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 -

---

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

---

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.

---

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

Re: Good article in the NYT today

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

"If the point of his law was to make us safer, we are not," Ms. Costigan said.

Even more worrisome to law enforcement officials in Iowa, the restrictions appear to be leading some offenders to slip out of sight.

Of the more than 6,000 people on Iowa's registry of sex offenders, 400 are now listed as "whereabouts unconfirmed" or living in "non-structure locations" (like tents, parking lots or rest areas). Last summer, the number was 140.

"When it comes down to it, we would rather know where these people are living than to have the restriction," said Deputy Vrotsos. He said that he devoted at least 20 hours extra a week, along with the work of two clerks, to administering the new state law.

Last fall, Deputy Vrotsos told about 30 of the offenders that they would have to move to meet the requirements of Iowa's law, which he said made about 90 percent of the city of Dubuque off limits.

Some complied, he said, moving to trailer parks, across the Mississippi River into Illinois, to motels or, in the case of one man who had been living with his parents, to a truck at the Ioco Truck Stop on the outskirts of town. But at least three of the offenders have disappeared, Deputy Vrotsos said, giving false addresses or not providing any address at all.

The effectiveness and fairness of the restrictions has become a matter of great debate.

Some law enforcement officials say they believe that restrictions keep the most serious sexual predators away from places where they would be most likely to hurt a child again. But others argue that while such laws are politically appealing, there is little empirical evidence to suggest a connection between recidivism and proximity to schools or day care centers, and that the policies are too broad, drawing in, for example, people who as teenagers had sex with an under-age girlfriend.

In Arkansas, a 2001 study found that sexual offenders of children often lived near schools, day care centers and parks. Those results suggested, said Jeffrey T. Walker, a professor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock who was a co-author of the research, that residency restrictions could be a reasonable deterrent.

But studies for the Colorado Department of Public Safety in 2004 and the Minnesota Department of Corrections in 2003 have suggested that where an offender lives appears to have no bearing on whether he commits another sex crime on a child.

The problems have left some states turning to other means for controlling registered sex offenders, particularly with public outcry after cases like the rape and killing of 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford in Florida last year; a convicted sex offender is accused in the attack.

A flurry of new legislation is being considered all over the country. More legislatures are considering joining a dozen that already use satellite tracking devices on offenders. Others, including Iowa, are considering harsher prison sentences for those who attack children. Lawmakers reason that they would not have to worry about recidivism if offenders rarely emerged from prison.

Jerry Behn, a Republican state senator, proposed Iowa's residency law after a constituent called him to point out that a registered sex offender was living in a home that looked out over a schoolyard in Boone, Mr. Behn's hometown.

The legislation passed overwhelmingly in 2002, but was challenged in a lawsuit. A federal judge ruled that the law was unconstitutional, but a three judge panel from the appeals court overturned the ruling.

Almost immediately, other states felt the reverberations. Chief Steven M. O'Connell of the East Dubuque, Ill., police said he began getting "an appalling number" of calls from offenders from Dubuque who wanted to know if they could legally live in his town instead. Sheriff Timothy F. Dunning of Douglas County, Neb., not far from Council Bluffs, Iowa, said that new sex offenders rarely moved to town in the past, but that since last fall, 28 had arrived.

Re: Good article in the NYT today

[scottobear.livejournal.com]

Despite the problems, legislators in Iowa are unlikely to ease the distance restriction anytime soon, said State Senator Larry McKibben, a Republican who is leading a legislative task force on sex offender policies.

"It may have created some hardships for sex offenders," Mr. McKibben said. "But over all, I feel like with the spate of sex offenders in the past few years, this has at least caused parents to be more aware of what is going on."

Corwin R. Ritchie, executive director of the Iowa Association of County Attorneys, which opposes the law, said it had created a "false sense of security" for Iowa residents.

"This is very close to banishment," Mr. Ritchie said. "They quit registering with the sex offender registry and they start sleeping under bridges and at rest stops"

Back at the Ced-Rel motel, Kenneth Selzer, the owner, angrily defended his renters to a reporter, saying they caused little trouble to anyone, not to his neighbors, not to his wife, who sometimes worked late at the motel by herself.

Don Zeller, the sheriff here in Linn County, said however that he had heard a lot of concerns from people over sex offenders in the county, 30 of whom face charges for not complying with the state law's residency restrictions.

Before September, Sheriff Zeller said, he knew where 90 percent of Linn County's sex offenders were living, and today he knows where slightly more than half live. Just before Christmas, the sheriff said, one man began spending his days inside the sheriff's office because he had no where else to go.

Gretchen Ruethling contributed reporting from Chicago for this article.