Sex Offenders

Sex Offenders… Contact Offenders – male victims Contact Offenders – female victims Non-contact Offenders – paraphilia Rapists Child molesters Hebephiles??

Hierarchy of risk Exhibitionists, non-contact offenders Male victims – child Female victims – child Rapists Incest Offenders

Victim Grooming What is grooming? How sex offenders manipulate their victims They will rarely admit to manipulation but will discuss grooming in slightly more detail Seemingly unimportant decisions Work their way from A to B to C

Sexual risk factors Sexual preoccupation Sexual deviance Using sex to cope with negative emotions How does pornography contribute to these risk factors?

Why are incest offenders less likely to recidivate? Why are exhibitionists more likely to recidivate?

Child Porn Offenders We are just starting to get to know them Majority appear to be different Less antisocial More deviant A smaller percentage are active pedophiles Remember cp = images of people 18 years and under We will learn more about them over time…

Child Pornography Easier to find online now Look for collections, chats with other pedophiles about children, live abuse of children Use of non-Internet computer realms Are they paying money for porn? Are they offending so that they have better trade materials? Trauma of viewing child pornography for authority figures – ICE team (RCMP)

Risk Assessment Biggest role for mental health professionals and criminal justice workers How likely are they to reoffend? Static risk factors - Actuarial measures (STATIC- 99R) Dynamic risk factors - Structured Clinical Judgment (STABLE 2007, RSVP, SVR-20)

STATIC-99R Age at release Lived with lover 2 years + Index of non sexual violence History of non-sexual violence Prior sex offenses (charges and convictions) Prior sentencing dates Non-contact offenses Unrelated victims, Stranger victims, Male victims

STABLE-2007 Social influences (negative peers) Relationship stability Emotional identification with children Hostility toward women Social rejection Lack of concern for others Impulsive Poor problem solving skills Negative emotionality Sex drive, sexual preoccupation Sex as coping Deviant sexual preference Cooperation with supervision

Sexual deviance assessments Remember risk increases with PSYCHOPATHY + SEXUAL DEVIANCE Penile Plethysmograph (ppg) Able screen Sexual interests questionnaires Examine: sexual history, masturbatory patterns

Sex Offender Treatment Treatment does reduce risk of recidivism Lots of controversy, as previous studies had no effect Newer studies show treatment effect Responsivity factors! Risk relevant treatment focus!

Typical Treatment program Thinking patterns Relationship patterns Emotional management skills Sexuality (sex as coping, sexual preoccupation, sexual deviancy, sexual consent) Risk identification Crime cycle Safety planning Empathy training? Victim consequences?

Biological Treatments Surgical Castration Chemical Castration – Medication – Depends on taking meds – Lots of significant side effects – Need for routine medical follow up – Little empirical evidence that it really works to combat recidivism because they refuse to take it or do not continue it Antidepressant Medications (SSRI’s) -Deals with obsessive thinking about sex -Reduces sexual fantasies as a side effect of those medications

Masturbatory Interventions Abstinence Changing sexual fantasy at time of orgasm – Masturbatory Reconditioning Changing sexual fantasy after orgasm to make use of refractory period (unpleasant sensation) Carefully tracking fantasies, use of masturbation, feelings prior to masturbation (journalling, logs) Building in negative fantasies (consequences into deviant fantasy scenarios)

Problems Deniers – I didn’t do it Personality Disorders – I won’t change much Sadists – I really like hurting others Psychopathy – It’s all about me Cognitively impaired offenders – I don’t understand

Female Sex Offenders They exist They more likely go after male victims They have a childhood history of abuse and family violence They suffer from mental illness or mental retardation They can act alone

Sex Offenders Questions??