Exam #3 Flashcards
What is a sexual offender?
Legal term that describes any person who has
committed a sexual offense
Paraphilia vs. child molester vs. pedophilia
Paraphilia- nonhuman objects, suffering/humiliation of self/partner
Children or other nonconsenting adult
Child molester- under age of consent
Pedophilia- urges/fantasies about prepubescent children (must have acted on/experienced distress about them
Contact offense vs. non-contact offense
Child molesters, adult rapists, child pornography
collectors, “flashers”, etc.
Purpose of sex offender assessment
Also, what is it not appropriate for?
To assess future risk for
offending, or potential to respond to treatment
Not appropriate for determining if the act occurred
Components of sex offender assessment
Phallometric assessment
Assesses an individual’s sexual interests
Penile Plethysmograph (PPG)
Individual is presented with sexual* stimuli while
connected to monitoring equipment
Penile tumescence, skin conductance, heart rate
Phallometric assessment
Assesses an individual’s sexual interests
Psychological Assessment
Focuses on characteristics that differentiate sexual
offenders from non-offenders
Cognitive distortions, empathy, sexual fantasies
Inaccurate thoughts that are hypothesized to perpetuate
sexual offending
Rape myths, sexualization of children;
Can be easily denied
Empirical predictors of re-offending
Static vs. dynamic
Deviant sexual interests (PPG assessed)
Antisocial personality orientation
Static: age, prior offenses, failure to complete treatment
Dynamic
Sexual preoccupations
Impulsivity
Antisocial attitudes
Intimacy deficits
Sex offender treatment
Marques et al. (1994)
Three groups: Treatment group, volunteer group, non- volunteer group
2-year CBT program focusing on relapse prevention +1-year
after care
Treatment group exhibited lowest rates of recidivism at
follow-up
Differences disappeared at a later follow-up point however
Effectiveness and treatment components
Active components of potentially effective programs
Modify beliefs related to offender minimization, denial,
and victim harm
Sexual attitudes and beliefs
Interpersonal skills training
Relapse prevention
What were the series of events that led to prior sexual
offending? How can an offender create a plan of safety?
Sex offender legislation
Wetterling
Meaghan’s law
Adam Walsh act
Must register/ restricted areas
Registration/notification/residency law
Must notify the jurisdiction where a SO lives, works, studies
SVP laws
Committed until no longer a threat
20 states (plus DC) have SVP laws
Allows for the identification and civil commitment of SVPs
after completion of their sentence
If designated as a SVP, person is institutionalized and
mandated to treatment until determined to no longer be
a SVP
Argued to be a case of Double Jeopardy, but Supreme
Court has determined this practice to be constitutional
Civil commitment
What is it? What are the two principles it is based on?
Institutionalized and mandated treatment
that the person is mentally ill and poses a serious threat of substantial harm to himself or to others; and (b) that this threat of harm has been evidenced by a recent overt act or threat.
