Sexual Offenders

1
Sexual Offenders

• Nipissing University
• Lecture 5
• 06 February 2007

2
Myths of Child Molestation

• dirty old man
• Stranger
• Retarded
• Alcoholic / Drug Addict
• Sexually Frustrated
• Insane
• Homosexuals

Holmes, S. Holmes, R. (2002). Sex Crimes (2nd
ed.). London Sage Publications. P.95
3
Incidence Rates

• Canadian Victimization Survey
• Sexual Assault
• Women 33 per 1,000 (3.3)
• Men 8 per 1,000 (0.8)

Besserer, S. Trainor, C. (1999). Criminal
Victimization in Canada, 1999. Juristat 20(10).
CCJS
Andrews, D. Bonta, J. (2003). The Psychology of
Criminal Conduct. Cincinnati Anderson
4
Rates of Reported History of Childhood Sexual
Abuse (CSA)

• Samples of Undergraduate Women
• Range of Sexual Abuse History
• 23 - 58
• General Female Population Estimate
• 30
• Professional Women
• 30
• Female Psychiatric Patients
• 21

Beckman Burns, 1989 Berliner Elliot, 1996
Bryer, Nelson, Miller Krol 1987 Callum
Slade, 1989 Elliot Briere, 1992 Smolak,
Levine Sullins, 1990 cited in Barker, J.
(1997). An examination of the long-term effects
of sexual assault using linear structural
equation modelling. Dissertation Abstracts
International, B58109 p.5105
5
Reports from Sexual Offenders Regarding Number of
Victims

• Abel et al. (1985)
• 411 S.O.
• 218,900 victims
• Average per offender 366
• Zolondek et al. (2001)
• 485 juvenile S.O.
• 9 to 46

Andrews, D. Bonta, J. (2003). The Psychology of
Criminal Conduct. Cincinnati Anderson
6
Adult Criminal Court Stats 2003/04
Thomas, M. (2005). Adult Criminal Court
Statistics. Juristat 24(12). Canadian Centre for
Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada. Ottawa
Minister Responsible for Statistics Canada.
7
Sexual Offences 2003/04
Thomas, M. (2005). Adult Criminal Court
Statistics. Juristat 24(12). Canadian Centre for
Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada. Ottawa
Minister Responsible for Statistics Canada.
8
Type of Sentence
Thomas, M. (2005). Adult Criminal Court
Statistics. Juristat 24(12). Canadian Centre for
Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada. Ottawa
Minister Responsible for Statistics Canada.
9
Type of Sentence
Thomas, M. (2005). Adult Criminal Court
Statistics. Juristat 24(12). Canadian Centre for
Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada. Ottawa
Minister Responsible for Statistics Canada.
10
Thomas, M. (2005). Adult Criminal Court
Statistics. Juristat 24(12). Canadian Centre for
Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada. Ottawa
Minister Responsible for Statistics Canada.
11
Victims
Kong, R..(2004). Victim Services in Canada.
Juristat 24(11). Canadian Centre for Justice
Statistics, Statistics Canada. Ottawa Minister
Responsible for Statistics Canada.
12
Sexual Offender

• Someone who engages in sexual behaviors that
  somehow cause harm
• Inherent to this is the lack of mutual consent
• Children, by definition, cannot give consent

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
13
Types of Sexual Offenders

• Hands-on vs. hands-off
• Both gender all ages

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
14
How Unique are Sexual Offenders?

• Nonsexual Crimes?
• Weinrott Saylor
• 99 S.O. report 20,000
• Maletzky (1991)
• 5,000 S.O. (24 report hist)
• Soothill et al. (2000)
• 7,000 S.O. (60)
• Prospective Studies???

Andrews, D. Bonta, J. (2003). The Psychology of
Criminal Conduct. Cincinnati Anderson
15
Etiological Factors in Sexual Offending
Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
16
Biological Bases

• solid evidence?
• sex steroids?
• evolutionary basis?

Slide concepts courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni
(2004)
17
Developmental Bases

• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Polygraph
• related for some offenders?
• Poor attachment emotional loneliness combined
  with poor peers relationships in adolescence

Slide concepts courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni
(2004)
18
Sociocultural Bases

• Societal attitudes
• Large correlation between aggression, rape, and
  negative attitudes toward women
• Attitudes supportive of violence

Slide concepts courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni
(2004)
19
Finkelhors (1984) Precondition Theory

• Four underlying factors to explain child sexual
  abuse
• Emotional congruence with children
• Sexual arousal to children
• Unable to meet sexual needs in socially
  acceptable ways
• Disinhibitory states

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
20
Marshall Barbaree (1990) Integrated Theory

• Sexual aggression occurs as a result of
  interacting distal and proximal factors
• Developmentally adverse conditions
• Conditioning process during adolescence pairing
  sex and aggression or sex and children
• Lack of social self-regulatory skills leads to
  rejection and failed relationships and negative
  attitudes toward women kids viewed as safe
• Sex is utilized to meet a number of emotional
  needs
• Transitory states set-up the stage for offending

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
21
Hall Hirschmans (1992)Quadripartite Model

• An interaction of 4 factors
• Physiological sexual arousal
• Inaccurate cognitions that justify sexual abuse
• Affective discontrol
• Personality problems

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
22
Ward Siegert (2002)Pathways Model

• Every sexual offense involves emotional,
  intimacy, cognitive, and arousal components
• Each pathway will have at its core a primary set
  of dysfunctional mechanisms that impact on the
  others.

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
23
Assessment
Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
24
Estimating Recidivism Rates
Hanson, K. (1998). What do we know about sex
offender risk assessment?. Psychology, Public
Policy, and Law, 4(12). p.50-72.
25
Hanson, K. (1998). What do we know about sex
offender risk assessment?. Psychology, Public
Policy, and Law, 4(12). p.50-72.
26
Evaluation of risk of sexual recidivism

• Most common task required for decisions about
  sentencing treatment needs and conditional
  release.
• Evaluation of risk always take into consideration
  static and dynamic risk factors.

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
27
Identification of Management Strategies

• To inform when the offender is most at risk of
  reoffending
• To inform about treatment needs
• To provide strategies for the supervision of the
  offender that will promote the effective
  management of the offenders risk.

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
28
Static Risk Factors (Hanson Thornton, 1999)

• Deviant Sexual Arousal
• Prior Sexual Offenses
• Stranger Victims
• Unrelated Victims
• Boy Victims
• Age
• Single
• Treatment Drop out

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
29
RRASOR

• 7 Variables
• prior sexual offenses
• Prior nonsexual offenses
• Age
• Any male victims
• Any stranger victims
• Any unrelated victims
• Never married / commonlaw relationship

Hanson, K. (1998). What do we know about sex
offender risk assessment?. Psychology, Public
Policy, and Law, 4(12). p.50-72.
30
RRASOR cont

• 4 Variables
• Number of Prior Sexual Offenses (0-3)
• Under age 25 (1)
• Any victims unrelated (1)
• Ever targeted male victims (1)

Hanson, K. (1998). What do we know about sex
offender risk assessment?. Psychology, Public
Policy, and Law, 4(12). p.50-72.
31
Remember the ROC?
1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0
Hits
O .1 . 2 .3 .4 .5 .6 .7 .8
.9 1.0
False Alarm
32
RRASOR cont

• r .27
• AUC .71

Hanson, K. (1998). What do we know about sex
offender risk assessment?. Psychology, Public
Policy, and Law, 4(12). p.50-72.
33
What About Dynamic Factors?

• Dynamic Predictors of Sexual Reoffense Project
• Hanson Harris (2001)
• Compare
• S.O. who recid sexually
• S.O. who didnt recid sexually
• Acute and stable
• Retrospective cross sectional study
• SONAR

Andrews, D. Bonta, J. (2003). The Psychology of
Criminal Conduct. Cincinnati Anderson
Hanson, K. Harris, A. (2001). A structured
approach to evaluating change among sexual
offenders. Sexual Abuse A Journal of Research
and Treatment. 13(2), p.105-122.
34
Hanson Harris(1998, 2000, 2001, 2003 ongoing)

• Retrospective prospective comparison between
  recidivists and non-recidivists
• Files reviewed for static risk factors
• Dynamic risk factors generated from theoretical
  review, previous research, interviews with
  community supervisors
• Increases in scores on dynamic risk factors
  correspond to increased recidivism after
  controlling for static factors

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
35
Stable Dynamic Factors (Hanson Harris, 2003)

• Intimacy Deficits
• Significant Social Influences
• Attitudes supportive of Sexual Assault
• Sexual Self-regulation
• General Self-regulation
• Cooperation with Supervision

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
36
Acute Dynamic Factors (Hanson Harris, 2003)

• Substance Abuse
• Emotional Collapse
• Collapse of Social Supports
• Hostility
• Sexual Preoccupation
• Victim Access
• Rejection of Supervision
• Unique Factor

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
37
SONAR

• Theory
• Research findings
• 5 Stable Factors
• 4 Acute Factors

Hanson, K. Harris, A. (2001). A structured
approach to evaluating change among sexual
offenders. Sexual Abuse A Journal of Research
and Treatment. 13(2), p.105-122.
38
Hanson, K. Harris, A. (2001). A structured
approach to evaluating change among sexual
offenders. Sexual Abuse A Journal of Research
and Treatment. 13(2), p.113.
39
Diagnosis
Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
40
Paraphilias

• Exhibitionism
• Frotteurism
• Pedophilia
• Sexual sadism
• Sexual masochism
• Voyeurism
• Fetishism Transvestic fetishism
• Paraphilias No Otherwise Specified (NOS)

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
41
Psychopharmacological Treatment of Paraphilias
Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
42
Antiandrogens medication

• Androgens are male sex hormones
• Antiandrogens are medications that block the
  synthesis or action of androgens, and therefore
  lower sex drive and sexual interest, including
  deviant sexual interest
• This is what is called Chemical Castration

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
43
3 major types of Antiandrogens

• Cyproterone Acetate (CPA)
• Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (MPA)
• Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonists (GnRH
  Agonist)
• All work at reducing levels of testosterone
• Serious side-effects present with all - leading
  to lack of adherence to treatment

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
44
Effectiveness

• Antiandrogens reduce both normal and deviant
  sexual interests
• Does not eliminate the deviant arousal does not
  change the ratio of deviant vs. normal arousal
• These agents do not change the arousal patterns
  of patients - in other words, they do not turn
  deviant sexual interests into non-deviant ones

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
45
Antidepressants

• Help control some of the obsessive / compulsive
  aspects of sexual deviancy
• Helps alleviate affective symptoms and mood
  disorders associated with paraphilias
• Has shown better success at reducing deviant
  sexual interests, and has greater rate of
  adherence

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
46
Physiological Assessment of Sexual Arousal
Patterns or Preferences
Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
47
Phallometry

• What is it?
• What does it indicate?
• What do the results mean?

48
Viewing Time

• What is it?
• What does it indicate?
• What do the results mean?

49
Polygraph

• What is it?
• What does it indicate?
• What do the results mean?

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
50
The Theoretical Offense Process
Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
51
Traditional Relapse Prevention (Marques
Pithers)

• Relapse process starts when increased stress
• Leads to a desire to indulge
• A series of apparently irrelevant decisions
• Progresses toward high risk situations
• May be emotional or situational
• These situations lead to a lapse problem of
  immediate gratification
• Abstinence violation effect occurs
• Finally, relapse a new sexual offense

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
52
Self-Regulation (Ward Hudson)

• Discusses pathways to sexual offending
• Postulates two streams avoidance (the goal is to
  avoid offending) and approach (the goal is to
  offend)
• Each stream further subdivided into
  passive/automatic and active/explicit pathways

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
53
Self-Regulation Pathways

• Avoidant-Passive the traditional RP model
• Avoidant-Active active attempts to avoid
  offending but efforts actually increase risk
• Approach-Automatic offenders follow automated
  behavioral scripts experience positive emotions
  post-offending
• Approach-Explicit involves conscious strategic
  planning with aims to offend

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
54
Implications for Treatment

• Theoretical models are highly complex
• Cannot be applied directly to treatment nor
  should they - due to limits to empirical
  validation and individualized nature of offense
  processes
• Need to develop individual offense process for
  each offender - using common patterns as guides,
  but not strict templates
• Enlist the offender in this work

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
55
Treatment
Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
56
Treatment

• To address in treatment the dynamic risk factors
  leading to sexual recidivism.

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
57
Treatment Targets in Sexual Offender Treatment

• Offense Specific Treatment Targets
• Denial and Minimization - linked to cognitive
  distortions
• Victim Empathy - linked to cognitive distortions
• Attitudes and Beliefs
• Sexual Self-Regulation
• General Self-Regulation
• Self-Management

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
58
Treatment Targets (cont)

• Offense Related Treatment Target
• Intimacy Relationships
• Emotions
• Social Competency Skills
• General Coping

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
59
Treatment Targets (cont)

• Treatment is based on behavioural strategies,
  including cognitive-behavioural, social learning,
  modelling, and skill building.
• Treatment needs to motivate the offender, and
  provide optimal conditions for learning
  pro-social behaviours.

Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
60
Treatment Effectiveness
Slide courtesy of Dr. Franca Cortoni (2004)
61
Effect of Treatment for Sex Offenders

• With treatment, sexual recidivism reduced from
  17 to 10
• With treatment, general recidivism reduced from
  51 to 32
• (Hanson et al., 2002)

Andrews, D. Bonta, J. (2003). The Psychology of
Criminal Conduct. Cincinnati Anderson
62
Recommended Reading

• Hanson, K. (1998). What do we know about sex
  offender risk assessment? Psychology, Public
  Policy, and Law, 4(12). p.50-72.
• Hanson, K. Bussière (1998). Predicting Relapse
  A meta-analysis of sexual offender recidivism
  studies. Journal of Consulting and Clinical
  Psychology, 66(2). p. 348-362.
• Hanson, K. Harris, A. (2001). A structured
  approach to evaluating change among sexual
  offenders. Sexual Abuse A Journal of Research
  and Treatment. 13(2), p.105-122