Understanding the Predictive Factors of Sexual Offenders

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Recommended: Personality theories of sexual offending

Within the last few decades, sexual violence has come “to light” as a crime that has destructive implications that drag on for years (Grotpeter, Menard, Gianola, &O’Neal, 2008). With the help of the media, law enforcement and new laws regarding sexual offenders, people are more aware of the crime. The awareness is of the risks that make people more likely to become a victim. However, awareness should also shed light on the predictive factors as to why people commit sexual assaults in the first place. The National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) reported that there is no single type of person that is more likely to commit a sexual offense. Regardless of sex, gender, socioeconomic status, etc., there is no way to determine if any individual will become a sexual offender based on this information alone (NCJRS, n.d.). So, what makes someone more likely to commit a sexual offense on another human being? This question is quite difficult to really narrow down. However, there are certain factors that need to be explored that can provide a better idea of what really goes through the mind of a sexual offender before the crime even takes place. Once a better understanding of predictive factors of sexual offenders is offered, then preventative measures can begin. In order to fully examine potential factors that can lead to a sexual assault, scientific studies that have been conducted over the subject should be reviewed to understand the question being raised.
The first study that has been assessed was carried out by Chakhssi, Ruiter, and Bernstein. This study was to investigate if early maladaptive cognitive schemas (EMS) played a role in sexual offender’s behaviors. Moreover, which EMS led offenders to commit the sexual assault a...

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...t offenders: An exploratory study. J Sex Med 2013;10:2201–2210.
Grotpeter J., Menard S., Gianola D., &O’Neal M., (2008). Sexual Violence: Longitudinal, Multigenerational Evidence from the National Youth Survey. Final Report May 22, 2008, Document Number: 223284, Supported by U.S. Department of Justice
Lussier, P., Leclerc, B., Cale, J., & Proulx, J. (2008). Developmental pathways of deviance in sexual aggressors. Criminal Justice And Behavior, 34(11), 1441-1462.
Schroeder, M., Iffland, J., Hill, A., Berner, W., & Briken, P. (2013). PERSONALITY DISORDERS IN MEN WITH SEXUAL AND VIOLENT CRIMINAL OFFENSE HISTORIES. Journal Of Personality Disorders, 27(4), 519-530. doi:10.1521/pedi
Voller, E. K., & Long, P. J. (2010). Sexual Assault and Rape Perpetration by College Men: The Role of the Big Five ersonality Traits. Journal Of Interpersonal Violence, 25(3), 457-480.

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