Topic 7: Sexual Offenders Flashcards
What does society think of sexual perpetrators?
without doubt, this group of criminals is among the most despised: victims tend to be women and children, labelled as “skinners” in the prisons, often targets of extraordinary persecution
highly publicized sexual offenses often spark calls for harsher sanctions
dangerous offender designation provision
What are the stereotypes of sexual perpetrators?
a slobbering pervert in a trench coat?
there is not single profile type
What are the variables in the profile of a sexual perpetrator?
victim type: age, gender, other characteristics (innocent, “sweet”, meek, “whore”, co-ed, etc.)
level of planning: spontaneous, prepared, carefully formulated
degree of aggression/coercion: instrumental, expressive
nature of act: fondling/touching, observation/exposure, intercourse (vaginal/anal/oral)
What is a sexual assault level one in Canada?
an assault committed in circumstances of a sexual nature such that the sexual integrity of the victim is violated
level 1 involves minor physical injuries or no injuries to the victim
What is a sexual assault level two in Canada?
sexual assault with a weapon, threats, or causing bodily harm
What is a aggravated sexual assault level three in Canada?
sexual assault that results in wounding, maiming, disfiguring or endangering the life of the victim
What are psychological correlates of sexual offending?
DSM lists a number of distinct paraphilic disorders
sustained erotic interests that are not criminal of themselves, but may predispose one to act illegally
What are the paraphilic disorders listed in the DSM?
exhibitionism
frotteurism: rubbing genitals in a way you’re not supposed to notice
pedophilia: most never actually assault a child, to have interest and act is different thing
sexual masochism: arousal by having bad things done to you
fetishism: shoes, leather, anything that is an object
partialism: non sexual body part fetish, like feet
voyeuristism
toucherism: touching with hands
transvestic fetishism: ritualistic, not to do with gender identity
sexual sadism: sexually arousal by doing bad things to people
Are fetishes criminal?
not usually, but they may prompt the patient to steal objects, or misuse some that belong to others
could result in theft or obscenity charges
What are the general characteristics of sexual offenders?
a large number are adolescent males: 20 to 30% of rapists, 30 to 50% of child molesters
most (about 70%) are: from intact homes, average students, free from other axis 1 mental illness
What is the etiology of sexual offenders?
poorly understood
many subtypes and high offender variability make broad etiological statements difficult
likely involves a confluence of learning cognitions supporting deviant acts, histories of personal victimization
pornography no more used by rapists (in formative years) than by non-rapists
What is the incidence and prevalence of sexual offending?
plagued by marked underreporting
General Social Survey on Canadians’ Safety (Victimization) show that 6% of sexual assault incidents experienced by Canadians aged 15 and older in the previous 12 months were brought to the attention of police
shame/guilt; fear of repeat violence
US stats: 16% of men and 27% of women report histories of sexual victimization of some sort (i.e., all categories considered)
What are offender reports?
Abel et al. (1985) interviewed > 400 sexual offenders
collectively reported 218,900 sexual crimes (533 per S)
average number of victims: 366
Is the sexual offender a “specialist”?
not usually
Weinrott & Saylor (1991) interviewed about 100 sexual offenders in custody
group had committed a total of 19518 non-sexual offenses in the year prior to incarceration:
of these, 37 were rapists; they alone reported over 11,000 non-sex offenses
child molesters (about 40) reported 8219
incest offenders (21) reported 2080
In what ways do sexual offenders resemble non-sex offenders?
antisocial supports: even before being jailed, sexual offenders tend to know others that share their particular deviant interests
criminal histories
antisocial personality: especially among rapists
cognitions supporting the deviant acts: women want to be dominated, she (a 5 year old) seduced me, “no” means “yes”, I didn’t really hurt them, objectification of victim
What are the four subtypes of rape?
date rape: against an acquaintance, usually not intimate but under courtship conditions
forcible rape: the usual meaning of the term
statutory rape: sexual assault against a minor
rape by fraud: a psychotherapist, physician, or other person in a position of trust
What is date rape?
frighteningly prevalent: Fritner & Robinson (1993) reported that 1/4 of US college women reported actual or attempted SA under “social” conditions (party, date, by a mutual friend)
83% by someone they knew, mostly in their freshman year
greater tendency of victim to feel ashamed or partly responsible: originally agree to go out with perpetrator
date rapists have a strong sense of entitlement
U.S. prosecutors unlikely to proceed in the absence of vaginal penetration, verifiable use of force, signs of victim resistance, female victim, evidence of lack of consent
many of those are hard to prove
What are date rape drugs?
important to remember that many street drugs can impair judgment, lower victim resistance, increase perpetrator aggression
alcohol is a prime example
Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol)
Ketamine
What is Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol)?
strong CNS depressant, leads to diminished muscle control, anterograde amnesia
similar MOA to valium, but 10x stronger
may be lethal in combination with alcohol
still legal in 80 countries
What is ketamine?
veterinary tranquilizer
powder, pill, liquid, or capsule form
hallucinatory effects
impairs judgment and coordination
effects last up to 24 hours
What are the effects of the pandemic on sexual offending?
there were 28,639 police-reported sexual assaults (level 1, 2 and 3) in 2020, or 75 incidents per 100,000 population
this rate was 9% lower than in 2019 and follows five consecutive years of increases
the rate of police-reported sexual assault (level 1, 2, and 3) decreased in every province and territory in 2020 except in Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, and Quebec
likely a significant underestimation of the true extent of sexual assault in Canada
What are the statistics of sexual offenses?
of every 100 incidents of sexual assault, only 6 are reported to the police
1-2% of “date rape” sexual assaults are reported to the police
1 in 4 North American women will be sexually assaulted during their lifetime
11% of women have physical injury resulting for sexual assault
only 2-4% of all sexual assaults reported are false
60% of sexual abuse/assault victims are under the age of 17
over 80% of sex crime victims are women
80% of sexual assault incident occur in the home
17% of girls under 16 have experienced some form of incest
83% of disabled women will be sexually assaulted during their lifetime
15% of sexual assault victims are boys under 16
half of all sexual offenders are married or in long term relationships
57% of aboriginal women have been sexually abused
1/5th of all sexual assaults involve a weapon of some sort
80% of assailants are friends and family of the victim
Who are the victims of sexual offenses?
they tend to be young females
29%: < 11 years old
32%: 11-17
22%: 18-24
7%: 25-29
6%: >29
What are the offender characteristics?
they also tend to be young: 50% of adult rapists later reported committing their first sexual crime while adolescents
past 30 years old the risk drops dramatically
lots of social conflict
tend to be blue collar (50%) or unemployed (30%)
Who do sexual offenders rape?
24.4% of rapists are complete strangers
21.9% are ex/husbands
19.5% ex/boyfriends
9.8% relatives
14.6% friends/neighbors
about 1/4 use weapons
about 1/4 of victims are seriously injured (require medical attention)
What are the four traditional theories of why people commit rape?
uncontrollable impulse: doesn’t fit with finding that 2/3 planned the rape
mental illness: widely held view, sexual addiction, may form basis of a legal defense
drug induced: lowered inhibition, increased sexual drive
victim provoked: old view, poor empirical support, often used by offenders to avoid responsibility, “just world” hypothesis
What are the cognitive psychology concepts that are involved in theories about why people commit rape?
distorted thoughts/beliefs/attitudes
criticism: piecemeal
schemata (structure)
criticisms: definitional inconsistencies fails to generate predictions
implicit theories
focus on implicit theories is general and flexible enough to accommodate rape and child molestation
What are implicit theories regarding why people commit rape?
schemata are ways of making sense of the world: cognitive structures, useful in “filtering” social information, greatly influence interpretation of events
implicit theories “connect” (specify relationships between) related schemata
the products of these = attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, attribution, and ultimately behavior
cognitive “processes” modify, build, reconstruct, remove schemata and connections
What is rapist classification?
numerous schemes offered
Prentky & Knight (1987): forms basis of MTC and MTC:R3
four main categories (nine in MTC:R3):
- displaced aggression
- compensatory rape
- sexually sadistic/aggressive
- impulsive
What is the displaced rapist classification?
not about sex
lots of brutality (biting, cutting, tearing)
most likely perpetrated by a stranger
attempts are made to humiliate and demean the victim
not always focused on the genitalia
highly negative attitudes toward females in general, e.g., they are controlling, unfaithful, demanding
perpetrators are often ambivalent toward significant females in their lives
anger and violent likely evident in other aspects of perpetrators life
frequently report chaotic upbringing
What is the compensatory rapist classification?
are highly aroused during the offense
it is sexual for them
in general, they are meek, “wimpy” individuals who literally compensate for their social ineptitude through rape
frequently, their arousal and fantasies are related to specific themes, e.g., college co-eds, being powerful and in control
tend not to be sadistic or use violence
believe their victims will admire them and gladly submit once they have experienced their boundless masculinity and skilled performance
tend to study/stalk their victims
thought of rejection is unbearable
likely to flee in the face of sufficient resistance
least likely to have records of other criminal activities
typically have limited aspirations and low self-esteem
others are often surprised to hear of their involvement in rape: “nice, quiet, unassuming, introverted”
What is the sadistic rapist classification?
aggression and sexual arousal go hand-in-hand
finds non-aggressive sexual contact mundane, unfulfilling
see victim resistance as playing “hard to get”
more often married: history of domestic violence common, unstable relationship/martial history
limited self-control and frustration tolerance
most likely to murder to seriously injure
What is the impulsive rapist classification?
is a “generalist”, rape most likely to occur as an off-shoot of another crime
not gratuitously violence, just doesn’t care about the victim
What are the cognitive interpretations of the displaced rapist classification?
defining feature: negative schema re-women
processing biased toward misogynistic attitudes
rage toward women
not paraphilic in the sense of “preferring” rape
“women are all bitches and whores… she had this coming… I’ll show her what a real man can do”
What are the cognitive interpretations of the compensatory rapist classification?
defining feature: distorted theories about relationships
emotionally isolated
fantasizes about non-sadistic rape
distorted processing and perception of interpersonal behavior
negative self-schema
“she’s lucky I’m paying attention to her… she loves this… no means yes… women are all sluts… if she didn’t want it she wouldn’t have dressed that way… I bought her dinner”
What are the cognitive interpretations of the sexually sadistic rapist classification?
defining feature: detached affect and self-focused
depersonalizes victims
very tuned to indications of pain and powerlessness (i.e., does not ignore)
truly paraphilic
“I’m turned on by overpowering her… she was totally helpless… I can do whatever I want to her”
What are the cognitive interpretations of the opportunistic (like impulsive) rapist classification?
defining feature: cognitive deconstruction
schemata are self-centered
able to seperate the act from usual view of self: successfully avoids negative self-evaluation
not truly paraphilic
“I didn’t hurt her… women are sexual objects… what’s the big deal.. I’m no pervert… I just got carried away…”
What is the MTC:R3?
has a total of nine categories
more formally differentiates on the basis of social competence
adds vindictive rapists
What is the Groth (1991) model of rapists motives?
rape is seen as pseudo-sexual in all cases
- power rape
- anger rape
- sadistic rape
What is power rape?
> 50%
conquest and control
hopes the victim will become sexually aroused herself
will increase his use of force/violence if needed to subdue the victim
What is anger rape?
excessive force; lots of brutality
swears and yells at victim
may see sex as dirty
issues with mother, grandmother, female boss
What is sadistic rape?
is specifically aroused by victim’s pain, helplessness, and suffering
more likely to use bondage and torture
most likely to murder
What is the etiology of social roles of sexual offenders?
“manly” to report sexual conquest
“I’m the boss, I’m in charge”
1/3 of “normal” males acknowledge rape fantasies
54% of males report “coercive” fantasies
What is the etiology of maturity of sexual offenders?
inadequate social and dating skills
more likely to fantasize and masturbate than actually have sexual partners
but actually report less exposure to pornography
parents may have made sex a forbidden topic of discussion
What is the etiology of generalized sadism of sexual offenders?
some rapists are also aroused by non-sexual violence towards
What is the etiology of associative condition of sexual offenders?
orgasmic conditioning
pairing of sexual stimulation/orgasm with deviant images and fantasies
applies to non-deviant sexual interests as well
What is the etiology of limited (defective) inhibition of sexual offenders?
exacerbated by media influence, etc.
What is the role of pornography in sexual offending?
this is an intensely debated issue
three factors are most highly correlated with collateral measures of aggression:
1. viewers level of sexual arousal
2. level of aggression depicted
3. reactions of victim depicted
social shifts?
What is pedophilia?
a sustained erotic interest in prepubescent (pedophilia) or pubescent (hebephilia) children (we’ll use the term pedophile to describe both)
neither is illegal unless acted upon; even the constitutional right to own child pornography has recently been tested in a BC court
What are the two types of pedophiles?
exclusive: kids only
inclusive: adults and kids (pangyne-androphilia)
What is the incidence and description of pedophilia?
estimates will improve dramatically if national ad provincial sex offender registries are implemented as planned
1/4 to 1/3 of female children, and a little over 1/10 of male children are sexually victimized in some way: only 35% of these make formal complaints
Finkelhor (1988): 5 - 10% of US males will sexually victimize a child at some point; most are not repeat offenders
concerning pedophiles, about 3/4 offend against female children (though perhaps not exclusively)
intercourse is actually rare: fondling and oral-genital contact are more prevalent
offenders tend to know the victim well: child’s requests for hugs and affection are misinterpreted as sexual advances, sexual contact may occur over an extended period, especially if the offender is a family member
violence is relatively rare; Lanyon (1986) estimated 10-15% of cases
more common are attempts at bribery, emotional blackmail, unsophisticated manipulation, lying
only 10 and 25% of intra-familial child abusers are true pedophiles
What are the characteristics of the pedophilic sexual offender?
almost exclusively male
Russel and Finkelhor (1984) females involved i only 5% of cases against girls, 24% against males
female offenders may act in concert with a male offender
no single profile, but aggressive child molesters tend to resemble rapist (of adults), i.e., higher alcohol abuse, school failure, lower SES, unstable work history
efforts to deny/minimize responsibility are common: “she seduced me; I was drunk; I don’t know what came over me”
average age is toward the late 30’s
What is the fixated type classification of pedophiles?
socially immature
passive and timid
limited legitimate sexual/romantic history
unlikely to employ force or violence
neither wants nor expects intercourse
not distressed by paraphilia - therefore treatment refractory
begins with abundant “grooming”
seeks children for social as well as sexual; purposes, uncomfortable around adults
average intellectually, but tends to underachieve
What is the regressed type classification of pedophiles?
begins with a fairly normal adolescence, but begins to doubt his masculinity shortly thereafter
may offend in response to marked stressors, or an assault to his personal confidence
alcohol often an issue
employment and marital histories are troubled
What is the exploitative type classification of pedophiles?
more likely a stranger
may isolate the child
has a lengthy history of AS conduct
use trickery to lure the child
objectifies the child, not adverse to the use of force
tends to have poor social skills and to be rejected by other adults
a poor treatment candidate
What is the sadistic type classification of pedophiles?
e.g., John Wayne Gacy
murdered > 30 teenage boys in the course of, or after sexually torturing them
more likely to be homosexual
offender’s arousal is closely tied to the pain and suffering of the victim
often abduct and murder
What is the recidivism data on pedophiles?
Frisbie (1965) heterosexual pedophiles about 18.2%, while homosexual pedophiles about 34.5%
Bernard (1975) (European figures): 50% > 10 victims; 14% > 50, 6% 100-300
90% were not interested in stopping
Bernard’s recidivism stats:
untreated: 32%
treated: 14%
What is the etiology of pedophiles?
explanations tend to fall into one or more of the following four categories
emotional congruence (akin to regressed type)
sexual arousal (not interested in adults)
blockage (substitution)
disinhibition (neuro, or D/A)
What is the assessment of pedophiles?
self-report
conviction/PSR
fantasy questionnaires
penile plethysmograph (PPG): EPT, phallometric testing (circumferential, volumetric)
vaginal photoplethysmograph
What is erotic preference test?
not just the test but also the material
a person who is viewing material in a controlled way
break down of categories: by seeing results will get erotic preference profile, there are also neutral stimuli
need to be counterbalanced: don’t want order to be predicted, want to make sure there are no remnants of arousal
What is a vaginal photoplethysmograph?
infrared diode: gives steady electrical current to illuminate the vaginal wall
light illuminates vaginal wall; more blood travels so less light is being transferred
arousal cycle takes longer and is more subtle harder to establish statistical reliability
used for gynecologist but not useful for establishing arousal preferences
What are the three components of a penile plethysmographs?
stimulus materials
measurement/recording device
standardized presentation
