Bakgrund: Sexuella övergrepp är ett folkhälsoproblem som 35 procent av världens kvinnor någon gång har utsatts för. Ett sexuellt övergrepp kan medföra psykiska och fysiska hälsorisker för kvinnan. Sjuksköterskor och annan hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal ansvarar för att ge kvinnan stöd och omvårdnad för att underlätta återhämtningsprocessen. Syfte: Syftet var att undersöka den vetenskapliga litteraturen gällande kvinnors erfarenhet av stöd från sjukvårdspersonal efter sexuella övergrepp. Metod: För att genomföra studien användes en deskriptiv litteraturöversikt med en kvalitativ ansats enligt Fribergs metod (2017). Litteratursökningen utfördes i databaserna PubMed, CINAHL och PsycInfo. Tio vetenskapliga artiklar återfanns som besvarade examensarbetets syfte. Katie Erikssons omvårdnadsteori användes för att diskutera arbetets resultat. Resultat: De tio studieartiklarna besvarade studiesyftet genom två kategorier, vilka redovisade kvinnors positiva respektive negativa erfarenheter av sjukvårdspersonalens stöd. Kvinnorna som varit informanter i studieartiklarna beskrev ett professionellt och kompetent bemötande som främjande i återhämtningsprocessen. De uppskattade att bli bemötta med respekt och få information via tydlig kommunikation. Det beskrevs som negativt att bli bemött av oerfaren sjukvårdspersonal som var skuldbeläggande, stigmatiserande oförstående. Slutsats: Litteraturöversikten visade att kvinnor utryckt såväl positiva som negativa erfarenheter gällande sjukvårdens stöd efter sexuella övergrepp. Detta pekar på potential för utbyte av erfarenheter inom hälso- och sjukvård, så sjukvårdspersonal kan lära av goda exempel. Mer forskning inom området vore av värde. / Background: Sexual offence is a public health problem and 35 percent of the women around the world have been offended sometime in their lives. A sexual offence can cause psychological and physical health risks. Nurses and other health professionals have a responsibility to give the woman support and care to benefit the womans’ recovery. Aim: The purpose was to investigate the scientific literature of womens’ experience of support from healthcare professionals after sexual offence. Method: To carry out the study a descriptive literature review with a qualitative approach was used according to Fribergs’ (2017) method. The litterature search was performed by using the databases PubMed, CINAHL and PsychInfo. Ten scientific articles to answer the purpose were found. Katie Erikssons’ nursing theory was used to discuss the result. Result: The ten study articles resulted in two categories, dissatisfaction with support and satisfaction with support. The women who were informants in the study articles described a professional and competent treatment as something that promoted their recovery. They appreciated to get treated with respect and get adequate information. It was described as negative to get treated by unexperienced healthcare professionals who were blaming, stigmatizing and unsympathetic.  Conclusion: The literature review found that women expressed both positive and negative experiences regarding support from healthcare professionals after sexual offence. This points to potential for exchanging experiences within healthcare, in that healthcare professionals can learn from (others’) good examples. More research on this subject would be valuable.

It behooves any legislator confronted with a society plagued by continuous and increasingly violent crimes, to promulgate legislation which strives to deter potential offenders by inter alia limiting the access they have to potential victims. It is in this vain that the South African legislator promulgated legislation which established a National Register for Sex Offenders whereby convicted (or in certain circumstances alleged) offenders' access to potential victims are limited by restricting the opportunities these offenders might have to commit another sexual offence. The aim of this dissertation is to closely examine this newly established National Register for Sex Offenders. This examination is performed within a constitutional framework from whence a comparative analysis of an analogous register in the United Kingdom is conducted. This dissertation seeks to pre-empt potential shortcomings of the National Register for Sex Offenders by providing recommendations based on findings from the aforementioned comparative study. This dissertation begins by setting out the scope and parameters of the National Register for Sex Offenders wherein it is also discussed whether or not this register acts as an extenuation of an offender's punishment and if so, whether or not it is justifiable. After this investigation, various possible infringements of the offender's constitutional rights are identified, discussed and justified. This dissertation, subsequently, studies an analogous register also recently established in the United Kingdom which helps to identify certain shortcomings in the National Register for Sex Offenders, whereafter certain recommendations are made. Most importantly, it is recommended that an independent authority should be established to regulate and administer the National Register for Sex Offenders. Furthermore, it is recommended that the National Register for Sex Offenders and the National Child Protection Register should be amalgamated into one register which will not only save taxpayers' money, but will also avoid any confusion. Another crucially important recommendation is that the scope of the National Register for Sex Offenders should be widened to include all vulnerable adults and not only those that are mentally disabled. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Public Law / unrestricted

In an attempt to eradicate biases in substantive law and evidentiary procedures, legislative changes were implemented for sexual offences in 1983. Historically, biases in rape law had resulted in high attrition of cases at each stage of criminal justice processing, low conviction rates, and poor treatment of victims. The new legislation, which included the introduction of the offence 'sexual assault', was designed to emphasize the violent nature of sexual aggression rather than the sexual nature.<p> Law reform, however, is influenced by the response of the criminal justice personnel who must implement the new legislation. Judges are critical personnel within this framework because they both implement the reform in individual court cases and interpret the meaning of the new law. It is critical, therefore, to examine judicial understanding of the social, political, and economic meaning of the law, and more specifically, to examine their understanding of the nature of sexual violence.<p> Using a content analysis of 109 'remarks at sentencing', this study examines the impact of the 1983 reform on judicial definitions of sexual violence. The sentencing 'transcripts' are drawn from 66 sexual offence cases heard at the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan between 1975-1988. Transcripts are analyzed for the absence or presence of references to each of 9 themes (violence, coercion, physical impact of the offence on the victim, psychological impact of the offence on the victim, breach of trust, the significance of penetration, the accused's criminal history, the role of alcohol or drug abuse, and the accused's control over his sexual drive). Each theme reflects an influential variable in judicial decision-making concerning sexual offences.<p> The results of the study indicated that since 1983,frequently and suggest that judges are attempting to reflect the 3 tier classification of sexual assault outlined in the new legislation. At the same time, however, judicial definitions of these variables continue to reflect stereotypes and myths associated with sexual violence. Judicial responses to sexual violence tend to minimize the culpability of sexual offenders and to minimize the seriousness of the offence. One of the most significant findings was that the 'sexual' element continues to dominate judicial definitions of sexual aggression rather than the 'violent' element. This emphasis implies that 'coercive' sexual acts have the same sexual character as 'consensual' sexual acts.<p> It appears, therefore, that the reform has been unsuccessful in meeting its objectives at the judicial level. However, the small change which has occurred may lay the groundwork for further change in the future.

In an attempt to eradicate biases in substantive law and evidentiary procedures, legislative changes were implemented for sexual offences in 1983. Historically, biases in rape law had resulted in high attrition of cases at each stage of criminal justice processing, low conviction rates, and poor treatment of victims. The new legislation, which included the introduction of the offence 'sexual assault', was designed to emphasize the violent nature of sexual aggression rather than the sexual nature.<p> Law reform, however, is influenced by the response of the criminal justice personnel who must implement the new legislation. Judges are critical personnel within this framework because they both implement the reform in individual court cases and interpret the meaning of the new law. It is critical, therefore, to examine judicial understanding of the social, political, and economic meaning of the law, and more specifically, to examine their understanding of the nature of sexual violence.<p> Using a content analysis of 109 'remarks at sentencing', this study examines the impact of the 1983 reform on judicial definitions of sexual violence. The sentencing 'transcripts' are drawn from 66 sexual offence cases heard at the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan between 1975-1988. Transcripts are analyzed for the absence or presence of references to each of 9 themes (violence, coercion, physical impact of the offence on the victim, psychological impact of the offence on the victim, breach of trust, the significance of penetration, the accused's criminal history, the role of alcohol or drug abuse, and the accused's control over his sexual drive). Each theme reflects an influential variable in judicial decision-making concerning sexual offences.<p> The results of the study indicated that since 1983,frequently and suggest that judges are attempting to reflect the 3 tier classification of sexual assault outlined in the new legislation. At the same time, however, judicial definitions of these variables continue to reflect stereotypes and myths associated with sexual violence. Judicial responses to sexual violence tend to minimize the culpability of sexual offenders and to minimize the seriousness of the offence. One of the most significant findings was that the 'sexual' element continues to dominate judicial definitions of sexual aggression rather than the 'violent' element. This emphasis implies that 'coercive' sexual acts have the same sexual character as 'consensual' sexual acts.<p> It appears, therefore, that the reform has been unsuccessful in meeting its objectives at the judicial level. However, the small change which has occurred may lay the groundwork for further change in the future.

The issue of victims of sexual offences and their protection through criminal law Abstract The theme of this diploma thesis refers to the issue of victims of sexual offences and their protection through criminal law. This thesis aims to theoretically analyse this issue, describe the specifics of the victimisation process, and focus on protecting victims of sexual offences through criminal law. The author also asks in the introduction why these victims are victimised by so many. It also evaluates the legislation in selected areas and suggests possible changes in the legislation. The thesis itself is divided into six chapters, each of which deals with different aspects of this theme. The first chapter deals with the current legislation on selected crimes of rape, sexual abuse and sexual coercion. The author also discusses the degree of their latency, which is relatively high in crimes against human dignity in the sexual field. The second chapter defines the various concepts related to the issue of victims of sexual offences. These are terms such as victim, particularly vulnerable victim or false victim. Furthermore, the so-called victimity and victimogenic situation and factors are defined here. The conclusion of this chapter is devoted to the description of the relationship between the perpetrator of a...

La récidive sexuelle est un sujet d’intérêt pour plusieurs chercheurs et intervenants qui travaillent auprès des délinquants sexuels. Afin de mieux prévenir la récidive sexuelle, il importe de bien connaître les causes sous-jacentes à cette problématique. De cette manière, il sera possible d’élaborer des programmes de traitement efficaces et spécifiques à la problématique. Au cours des dernières années, les études sur les prédicteurs de la récidive sexuelle ont mis l’accent essentiellement sur les prédicteurs statiques, mais aussi et de plus en plus sur les prédicteurs dynamiques. Cependant, il ressort de ces études que les caractéristiques inhérentes à l’implication du délinquant à l’intérieur de son programme de traitement ont été peu étudiées. Conséquemment, le but de cette étude est d’analyser les prédicteurs dynamiques de la récidive, l’alliance thérapeutique, la motivation en cours de traitement et le support social en lien à la récidive sexuelle. Pour ce faire, un échantillon de 299 agresseurs sexuels adultes de sexe masculin est pris en considération. Les données pour mener à terme les analyses statistiques sont recueillies avant le début du traitement et en cours de traitement. Trois types de récidive sont considérés : 1) sexuelle, 2) violente, 3) générale. Les variables indépendantes portent sur des outils psychométriques et sont de deux ordres : 1) pré-traitement, 2) en cours de traitement. Deux variables contrôles sont utilisées : 1) traitement complété ou non, 2) type de traitement; cognitivo-comportemental ou mixte. Ainsi, des analyses préliminaires (test T pour groupes indépendants) sont effectuées afin de sélectionner les variables utilisées pour la réalisation des analyses de survie. En raison de la faible prévalence de récidive sexuelle (5,4%), seules les récidives violentes (10,5%) et générales (18,7%) sont considérées. L’étude nous apprend que les résultats aux analyses de survie pour les récidives violentes et générales tendent à être en continuité à celles retrouvées dans les études existantes sur le sujet. Effectivement, l’étude actuelle informe de la pertinence de compléter un programme de traitement comme facteur de protection contribuant à réduire le risque probable de récidive. Le fait de présenter des croyances pédophiliques ou encore, de ne pas présenter de traits de personnalité compulsive sont des facteurs qui contribuent à augmenter les risques relatifs de récidive criminelle. / Repeat sexual offence is a subject of interest for several researchers and workers who intervene with sexual offenders. In order to prevent having second or habitual offenders, it is important to better understand the causes underlying this issue. This will help for the elaboration of more specific and efficient treatment programs. In recent years, research on predictors of sexual recidivism essentially focused on static predictors, but also, and more and more, on dynamic predictors. However, looking at those studies, it is realized that the characteristics of the offender’s participation in his treatment program have not been the subject of much study. Therefore, the goal of the present study is to analyse the dynamic indicators of repeat offence, therapeutic alliance, motivation during treatment and the social support related to repeat sexual offence. For the study, we took a sample of 299 subjects, adult male sexual offenders. Data for the statistical analyses were gathered before and during treatment. Three types of repeat offence are considered: 1) sexual, 2) violent, 3) general. Independent variables are of two kinds: 1) pre-treatment variables, 2) in-treatment variables. Psychometric tools are used here for the independent variables. Two control variables are used: 1) complete or incomplete treatment, 2) type of treatment (cognitive-behavioural versus mixed). Preliminary analyses (T-test for independent groups) were effectuated in order to select the variables to be used in the final analyses. Due to the low rate in regard to repeat sexual offence (5,4%), only violent (18,7%) and general (16%) repeat offences are considered in the final analyses. The study shows that the results for violent and general repeat offences tend to agree with what has been reported in prior studies on the subject. Effectively, the present study informs as to the pertinence of elaborating treatment programs in terms of protection factors so as to reduce the risk of a repeat offence. The fact of holding paedophile beliefs or, still, of not presenting traits of compulsive personality are factors that contribute to increase the risks relatively to a repeat general offence.

Abstract This study aims to describe and analyse how victims and credibility are constructed in the government bill and verdicts concerning the new sexual offence law in Sweden that became effective 1 July 2018. A qualitative content analyse has been used to answer the purpose of the study and the result has been analysed using Christies theory of the ideal victim. The results show that the construction of the victim is not consistent with Christies theory of the ideal victim. If the victim has acted with resistance is no longer considered significant. The perpetrator is described to have responsibility to assure that the victim participated with free will. However, victim reactions after the assault are described as important for the victims credibility. The victim is constructed as more credible if acting with sadness, crying and being jumpy. Results also show that it is important for the credibility that the victim leaves a consistent, truthful story and make a clear distinction of what is a clear memory and what is unsure. The main finding is that there has been a change in how the victim is constructed and what is needed for the victim to seem as credible.

La récidive sexuelle est un sujet d’intérêt pour plusieurs chercheurs et intervenants qui travaillent auprès des délinquants sexuels. Afin de mieux prévenir la récidive sexuelle, il importe de bien connaître les causes sous-jacentes à cette problématique. De cette manière, il sera possible d’élaborer des programmes de traitement efficaces et spécifiques à la problématique. Au cours des dernières années, les études sur les prédicteurs de la récidive sexuelle ont mis l’accent essentiellement sur les prédicteurs statiques, mais aussi et de plus en plus sur les prédicteurs dynamiques. Cependant, il ressort de ces études que les caractéristiques inhérentes à l’implication du délinquant à l’intérieur de son programme de traitement ont été peu étudiées. Conséquemment, le but de cette étude est d’analyser les prédicteurs dynamiques de la récidive, l’alliance thérapeutique, la motivation en cours de traitement et le support social en lien à la récidive sexuelle. Pour ce faire, un échantillon de 299 agresseurs sexuels adultes de sexe masculin est pris en considération. Les données pour mener à terme les analyses statistiques sont recueillies avant le début du traitement et en cours de traitement. Trois types de récidive sont considérés : 1) sexuelle, 2) violente, 3) générale. Les variables indépendantes portent sur des outils psychométriques et sont de deux ordres : 1) pré-traitement, 2) en cours de traitement. Deux variables contrôles sont utilisées : 1) traitement complété ou non, 2) type de traitement; cognitivo-comportemental ou mixte. Ainsi, des analyses préliminaires (test T pour groupes indépendants) sont effectuées afin de sélectionner les variables utilisées pour la réalisation des analyses de survie. En raison de la faible prévalence de récidive sexuelle (5,4%), seules les récidives violentes (10,5%) et générales (18,7%) sont considérées. L’étude nous apprend que les résultats aux analyses de survie pour les récidives violentes et générales tendent à être en continuité à celles retrouvées dans les études existantes sur le sujet. Effectivement, l’étude actuelle informe de la pertinence de compléter un programme de traitement comme facteur de protection contribuant à réduire le risque probable de récidive. Le fait de présenter des croyances pédophiliques ou encore, de ne pas présenter de traits de personnalité compulsive sont des facteurs qui contribuent à augmenter les risques relatifs de récidive criminelle. / Repeat sexual offence is a subject of interest for several researchers and workers who intervene with sexual offenders. In order to prevent having second or habitual offenders, it is important to better understand the causes underlying this issue. This will help for the elaboration of more specific and efficient treatment programs. In recent years, research on predictors of sexual recidivism essentially focused on static predictors, but also, and more and more, on dynamic predictors. However, looking at those studies, it is realized that the characteristics of the offender’s participation in his treatment program have not been the subject of much study. Therefore, the goal of the present study is to analyse the dynamic indicators of repeat offence, therapeutic alliance, motivation during treatment and the social support related to repeat sexual offence. For the study, we took a sample of 299 subjects, adult male sexual offenders. Data for the statistical analyses were gathered before and during treatment. Three types of repeat offence are considered: 1) sexual, 2) violent, 3) general. Independent variables are of two kinds: 1) pre-treatment variables, 2) in-treatment variables. Psychometric tools are used here for the independent variables. Two control variables are used: 1) complete or incomplete treatment, 2) type of treatment (cognitive-behavioural versus mixed). Preliminary analyses (T-test for independent groups) were effectuated in order to select the variables to be used in the final analyses. Due to the low rate in regard to repeat sexual offence (5,4%), only violent (18,7%) and general (16%) repeat offences are considered in the final analyses. The study shows that the results for violent and general repeat offences tend to agree with what has been reported in prior studies on the subject. Effectively, the present study informs as to the pertinence of elaborating treatment programs in terms of protection factors so as to reduce the risk of a repeat offence. The fact of holding paedophile beliefs or, still, of not presenting traits of compulsive personality are factors that contribute to increase the risks relatively to a repeat general offence.

A comprehensive literature review indicated that there is a dearth of research focusing on female youth sex offenders and even less is known about the perceptions of female youth sex offenders regarding the factors that contributed to their offending. This study explores the perceptions of female youth sex offenders regarding their reasons for offending. The female youth sex offenders in this study indicated that various factors as discussed below contributed to their offending. The empirical findings of this study confirmed that female youth sex offenders are of the opinion that certain problems within their families possibly contributed to their offending behaviour. Some of these characteristics include factors such as divorce, poor parenting skills, domestic violence, substance abuse and lack of basic care and safety, just to mention a few. Female youth sex offenders’ lack of assertiveness, low self-esteem and identity issues were other factors that most probably contributed to their sexual offending. When taking into account that the majority of the participants’ parents were unemployed, poverty was another factor that most likely played a contributory role. Due to poverty in the household some of these youth were forced to relocate to Girls’ Homes, change schools or drop out of school. In order to curb female youth sex offending one would need to address these factors in a multidisciplinary and holistic manner. This study reports an in-depth qualitative understanding of the perceptions of female youth sex offenders regarding factors that contributed to their offending. In addition the last objective of this study will be the formulation of recommendations to address female youth sex offending more effectively. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2014 / Social Work and Criminology / Unrestricted

Thesis (M. Medicine (Psychiatry)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / BACKGROUND: The challenge of sexual offence crimes against women and children is notably increasing worldwide with an accompanying impact on the mental and physical well-being of the victims and society, in general. Despite the impact, sexual offenders remain a complex group, not well studied in forensic psychiatry settings globally. Previous studies identify psychosocial factors and mental illness associated with sexual offending. Adequate care, treatment and rehabilitation of sexual offenders are crucial to reduce the impact of sexual offence and re-offending. AIMS: To determine the demographic variations, clinical factors, and observation outcomes in terms of diagnosis, fitness to stand trial, and criminal responsibility among the alleged sexual offenders referred to Thabamoopo Hospital. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of mental disorders among alleged sexual offenders, to determine the number of offenders fit or unfit to stand trial and who are criminal or not criminally responsible, to determine factors associated with vulnerability to sexual offending behaviour. METHOD: This study is based on a review of clinical records and files and psychiatrists' observation reports of all alleged sexual offenders referred by the courts for forensic psychiatric observation between the period January 2015 to December 2018 at Thabamoopo Hospital. RESULTS: The sample consists of 94 participants, only one female; all were black Africans. The majority were in middle adulthood, unemployed, of a lower level of education and not married. All participants had been charged with rape. A large number of the alleged sexual offenders were diagnosed with mental conditions. The most common diagnoses were Intellectual disability disorders, psychotic disorders and substance-related disorders. More than half of the sample was fit to stand trial and criminally responsible. CONCLUSION: More than half of the participants charged with rape were found fit to stand trial and to be criminally responsible. A significant number were diagnosed with mental illness. The outcomes of being unfit to stand trial and not being criminally responsible were common among mentally ill sexual offenders. The results signify that this group of offenders needs adequate psychiatric care, treatment and rehabilitation in order to reduce sexual offending and re-offending due to the impact of mental illness.