Chapter 20: Rape and Other Sex Offenses Part 4

Question 1

Which groups have the highest risks of sexual assault victimization?

Answer 1

• women
• the young (18-25 yrs old)
• the unmarried (especially the separated and never married)
• racial/ethnic minorities
• those with household income less than $15,000

Question 2

What are the characteristics of the offense (actual assault)?

Answer 2

(1) involved only one offender and victim
(2) occurred at night
(3) happened near or in the victim’s home
(4) involved the use of a weapon
(5) most victims said they knew their offender
(6) did something to protect themselves during the attack

Question 3

Which type of sexual assaults/victims are more likely to be reported?

Answer 3

(1) victims of attempted sex offenses

2) sexual assaults by strangers older victims (>50 years old

Question 4

What has, historically been used as primary punishment for sexual offenders?

Answer 4

long-term incarceration

Question 5

What are the major problems with community notification laws that limit their ability to enhance public safety?

Answer 5

(1) most sex offenders are not recidivists or specialists
(2) most sex offenders victimize people that they known (especially other family members), but these laws are predicated on the false idea of the greater risks for “stranger danger”
(3) any registered sex offender can simply travel outside their immediate notification area to canvass/cruise for potential victims

Question 6

What has been the clinical treatment of sexual offenders?

Answer 6

aversion therapy and cognitive behavioral approaches

Question 7

_____-_____ __________, ____ _______ __________ and __________ __________, and ________ __________ have done little to increase public safety or reduce the likelihood of sex offenses in American society

Answer 7

long-term incarceration
sex offender registration
community notification
clinical treatment

Question 8

What is the difference between general and specific deterrence?

Answer 8

general deterrence- the use of criminal punishments to deter other people

specific deterrence- this effect of punishment on deterring individuals from committing future crimes

Question 9

There is no evidence that the threat of punishment will deter sex offenders because?

Answer 9

(1) the most important component for deterrence to work is the certainty of punishment
(2) the certainty of punishment for sex offending is extremely low

Question 10

Why is the certainty of punishment for sex offending is extremely low?

Answer 10

(1) only a small fraction of all sex offenses are known to the police
(2) only about one half of the small number of known offenses are cleared by an arrest

Question 11

Both ________ and ________ castration have been used as “treatment” for sex offenders.

Answer 11

physical

chemical

Question 12

What is chemical castration?

Answer 12

chemical castration is induced through the taking of drugs that result in sexual impotence and reduces the production of testosterone

Question 13

How is chemical castration flawed?

Answer 13

(1) sex offenders are given chemical castration on a voluntary basis
(2) this idea assumes that sex offending has sexual motivation, but most of the research literature suggests that sex crimes are primarily crimes of control/dominance/aggression

Question 14

What are some crime prevention strategies?

Answer 14

(1) improving the visibility and surveillability of public places at night
(2) self-defense training
(3) the establishment of “buddy systems” to maintain contact with friends when engaged in risky public activities

Question 15

What are some rape prevention activities?

Answer 15

(1) If you live alone, only use your first initial and your last name on your mailbox or make up a name
(2) Never open the door automatically after a knock
(3) Require people to give their names and ask for proper I.D. for service personnel
(4) Always look doors when you are in your car and when you leave it, even if only for a short time
(5) Be aware of what is around you

Question 16

Why does the U.S. have high rape rates?

Answer 16

(1) Disrupted Sexual Morality/Promiscuity
(2) Sexual Rigidity/Uprightness
(3) displaced aggression

Question 17

Does pornography increase or decrease sex offending?

Answer 17

“Regular” pornography is not linked to sex crimes

Violent pornography is linked to sex crimes

Question 18

How are rape cases funneled?

Answer 18

2000 Actual Rapes:

• 200 Known to Police (10%)
• 100 Cleared by Arrest (50%)
• 80 Prosecuted (80%)
• 20 Convicted for Rape (25%)
• 8 Prison Sentence (40%)

Question 19

What are the goal of rape shield laws?

Answer 19

designed to primarily protect victims, but the victims backgrounds will still be brought up in court

Question 20

What is the symbolic importance of rape shield laws?

Answer 20

shows that the criminal justice system is trying to address the problem

Question 21

LIST and briefly describe 4 different reasons why these laws are unlikely to deter sex offenders and reduce the public’s risks of sexual victimization?

Answer 21

(1) If the sex offender communication laws are posted online then residents of a community may not see it, especially those who are not tech savvy.
(2) If the sex offender communication laws are mailed in, this could be too slow because very few people frequently check their mail.
(3) Once an offender is outed as a sexual predator they may feel like their community already views them as guilty so why not just commit the act anyway. There coincides with labeling theory of crime.
(4) A life outside of prison in which they constantly feel like a criminal and are looked at with disgust might be more stressful than a life in prison in which they are often isolated from other offenders in prison ( in a way it’s a form of protection).