8244 - Sexual offender myths

[scottobear]

From - CSOM

Myths and Facts About Sex Offenders

There are many misconceptions about sexual offenses, sexual offense victims, and sex offenders in our society. Much has been learned about these behaviors and populations in the past decade and this information is being used to develop more effective criminal justice interventions throughout the country. This document serves to inform citizens, policy makers, and practitioners about sex offenders and their victims, addressing the facts that underlie common assumptions both true and false in this rapidly evolving field.

Some particularly informative ones -

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Myth:
"All sex offenders are male."

Fact:
The vast majority of sex offenders are male. However, females also commit sexual crimes.

In 1994, less than 1% of all incarcerated rape and sexual assault offenders were female (fewer than 800 women) (Greenfeld, 1997). By 1997, however, 6,292 females had been arrested for forcible rape or other sex offenses, constituting approximately 8% of all rape and sexual assault arrests for that year (FBI, 1997). Additionally, studies indicate that females commit approximately 20% of sex offenses against children (ATSA, 1996). Males commit the majority of sex offenses but females commit some, particularly against children

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Myth:
"Children who are sexually assaulted will sexually assault others when they grow up."

Fact:
Most sex offenders were not sexually assaulted as children and most children who are sexually assaulted do not sexually assault others.

Early childhood sexual victimization does not automatically lead to sexually aggressive behavior. While sex offenders have higher rates of sexual abuse in their histories than expected in the general population, the majority were not abused. Among adult sex offenders, approximately 30% have been sexually abused. Some types of offenders, such as those who sexually offend against young boys, have still higher rates of child sexual abuse in their histories (Becker and Murphy, 1998).

While past sexual victimization can increase the likelihood of sexually aggressive behavior, most children who were sexually victimized never perpetrate against others.

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Some points from the report include:

• studies of general criminal recidivism find criminal offenders are unlikely to specialize. However, studies also find that whereas sex offenders may commit other crimes, other types of offenders rarely commit sex offenses.(p.5)
• instruments to predict general recidivism are not necessarily applicable to determining sex offender recidivism (p.5)
• being sexually abused as a child was not found to be related to becoming a repeat sex offender(p.11)
• The underreporting of sexual assault contributes to the underreporting of recidivism which leads to sex offenders having a low base rate (defined as the overall rate of recidivism of an entire group of offenders). This low base rate problem decreases our ability to accurately predict recidivism.

• Studies show different base rates for different types of sex offenses. For example, child molesters have a higher rate of rearrest than rapists (52% versus 39 percent when tracked over 25 years).
• One review of recidivism rates (p.7) found: "Incest offenders ranged between 4 and 10 percent. Rapists ranged between 7 and 35 percent. Child molesters with female victims ranged between 10 and 29 percent. Child molesters with male victims ranged between 13 and 40 percent. Exhibitionists ranged between 41 and 71 percent."

• Several studies and interviews of sex offenders support the claim that sex offender recidivism is highly underreported, with imprisoned perpetrators having many times more victims than the official criminal reports record.(p.3)
• Typical sex offender treatment approaches are highlighted as a (1) cognitive -behavioral approach, a pyscho-educational approach, and the pharmacological approach. (p.12) Literature reviews show the "cognitive behavioral approach holds considerable promise" in decreasing sex offender recidivism. (p.16) Characteristics of a more effective treatment program include: "skills-based training, modeling of pro-social behaviors and attitudes, a directive but non-punitive orientation, a focus on modification of precursors to criminal behavior, and a supervised community component"(Quinsey, 1998)

Comments

[rhyyss.livejournal.com]

Interesting results. The entire topic is so toxic it is rare to find open discussion.

Any chance you saw the Woodsman with Kevin Bacon. Powerfully, non-melodramatic film on some of these issues.

[ilenebook.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, I would have imagined some of those stats to be higher...especially among male child molestors. Am I wrong thinking that 95 % can't be cured of this behavior?

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

from that report -


Myth:
"Treatment for sex offenders is ineffective."

Fact:
Treatment programs can contribute to community safety because those who attend and cooperate with program conditions are less likely to re-offend than those who reject intervention.

The majority of sex offender treatment programs in the United States and Canada now use a combination of cognitive-behavioral treatment and relapse prevention (designed to help sex offenders maintain behavioral changes by anticipating and coping with the problem of relapse). Offense specific treatment modalities generally involve group and/or individual therapy focused on victimization awareness and empathy training, cognitive restructuring, learning about the sexual abuse cycle, relapse prevention planning, anger management and assertiveness training, social and interpersonal skills development, and changing deviant sexual arousal patterns.

Different types of offenders typically respond to different treatment methods with varying rates of success. Treatment effectiveness is often related to multiple factors, including:

# the type of sexual offender (e.g., incest offender or rapist);
# the treatment model being used (e.g., cognitive-behavioral, relapse prevention, psycho-educational, psycho-dynamic, or pharmacological);
# the treatment modalities being used; and
# related interventions involved in probation and parole community supervision.

Several studies present optimistic conclusions about the effectiveness of treatment programs that are empirically based, offense-specific, and comprehensive (Lieb, Quinsey, and Berliner, 1998). The only meta-analysis of treatment outcome studies to date has found a small, yet significant treatment effect an 8% reduction in the recidivism rate for offenders who participated in treatment (Hall, 1995). Research also demonstrates that sex offenders who fail to complete treatment programs are at increased risk for both sexual and general recidivism (Hanson and Bussiere, 1998).

[oneeyedcat.livejournal.com]

thank you for sharing, that was really interesting.
It's hard to believe that ladies sexually assault people, I think that's something a lot of people have trouble with. It's all creepy, and I guess finding out that it's not just dudes you have to be wary of is more than most people want to process. I was surprised by that when I was looking at the offender boards you linked a while back. A lot of them were ladies.
It's all pretty damn scary and sick huh.

[juliabee.livejournal.com]

"Myth: Children who are sexually assaulted will sexually assault others when they grow up"

That's good to know. I would seriously cry if anyone assumed that with me. First, I would cuss them. Didn't that "fifth nail" blogger/child molestor, who was caught last year, say in his blog that he was molested as a child?

are less likely to re-offend than those who reject intervention.

Or maybe less likely to get caught again? I seriously don't see how anyone can believe there's *proof* that they won't re-offend. I've met people who were molested, and never told another person that they were, until adulthood. I've read that is pretty common.

"9-year-old Jessica Lunsford in Florida"

Is this the little girl who was taken on suveillance camera, from behind the Florida car wash? If so, my parents pointed out the carwash to me, when we drove past it last year. I felt so bad for her, as we passed it. :/

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It looks like you didn't post the entire myths thing..and I'm wondering if it said anything about homosexuality, as a result of child molestation? Maybe it's not wide spread...or if it is, not widely known.

In the military, I met a lot of people who were lesbian or male homosexuals. They were very open about it - verbally. Just didn't walk around holding hands - or other things.

Because we lived in a dorm, and were around each other so much..you would often hear the other females ask they why they were lesbian. I was astounded to hear many of them say they were molested as a child by a male, and no longer trusted males (sexually), and were repulsed by them. They said they did not feel that way, before the events occured.