Several risk factors have been identified for adolescent sex offenders and non-sex offenders. Such risk factors include physical and/or sexual abuse, and exposure to community and/or domestic violence. Additionally, the presence of disinhibitive factors, such as substance use and exposure to violent or pornographic media are also commonly reported in the backgrounds of both sex and non-sex offenders. Similarly, adolescent offenders have reported traumatic reactions to environmental factors such as abuse and violence. Similarities in exposure to the risk and disinhibitive factors described above between adolescent sex and non-sex offenders do not provide an explanation for why some adolescents commit sex offenses, whereas other adolescent offenders do not. This study investigated the discriminative ability of traumatic reactions as a risk factor between male adolescent sex and non-sex offenders. The inclusion of traumatic reactions increased the accuracy of risk factors distinguishing between sex and non-sex offenders. Thus, not only the presence of risk factors, but also the adolescent's reaction to the risk factors, are important predictors of whether he will commit a sexual offense.

No description available.

No description available.

Background: Evidence for the effectiveness of psychological treatments for sex offenders with learning disabilities is far from overwhelming. Qualitative studies can augment quantitative research by providing insight into the experiences of those who receive such treatment. There are a number of qualitative studies of the views of offenders but few that focus on the views of those with learning disabilities. Method: A systematic review was carried out of qualitative studies of the views of sex offenders, with and without learning disabilities, about their experiences of treatment. An empirical study, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, explored the views of men with mild learning disabilities about one particular group treatment. Results: The review identified that a supportive atmosphere, good therapeutic relationship, trust and positive peer interactions were highly valued. Some elements of treatment, such as offence disclosure, were seen as both difficult and helpful. In the empirical study, themes regarding offence disclosure and trust were also identified. In addition, treatment was characterised as being about giving and receiving advice. Participants struggled with some of the other concepts used in treatment but described gains including becoming a mentor and developing a sense of mastery. Most strikingly, participants described needing extensive time in treatment in order to gain benefit. Over time they moved from feeling anxious and angry about treatment to feeling positive, supported and trusting. Conclusion: Sex offenders with learning disabilities may need long-term treatment programmes in order to effect change. Treatment providers should be sensitive to offenders’ feelings of initial anxiety and anger.

There is considerable responsibility on the clinician to identify sex offenders who may potentially commit more serious sexually violent behaviour and an increased demand for evidence based risk assessments (Macpherson, 1997; Thomas-Peter and Warren, 1998). Offenders who commit non-contact sexual crimes are traditionally classified as harmless despite the significant minority who escalate in offence severity towards more violent sexual offending. Forty convicted male sex offenders were classified as non-contact or contact sexual recidivists. Non-contact recidivists had a history of non-contact sexual offending on two or more occasions. Contact recidivists had a history of noncontact offending and had recidivated with a contact sexual offence. Groups were compared on the Sexual Violence Risk-20 (SVR-20: Boer et al. 1997) and the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL: SV: Hart et al. 1995). Psychosexual variables, criminal history and clinical risk factors were also coded using a multi-variable assessment model. A retrospective-prospective comparison successfully used by Quinsey et al. (1995) was performed between non-contact and contact recidivist groups. Factors that discriminated between non-contact recidivists and contact recidivists were primarily historical in nature, reflecting fixed or relatively stable characteristics. Significant differences between non-contact recidivists and contact recidivists were observed on total PCL: SV scores and psychosocial factors of the SVR-20 including sexual deviation, a history of childhood victimisation and past nonviolent offences. Contact recidivists were significantly younger than non-contact recidivists at first non-sexual offence and were significantly more likely to have a history of homosexual offending. A high level of interrater reliability on the SVR-20 and PCL: SV was observed. Suggested revisions to several iten1s of the SVR-20 and methodological considerations are reported. The research demonstrates that a progressive pattern of sexual offending from noncontact sexual offending to contact sexual offending is reliably associated with a combination of risk factors. The study offers the potential for early detection of a more serious escalation in sexual offending to allow for the possibility of supervision and clinical risk management.

published_or_final_version / Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

No description available.

This research emerged out of an idea which originated in an earlier MSc dissertation, in which I had explored the differences between male and female offenders (Pullar, 2000). Here I discovered that a substantial number of women had been found guilty of offences that were violent in nature. This finding was backed up by my own recent practice experience relating to women involved in the probation services. What I began to suspect was that women offenders, contrary to conventional assumptions operating within criminal justice social work services, were not an homogeneous group. On the contrary, I began to consider whether there were identifiable differences between women who had been convicted of offences involving violence and those who had been convicted of non-violent offences. This observation led me to turn to some of the more recent research on women offenders, some of which, (e.g. Loucks and Zamble, 2001), suggested that in practice, women offenders display significantly different offending patterns in terms of their pathways into offending, their offending behaviour and the factors that sustain that behaviour. It is also suggested that women w are convicted of violent offences display behaviour that is very similar to that of male offenders. The target group for my own research was all women who had appeared in court and had had a social enquiry report prepared about them and were living in Fife within the financial year April 2003 to March 2004. This time-scale allowed verification of the quantitative data collected, by comparison with figures submitted by Fife Council Criminal Justice Service to the Audit Commission for Scotland. A population of women offenders was considered in this year and 200 separate cases were included. In addition to the quantitative data collected, in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 21 women, all of whom were subject to statutory supervision. Both parts of the data collection were completed by August 2004. In order that the quantitative data could be collected in a systematic fashion, the Level of Service Inventory (Revised), or L.S.I.-R., was used to collect information about the target group. Furthermore, two additional parameters were added to this inventory, both of which were factors that had been identified previously by researchers as being associated with offending behaviour in women. These were firstly, experiences of childhood abuse and neglect, and secondly, having a male partner who was involved in criminal activity. The differences between the two groups of women offenders were analysed for statistical significance, using the Excel worksheet package. The L.S.I.-R. was also used in helping to construct a framework for the collection of the qualitative data. The interview schedule for the semi-structured interviews with women probationers was devised to reflect the areas of criminogenic need identified as relevant both by the L.S.I.-R. and by researchers in the field of women offenders (e.g. Carlen, 1988). Once completed, the interviews were transcribed, coded and analysed, with the help of the NUD*IST qualitative data analysis computer package. The research concludes that marked differences were found between women offenders convicted of violent offences and those convicted of offences which did not involve violence. Strong evidence was gathered regarding differences in the ways that the women had become involved in offending and some of the elements that sustained that behaviour, notably substance abuse. There was also some indication that life-course experiences were particularly significant for the group of women who had been convicted of violent offences. The thesis concludes that, in view of the differences, these groups require different kinds of social work service provision.

BACKGROUND. Neuropathological processes affecting the left frontotemporal lobes and their connections with subcortical structures have been reported in individuals who sexually assault minors. However, these findings are not necessarily conclusive, and knowledge is limited as to how such factors influence the 'blocking' adult sexual relations, disinhibition, emotional congruence and sexual arousal to children; or indeed if functional disorders are more significant. METHOD. A combination of neuropsychological (LNNB Form II) and personality (MMPI-2) probes where used to ascertain the profiles of male subjects satisfying DSM-III criteria for paedophilia, and a comparison was made with male rapist and homicide offenders to identify a characteristic neuro-behavioural syndrome. All groups were matched for premorbid intelligence, drug/alcohol abuse, socio-economic status and incarceration period. Hypotheses of greater dysfunction localised to the lefthemisphere fronto-temporal lobe areas, and more disturbed personality and psychopathology in the paedophile offenders were tested. The Multiphasic Sex Inventory (MSI) was also used to confirm the diagnoses of the sexual offenders and to assess psychosexual functioning. RESULTS. The offender groups were undifferentiated in terms of frequency of overall neuropsychological dysfunction, yet 26.8 per cent had clinically significant cognitive impairment, and a further 23.2 per cent were diagnosed as 'Borderline.' However, pattern of expressive speech and writing deficits in the paedophile group's LNNB-11 profile was consistent with subclinical features of Transcortical Motor Aphasia-Type I syndrome (i.e. non-fluent verbal output - decreased spontaneity of expression and impoverished narrative speech, but with intact comprehension, repetition of spoken language; clumsily produced letters and hypereconomy of written content; and apathy). Damage to the left-hemisphere dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is known to be associated with this type of aphasia, which in tum increases the probability of dysexecutive syndrome (i.e. limited planning and maintenance of goal-directed behaviour and behavioural flexibility). The impact of this syndrome was clearly reflected by socialdeficit type features found in the paedophile's MMPI-2 48' /84' profile which are consistent with a schizotypal personality disorder (i.e. apathy, social withdrawal, constricted affect, odd speech and behaviour). Additionally, psychosexual functioning, rationalisations and cognitive distortions relating to offence behaviours was found to be more deviant in paedophiles than rapists. CONCLUSION. From a developmental perspective, neuropathology of the circuits connecting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with sub-cortical areas, presenting as dysexecutive syndrome, may be significant in explaining the paedophile' s lack of adjustment to, indifference for, and alienation from the adult world; increasing the probability for emotional and sexual dependency on children. Several possibilities for future research are identified and practical uses for the findings of this study are presented.