The criminology’s contribution towards the field of sex offending has remained relatively modest over the past years. Criminologists have been rather silent and have given cautious responses to sex crimes (Lussier, & Beauregard, 2014). Indeed, in many countires, sex offenders are treated as special groups, in which these offenders required additional and special attention because they seemed to be at high risk of re-offending (McGuire, 2001). Besides, sex offending can be discussed in various field like by psychologists, psychiatrists and biologists etc as paraphilia, terms like fetishism, voyeruism, sexual masochism (Beech, & Harkins, 2012); much more can be described in sociology and economic terms (Lussier, & Beauregard, 2014). In the …show more content…
I hold the same view that “sex was not the primary motivation and nonsexual motives like anger, power and control and desire for intimacy often played a key role in sexual abuse and sexual assault”. It is about the mental disorder and deviant mode of sexual gratification like fantasies and patterns associated with such fantasies that lead to sex offending. When researchers tried to make clarifications on the studies of sex offending, it is particularly hard to specifically identify which type of sex offenses one committed. For instance, cases reported about child sexual abuse do not soley focus on sex as a factor, but also symptoms like depression, anxiety, violence as well as personality disorder (Beech, & Harkins, 2012). Thus, I think that clear boundaries and definitions like the period of persisting deviant behaviour have to be made in order to distinguish the types of sex offenses one committed. Examples like exhibitionism, fetishism, frotteurism, having its own definitions and charateristics; instead of just categorizing into one general term of sex offending since it may affect the kind of treatment and …show more content…
Undoubtedly, criminological field has its own explanation, scientific knowledge, theoretical developments and policy recommendations. However, I suggest that in order to have an in-depth understanding towards this “special” group of offenders, sex offending can be discussed and investigated together with other fields like law enforcement agencies and clinicians. The above articles have raised the concern about explanations given to sex offending and the study of juvenile and adult sex offender’s continuation has actually shown weak linkage. Sex offenders do not necessarily have to be classified as high-risk and violence since not all types of offenses will result in such behavior. Different turning points like entering new school, job market and life events like marriage may affect the course of sexual offending (Lussier, Van, Bijleveld, & Hendriks, 2012). Therefore, as more exploration on sex offending is continuing, new insights and results will stand out; hence, the public can have a thorough understanding towards this group of people. The perception and labels from the public and professionals will make significant difference to their
Successes and Failures of Sexual Offences Act 2003 The Sexual Offences Act 2003 was heralded as a response to shifting social attitudes, encompassing the broad libertarian approach towards sexual behaviour that has become increasingly dominant since the Act that preceded it whilst attempting to account for the myriad of more widespread sexual deviancies and abusive practices that were otherwise poorly regulated by existing statute. It was designed as a regularisation of the law on sexual offences giving a modern and consistent perspective upon the particular offences; one that would allow the courts to proceed on a fairer and less discriminatory basis, both in its prosecution of offenders and it in treatment of victims. Few statutes can have been subjected to the same level of public scrutiny as this Act, emerging from a climate of public concern over the adequate protection of their children and the proliferation of paedophilia. The abnormally low conviction rate for rape as well as socio-criminal phenomena like 'date-rape' or the effect of immigration on acceptable sexual practices were yet more facets of a many-handed debate about how the law should respond to a changing world. Understanding these issues is central to finding the coherent thread upon which different changes in the Act attempt to hang.
In this essay, two theories specifically focusing on sexual offending against children are compared and critical evaluated. Finkelhor’s (1984) Precondition model integrates four underlying factors that might explain the occurrence of child sexual abuse and categorizes them into four preconditions: motivation to offend, overcoming internal inhibitors, overcoming external inhibitors and overcoming child’s resistance that occur in a temporal sequence where each is necessary for the other to develop. The Precondition model provides a framework for assessment of child molesters but is criticized for a lack of aetiological explanations and for paying to little attention to cognitive factors. Ward’s (2003) Pathways model suggest that clinical phenomena evident among child sex offenders are generated by four distinct and interacting mechanisms: intimacy and social skills deficits, distorted sexual scripts, emotional dysregulation and cognitive distortions where each mechanism generates a specific offence pathway. Both theories have been influential in providing treatment goals and informing clinical assessment of child sexual abusers.
For a behaviour or action to be labelled as deviant, it will need to violate a social rule or norm, and invoke a negative reaction in the community (Goode 2014). The behaviour associated with paedophilia invokes a negative reaction in majority of Western cultures, as it disregards the accepted structures of a relationships and sexual orientation. For the purpose of this project, this behaviour was observed through a documentary called Danielův svĕt (2014), which follows the life of a self-proclaimed exclusive paedophile and his struggle in the community. Currently, there are various theories to explain the cause of the behaviour but as each theory is unable to give a full explanation; there is no definitive answer.
Similar to the MTC, Groth categorizes child offenders based on the longevity of the behavioral patterns and the offender’s psychological goals. If sexual preference for children has existed since adolescence, the offender is classified as immature or fixated. If the offender appears to have some normal relationships with adults but resorts to children when under stress, he is a regressed child offender. Groth identifies two categories based on the psychological goal of the offender: sex pressure offender and sex force offenders. The first one attempts to entice children into sexual behavior by persuasion. The latter exploits the helplessness of children or physically overpowers the
The term sex offender is generically used to describe someone who has been convicted of crimes involving sex, and these crimes include rape, molestation, sexual harassment, and pornography production and distribution. A sexual offender usually differs from a sexual predator because sexual predators usually seek to obtain sexual contact with another person in a methodically “predatory” manner. There are also pedophiles, and they are a categorically distinct form of sexual offenders, as their crimes are geared toward children. Also, they are considered to be sexual deviants. Pedophilia itself is defined as “a sexual perversion in which children are the preferred sexual object.” There has been many cases in the news about pedophiles and pedophilia. In Canada, there was Cecilia Zhang, who was kidnapped and murdered by Min Chen, a Chinese national who was in the country as a student. More recently, in the United States, Ariel Castro was convicted of kidnapping and raping three young girls; Georgina “Gina” DeJesus, Amanda Berry, and Michelle Knight. How can we explain pedophilic tendencies? Are pedophiles born that way or are they conditioned to be that way? There is no definite answer, but there are arguments to support both sides of this statement. This essay seeks to demonstrate that there are both biological and environmental factors that can influence a pedophile’s behaviour, and there are various ways in which they are assessed and treated.
Thousands of sex abuse cases with children are disclosed in the U.S. every year. The actual amount of young people that are raped and molested is even higher. But as laws change frequently, it’s still a mystery on how to treat sex offenders to prevent such crimes. “Sex offender programs/strategies represent various approaches used to prevent convicted sex offenders from committing future sex offenses. These approaches include different types of therapy, community notification, and standardized assessments (CSOM).” Most programs are held in prison and/or in the community to manage sex offenders (Olver). Approaches that can help prevent these crimes are, the cognitive-behavioral approach, which focuses on changing the thinking patterns related to sexual assaulting and also altering evil ways of sexual behavior. The psycho-educational approach is another approach, which focuses on increasing offenders' empathy for the victim while also teaching them to take responsibility for their sexual offenses. Standardized assessment tools are also highly effective, ultimately used to increase the likelihood of treatment efficacy and/or to identify individuals at high risk of reoffending. With these approaches, “it is important to include all partners who may be involved in the management of sex offenders such as law enforcement, corrections, victims’ organizations, treatment programs, courts, prosecutors and other stakeholders. These partners can provide valuable information in assessing the effectiveness and efficacy of sex offender programs and strategies (O’Donnell).”
This idea will be discussed later in the paper, but many victims meet a specific typology for offenders. There are specific traits that are preferable to offenders: children coming from single-parent families, children with school issues, poor relationships with adults, and other vulnerabilities that can be exploited (Kloess, 128). These are going to be children that lack social controls, such as family and community. Children that have home issues will not have that immediate social control that will dictate that sexual behavior with an adult is wrong due to the lack of involvement of the family unit. The deviant behavior will become rationalized due to the grooming of the offender and come off as the norm, just as crime would be the norm in a highly urban
Sexual offenses are considered to be one of society’s gravest issues. Like all crime, it is a complicated issue to solve. It is an issue that is even harder to understand. Legislators and researchers have spent countless resources trying to discover the underlying cause of why sex offenders first commit the offense and continue to reoffend. Researchers and professionals of the judicial system have begun to understand sexual offenders and their motives through the sexual offense cycle. As described in chapter four of Sexual Offenses and Offenders by Karen Terry (2006), the sexual offender cycle purpose is to demonstrate how the interaction of the offender’s thought, feelings, and behavior allow the offender to
problem for the public, as potential victims, and the legal system which is entrusted by the public for protection. It would be irresponsible for the legal system to ignore the criminal class of sex offenders, for they are subject to a recurring physiological urge that requires the use of effective restraints that would curb the habitual repetition of episodes producing the harmful consequences to the public(Schopf 95). In light of this realization, steps beyond treatment have been taken to reduce the recidivism rate of sex offenders. Notification laws, special supervising techniques by parole officers, and both surgical and chemical castration are techniques used in various forms in this country and abroad with success. However, notification laws and both forms of castrations
The Four Preconditions Model was a vital beginning in giving paedophiles a thorough theory that made an incomprehensible crime into one that could be seen as a very real possibility. It gave paedophilia research an inclusive approach when previously there were only single factor theories that regularly fell short (Howells, 1994). Not only was it the first comprehensive theory, it laid the groundwork to future research with the aim of inclusivity and flexibility to adjust depending on individual factors and differences between sex crimes. Ward and Siegert’s pathway model was the first to follow Finkelhor’s approach thus starting a trend in the science community to improve and adapt where this model fell short (Ward, Polaschek, & Beech, 2006). These advances in research and ways to approach sex offending have been massively influential to the current Risk–Need–Responsivity treatment which has been considered the best model that exists for determining offender treatment, and some of the best risk-assessment tools used on offenders are based on it (D. Andrews, Bonta, Wormith, & DA.
There are plenty of explanations on why individuals commit sexual offenses. Several theories have been developed for the purpose of determining why sexual offending occurs. However, each theory has beliefs that some characteristics are more prone to sexual offending than others. Each theory has its own center of focus regarding sexual behavior, but there is not one single theory that is able to explain the etiology of sexual deviant behavior. Overall, these theories focused on physiology, psychology, psycho-social factors, and cognitive behavioral factors.
According to Charles Scott, author of the journal The American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Outline, sexual victimization of children and adults is a significant treatment and public policy problem in the United States (Scott, 2003). In addition, the journal explains that in order to reduce sex offender recidivism, nine states in the United States have passed legislation authorizing surgical castration. Even though it might cause arguments in the future in t...
Psychological criminology has helped us understand paedophilia and child sexual abuse in a few perimeters. First we have been able to understand what is paedophilia and child sexual abuse. Paedophilia refers to the sexual attraction towards prepubescent children, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(DSM-4), defines it as “recurrent, intense sexual arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving activities with a prepubescent child” and child sex abuse does not have to involve force, penetration, pain, or even touching, If an adult engages in any form of sexual behavior such as even showing or looking with a child to meet an adults sexual needs then it is considered child sexual abuse. But to be a pedophile is
Sex crimes are extremely serious among the criminal justice system. Sexual offenses are defined as criminal sexual acts such as when a person forces or threatens another individual to contribute in undesired sexual activities (FD, n.d.). Laws regarding sexual offenses have gone through necessary reforms to adapt to modern society norms. Although changes have been made, sexual offenses continue to be a problem in society and a challenge for the justice system to protect the people from sexual offenders. Sexual offenses can be classified in a variety of types and austerity.
Female Sexual Offenders in Education Introduction In the contemporary world, cases of female sexual offenders in the education system have increased. Various reasons related to social factors make female sexual abuse likely to remain overlooked and not reported to the authority. Notwithstanding community’s raising attention towards sexual offenses, numerous factors lead to the under-reporting of feminine sexual manipulation of both adult and child targets. Conventionally, the community presumes that females are non-violent.