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.

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.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work / L. Susan Williams / A major public concern is what to do with sex offenders. This seven-year study utilizes first-hand accounts from sex offenders who pursue children, exploring recruitment methods – that is, how they find and gain access to victims. Much public perception about sex offender recruitment is based on well-publicized cases such as that of Polly Klaas, Megan Kanka, and Jaycee Dugard – young girls who were abducted and, in the case of Klaas and Kanka, murdered, by strangers. Legislative efforts responded with laws such as “three strikes” and sex offender registries. Scientific studies have found such laws to be ineffective, yet heightened media exposure persists, perception of “stranger danger” prevails, and untried legislative initiatives continue. The most recent is “buffer zone” laws that limit where sex offenders live. To better inform perception and policy, this study investigates two samples of sex offenders concerning child recruitment. The first sample targeted a general population of sex offenders in state custody with a determinate sentence. The second focused on a population of sexually violent predators (SVP), as defined by Kansas law, constituting repeat offenders with a long history of sex offenses and/or those deemed legislatively as unfit for release into the community. The bulk of data came through interviews addressing activities that surrounded the offense(s), details of child recruitment, and, pertaining to the SVP sample, how offending corresponded with certain life events. Theoretically, the study is informed by Routine Activities Theory (RAT) and Life-Course Theory (LCT). RAT is based on a rational choice perspective of motivation and opportunity – an individualistic approach – while LCT sees offending episodes as strongly influenced by structural position. These two seemingly divergent theories represent a unique framework referred to here as conditioned activities, demonstrating how routine activities are altered by certain life events, or turning points, which, in turn, influence persistence or desistence in offending. It was discovered that child victim recruitment varies across the life course, specifically tied to changes in the offender’s social position. Age of the offender interacts with both position and life events.

A RESEARCH REPORT PRESENTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK SCHOOL OF HUMAN AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FACULTY OF HUMANITIES UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND JOHANNESBURG IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE MASTERS OF ARTS IN SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT MARCH, 2016 / The cases of children involved in criminal activities are on the increase all over the world, including in South Africa. Offering services to all children and youth, whilst upholding the rights of children, is one of the fields of practice in social work. South Africa has adopted a restorative approach that aims to rehabilitate and return children in conflict with the law back into their communities. At the heart of applying restorative approaches as intervention with children in conflict with the law are social workers. The study attempts to explore the experiences of social workers regarding their intervention strategies with young sexual offenders. The study applied a qualitative approach and narrative research design. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to select 12 research participants from organisations that facilitate diversion programmes for child sex offenders. To ensure trustworthiness of the research, three prosecutors were also interviewed. Semi-structured interview schedules were utilised to conduct in-depth telephonic interviews with the participants. The data was transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. The main finding which emerged from the study was that social workers’ challenges with diversion are mainly associated with external factors such as poor parental co-operation. The study concludes that diversion contributes to reducing the level of recidivism with child sex offenders and is a necessary form of intervention for children in conflict with the law. Key words: Children in conflict with the law, Diversion, Rehabilitation, Sexual offences, Child sex offenders, Social workers.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2006. / Title from title screen (site viewed on Feb. 5, 2007). PDF text: viii, 77 p. UMI publication number: AAT 3218191. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche format.

It has only been within the past two decades that a new etiological model of sex offending has emerged that embraces attachment theory in order to provide a more comprehensive understating of how early attachment disruptions may contribute to sexually aggressive behavior. Although there is much theoretical support for the insecure attachment-sex offending paradigm, very little work has been done in the area of empirical validation. Furthermore, the majority of the research that has been conducted in this area focuses on adult offenders and primarily relies on self-report measures of attachment. Therefore, this study examined patterns of attachment in a sample of juvenile sex offenders utilizing a projective instrument, The Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP). This new measure assesses the unconscious aspects of one’s representational model of attachment, such as defenses and underlying expectations concerning relationships. In addition to examining the implicit facet of the attachment construct, this study also explored individuals’ conscious perceptions of attachment needs and experiences by means of a self-report measure. Twenty-five male adolescent sex offenders participated in this study. All subjects were administered the AAP and the Inventory of Parental and Peer Attachment. A brief interview was also conducted in order to gather more detailed descriptive information concerning the adolescents’ family relationships and history of sexual offenses. Results from this study indicated that 100% of the adolescents were classified as insecure on the AAP. The majority of subjects were judged to be dismissing (52%), followed closely by the unresolved attachment status (44%). These findings were discussed in terms of the disorganized attachment-sex offending model and in regards to the attachment concept of “failed mourning.” Qualitative data from the subjects’ interviews and AAP stories were used to provide further support for these theories. The divergent objective-projective test scores that emerged from this study were discussed in terms of their utility and the ways in which they complement each other. Overall, results from this study suggested that insecure attachment may play an important role in sexually aggressive behavior and that attachment-based intervention models may be useful when working with this population. / text