8. Finkelhor's Pre Conditions to Offending

Question 1

Summarise Finkelhors Pre Conditions to Offending 1984

Answer 1

Put the offender at the key (not the victim). It is the offender who offends.
4 Pre-conditions needed to offend. If any one is reoved then the abuse won’t happen - important for prevention.

1. MOTIVATION - Offender WANTS to offend. Can be a source of stress for offenders.
2. INTERNAL INHIBITIONS. E.G. Conscience. Risk. May be lowered by things like drugs / alcohol. Fantasy and masturbation / normalisation can lower this.
3. EXTERNAL INHIBITIONS - Access to child (85% of sexual abuse takes place in the home).
4. RESISTANCE OF VICTIM - Grooming process is used to do this, as is violence, as is using CSAM to desensitize the child. May be grooming families and community too.

Question 2

Joe Sullivan’s Spiral of Sexual Abuse

Answer 2

Used Finkelhor to show how offenders spiral into abuse and get over the internal inhibitors. Calls them walls that the offender needs to get over to offend.

Question 3

How has the internet affected these?

Answer 3

Cooper (1998) described the ‘Triple A Engine’ of ACCESSIBILTY, ANNONIMITY and AFFORDABILITY’.

ACCESSIBILITY - sex online / CSAM is available any day or time of day or night

ANNONYMITY - means people find it easier to detach their online behaviour with their ‘real life’ and identity and feel safe online.

AFFORDABILITY - CSAM and sexual experiences are available for free or at very low cost.

Means that the internal and external inhibitors are lowered also aids in resistance of victim by desensitisation, grroming