undetected Recidivism among Rapists and Child Molesters

1982 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 450-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Nicholas Groth ◽  
Robert E. Longo ◽  
J. Bradley McFadin
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Criminal Behavior ◽  
Child Molesters ◽  
Sexual Offender ◽  
Recidivism Rate ◽  
Sexual Offenses ◽  
Anonymous Questionnaire ◽  
Low Visibility

Although recidivism among dangerous sexual offenders is generally reported to be low, clinical experience suggests otherwise. In order to assess the actual recidivism rate of offenders who commit sexual as saults, we administered to a sample of eighty-three convicted rapists and fifty-four convicted child molesters an anonymous questionnaire in which they were asked a series of questions pertaining to their his tory of sexual offenses. The results indicate that the majority of the offenders had been convicted more than once for a sexual assault. Furthermore, on average, they admitted to having committed two to five times as many sex crimes for which they were not apprehended. This study suggests that dangerous sex offenders usually commit their first sexual assault during adolescence, and that they persist in this criminal behavior, but that the offense has low visibility. For this reason recidivism, as judged by rearrests, is not a dependable measure of rehabilitation of the sexual offender.

The aftermath of sex offender registration and other controls

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen M. Zgoba
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Awareness ◽  
Sex Offender Registration ◽  
Sexual Offenses ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Residency Restrictions ◽  
Public Reaction

This essay begins with a review of public reaction to sexual offenses and the rise in social awareness that sex offenses have promoted. Statistics exploring the prevalence of sexual abuse in the United States and the United Kingdom will be given. As a result of a number of widely publicized sexual abuse cases (particularly child sexual abuse cases), a variety of laws applied to sexual offenders have been enacted from 1990 to 2010. Although different, these policies tend to center around four common themes: sex offender registration and notification, civil commitment, residency restrictions, and risk assessment. The essay examines these legislative efforts to assess their effectiveness at reducing sexually offensive behaviors and discusses the controversies surrounding such legislation.

You Do What? A Qualitative Investigation Into the Motivation to Volunteer With Circles of Support and Accountability

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Lowe ◽  
Gwenda Willis ◽  
Kerry Gibson
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Qualitative Investigation ◽  
Sex Offenses ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Altruistic Motivation ◽  
Sexual Offenses ◽  
Faith Based ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Regular Contact

Most community members are not accepting of individuals convicted for sexual offenses living in their communities, let alone having regular contact with them. However, a select number of community members choose to give their time to assist these individuals reintegrate from prison into the community. Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) was developed as a way to address the issues that many individuals convicted of sex offenses face, that is, little to no prosocial support in the community. In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 18 CoSA volunteers in New Zealand to gain a more thorough understanding of volunteers’ motivation to be involved with CoSA. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Three key themes of motivation were identified: (a) Restorative and Justice-Based Motivation, (b) Altruistic Motivation, and (c) Faith-Based Motivation. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for future recruitment of volunteers for CoSAs.

Sexual Offense Legislation Across the Pond: A Review of Community Sentiment Toward the United Kingdom’s Implementation of Sarah’s Law

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 476-496
Author(s):  
Kristen M. Zgoba ◽  
Devin Cowan
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
The Public ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Current Implementation ◽  
Dependent Variables

Within both the United States and the United Kingdom, laws have been implemented that govern the behavior of individuals convicted of certain sexually based offenses. Thus, research has naturally gravitated toward examining the public perceptions of these laws. Although both the United States and United Kingdom have laws regarding convicted sex offenders, and although these laws vary, research into the perceptions of these laws has largely been concentrated within the United States. The current study seeks to fill this gap through a survey of U.K. residents that assesses their perceptions of the implementation of Sarah’s Law. Respondents were gathered through convenience sampling methods in both Bristol and London, England ( n = 140). Overall, respondents were fairly supportive of Sarah’s Law and its current implementation. However, as opposed to respondents in the United States, U.K. respondents were also open to the idea of providing a degree of privacy to convicted sex offenders and were more tolerant of sexual offenders living near them. Finally, age, race, and parental status of the respondents were found to be statistically significant predictors among four identified dependent variables testing support of the law. Implications from these results are discussed, and a direction for future comparative research is highlighted.

Psychosocial Correlates of Male Sexual Aggression in a Chronic Delinquent Sample

1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEVEN SPACCARELLI ◽  
BLAKE BOWDEN ◽  
J. DOUGLAS COATSWORTH ◽  
SONI KIM
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sexual Aggression ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Sexual Victimization ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Several Variables ◽  
Response To Stress ◽  
Male Perpetrator

Theory and previous studies have suggested that sexual aggression in juveniles is associated with past sexual victimization, deficits in social competence, and high levels of neurotic symptoms. This study examined these and other variables as potential correlates of sexual aggression in a sample of 210 chronic delinquents that included 24 arrested sex offenders, 26 self-reported sexual offenders, 106 nonsexual violent offenders, and 54 low-violence controls. Arrested and self-reported sex offenders differed only with respect to sexual victimization, with arrested offenders being more likely to report victimization by a male perpetrator. The combined sex offender group differed from the low-violence control group on several variables; the former reported greater exposure to serious physical abuse and to domestic violence involving weapons, attitudes more accepting of sexual and physical aggression, and more use of aggressive control seeking in response to stress. Implications of these findings for rehabilitation and treatment programs are discussed.

Offense Trajectories, the Unfolding of Sexual and Non-Sexual Criminal Activity, and Sex Offense Characteristics of Adolescent Sex Offenders

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 791-812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse Cale ◽  
Stephen Smallbone ◽  
Sue Rayment-McHugh ◽  
Chris Dowling
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Criminal Activity ◽  
Sexual Offense ◽  
Adolescent Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenses ◽  
Offending Trajectories ◽  
Longitudinal View ◽  
Offending Patterns ◽  
Sex Offense

The current study examines offending trajectories of adolescent sexual offenders (ASOs). Until recently, classification frameworks have not been designed to account for the heterogeneity of offending patterns in adolescence, how these are associated with the unfolding of sexual and non-sexual criminal activity, and whether and to what extent they are related to the characteristics of sex offenses in adolescence. The current study takes a longitudinal view of offending in adolescence by examining retrospective longitudinal data of 217 ASOs referred for treatment to a clinical service between 2001 and 2009 in Australia. General offending trajectories in adolescence were examined using semi-parametric group-based modeling, and compared according to non-violent non-sexual, violent-non-sexual, and sex offending criminal activity parameters (e.g., participation, onset, frequency, specialization/versatility) and the characteristics of the referral sexual offense. The results show distinct differences in the unfolding of sexual and non-sexual criminal activity along different offending trajectories of ASOs, and further, that these trajectories were differentially associated with the characteristics of the sexual offenses they committed.

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