Ch. 12 Sex Offenders Flashcards

1
Q

Sex Offenders

A

SEX OFFENDER – person convicted of certain sex offense crimes including (but not limited to):

  • Sexual assault/rape
  • Sexual harrassment
  • PEDOPHELIA – molestation of a child
  • Indecent exposure
  • child prostitution
  • incest
  • There is NO sex offender profile
    • Often are people we know
    • come from all walks of life
    • all ages
    • all different Socioeconomic Status and education
    • Leaders and politicians
    • Most offenders hae no psychological

SEXUAL SOCIALIZATIONplays a crucial role in sexual assault – how people acquire knowledge and skills and dispositions with regard to sex.

Sex offenders DO SHARE some COMMON CHARACTERISTICS: (not all sex offenders have these. And not all those with these characteristics are necessarily sex offenders)

  • Past History
  • Cognitive beliefs
  • Environmetnal stiumili
  • Reincorment of behavior
  • Deviant sexual arousal, interest, or preferences – significant driving force behind sexual offenses
    • Linked to Ricidivism
  • Cognitive distortions – Offenders rationalize that what they do isn’t such a big deal, that the victims aren’t hurt or they deserve it or whatever.
    • Not unique to sex offenders. But there are specific types of distortions that sex offenders use.
    • Pro-offending attitudes have a high Ricidivism.
  • Social, interpersonal, & intimacy deficits – they have difficult having healthy relationships with others
  • Victim empathy deficits – don’t care about the victims
  • Poor self–management skills
  • History of maltreatment (verbal & physical) – not all, but many sex offenders were sexually abused themselves.
    • But not everyone who has been abused becomes a sex offender. It is NOT an excuse.

THREE PERSONALITY TRAITS associated with SEX OFFENDERS:

  1. High sexual Drive
  2. Antisocial behavior
  3. Calous Antisocial behavior

Other Disturbing facts:

  • 2018 about 734,000 rapes and sexual assaults were reported to the police – every 73 seconds in America
  • Majority of victims are under age 30
  • 1 in every 6 American women will be the victim of rape or attempted rape
  • 90% of rape victims are female
  • women between 16-19 are 4x more likely than anyone in the general population to be raped
  • female college students are 3x more likely to be raped
  • college age men are 5x more likely to be victims of rape or assault than noncollege males
  • about 10% of rape victims are male
  • Victims later report PTSD and other conditions, chronic pain, ect. after such an attack
  • Victims of sexual assault are 2-4x more likely to later develop psychological problems.
    • PTSD, substance abuse, depression, etc.
  • Relious, youth and military organizations have been caught up in sex abuse scandals.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Sex Offenders (Recidivism)

A

Static factors that PREDICT SEXUAL RECIDIVISM

  • Young age of onset of sex offending – the earlier they start, the worse the outcome
  • Prior convictions for sex offenses
  • Unrelated, unfamiliar victims
  • Deviant sexual interests, or preferences
  • Unmarried
  • Antisocial personality disorder
  • Psychopathy

Other NONSTATIC Variables (tend to change over time) that PREDICT SEXUAL RECIDIVISM:

  • Problems with intimacy or problems with an intimate relationship
  • Incresased hostility
  • Emotional identification with children
  • Lifestyle instability, impulsivity (job loss, substance abuse)
  • Attitudes that justify antisocial behavior
  • Demostrating noncompliance with supervision or treatment
  • preoccupied with sexual
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Pedophilia

A

The LACK of a specific PROFILE for sex offender makes it difficult to treat.

  • Trying to identify SUBTYPES, makes it more possible to develop more effective interventions and therapies.

PARAPHILIA – any condition that involves recurring sexual fantasies or urges that involve the following for at least 6 months:

  • non-human objects (shoes, chairs, whatever)
  • specific behaviors, such as inflicting pain on themselves or their partner
  • sexual fantasies that involve children and other nonconsenting persons.

PEDOPHELIA – clinical term for a child molester.

  • Is a type of paraphilia
  • Modus Operandi (mode of operation) for a pedophile
    • Typically try to gain the trust of the victim (offering them candy or ice cream or whatnot).
    • May work in schools or camps
    • Online sexual predators
      • Target young adolecents because they are more accessible than young children on the internet
  • Common Offender Characteristics for PEDOPHILES
    • Predominately male (87%)
    • Alcohol abuse
    • High rate high school dropout / failure
    • Unstable work histories / occupations
    • Lower socioeconomic strata
    • 75% over the age of 30
  • RAPISTS share many of these characteristics with PEDOPHILES, but there are TWO major ways they differ:
    1. Age of their victims
    2. Age of the perpetrators
    • Age of RAPISTS = 75% < 30
    • Age of PEDOPHILE = 75% > 30
  • There are some Juvenile Sex offenders who tend to:
    • be socially isolated
    • choose younger victims
    • More likely to have been a victim themselves
    • more likely to suffer from depression
  • Female Juvenile Sex Offenders
    • 8% of all juveniles arrested for sex offenses
    • Probably underreported because their victims tend to be < 5 years old.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Finkel and Araji (1986) 4 Theory Types for Pedophilia

A

These theories attempt to explain the source of PEDOPHILIA. They do not work in isolation, but rather cross over and work together.

  • EMOTIONAL CONGRUENCE – Childish interests, emotional needs, feel most comfortable with children.
    • Pedophiles see themselves as children
  • SEXUAL AROUSAL – Sexually aroused to atypical stimuli.
  • BLOCKAGEUnattainable sexual & emotional gratification with adults, so they revert to children with whom they feel greater comfort.
  • DISINHIBITIONPoor self-regulation or self-control
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Antisocial Personality Disorder

A
  • Many Prison inmates have APD. they are 10x more likely to have APD than the general population.
  • Prisoners are much more likely to be diagnosed with disorders
  • HOWEVER, People become criminals not because they had disorders but because they were raised in environments that reward criminal behavior.
  • Those with APD are not necessarily criminal
  • Many with APD are law-abiding and successful in their careers even thought hey may treat others in a very callous and insensitive manner.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly