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This study presents a preliminary psychometric evaluation of the Greek version of the Perceptions of Sex Offenders scale (PSO) in a community sample in Greece and examines the sociodemographic differences in its score. The participants were 452 people between 18 and 74 years old (mean age: 38). There were 141 men (31.27%) and 310 women (68.73%). The results supported a two-factor structure for the Greek PSO (factor I = Sentencing and Management and factor II = Stereotype Endorsement), while the third factor of the original PSO (“Risk Perception”) was not supported. These subscales demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha was .88 for the full scale with 18 retained items, .90 for the Sentencing and Management subscale and .83 for the Stereotype Endorsement subscale). There was also preliminary evidence for adequate construct validity. The older participants and those with lower educational levels asked for harsher managing and sentencing of sex offenders and had more stereotypes. The Greek version of the PSO is reliable, easy to administer and can be used for research and clinical purposes in men and women. This highlights the necessity for the cultural adaptation of the PSO in many other languages and countries. Future studies could use the PSO in specific samples like students, social workers, psychologists, correctional or judicial employees, police officers etc. to evaluate the possible differences between these groups.

Psiholoģija Psiholoģija Psychology Psychology Bakalaura darba mērķis ir veikt sistemātisko pārskatu par psiholoģisko riska faktoru nozīmi atkārtota dzimumnozieguma veikšanai. Lai sniegtu atbildi uz pētījuma jautājumu, vai pašvērtējums ir saistīts ar atkārtota dzimumnozieguma izdarīšanu, tika atlasīti šķērsgriezuma pētījumi zinātniskajās datu bāzēs, kā “Pro Quest”, “Science Direct”, “Sage Journals” un “Wiley Online Library”. Pētījumi tika izvēlēti pēc Prisma Flow shēmas (Moher et. al., 2009). Sistemātiskajā pārskatā tika iekļauti trīs pētījumi, kuri atbilda iekļaušanas un izslēgšanas kritērijiem. Izvēlētajos pētījumos tika apskatīta un pētīta dzimumnoziedznieku pašvērtējuma saistība ar atkārtota dzimumnozieguma veikšanu. Pētījumu metodoloģiskā kvalitāte tika noteikta ar Džoannas Briggsas institūta šķērsgriezuma pētījumu kritisko novērtējumu (The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Analytical Cross Sectional Studies 2017). Analizējot pētījumus pēc astoņiem dotajiem kritērijiem, tika secināts, ka izvēlētie pētījumi ir augstas kvalitātes, un tie var tikt iekļauti sistemātiskajā pārskatā. Pētījuma rezultāti liecināja, ka pašvērtējumam nav tiešas saiknes ar atkārtotu dzimumnoziegumu izdarīšanu (O’Hare, 2016; Thompson, 2019) tomēr pētījumi un izskatītā literatūra liecināja, ka katram mainīgajam lielumam (iekļaujot pašvērtējumu) ir būtiska saistība ar dzimumnoziedznieku recidīva līmeni (Thompson, 2019). Tika atrasta saikne starp antisociālu dzīvesveidu, ko raksturo likumu pārkāpumi, neapdomīga un impulsīva uzvedība un starp recidīvu, kas var būt potenciāls priekšvēstnesis atkārtotām seksuāla rakstura noziedzīgām darbībām. Savukārt Pettersens un kolēģi (Pettersen et al., 2019) pierādīja, ka augstāks pašvērtējums ir saistīts ar augstāku seksuālā recidīva līmeni. Šie secinājumi pierāda, ka pašvērtējuma un atkārtota dzimumnozieguma veikšanai ir savstarpējas saistība, un ir iespējami daudzi un dažādi faktori, kā piemēram agresijas, dusmu un vardarbības problēmas varētu veicināt recidīva risku (Walker & Knauer, 2011). Kopumā būtu nepieciešams padziļinātāk izpētīt pašvērtējuma saistību ar atkārtotu dzimumnozieguma izdarīšanu, izvērtējot citu mainīgo riska faktoru saistību ar seksuālo recidīvu. Kaut gan pašvērtējums, individuāli, kā psiholoģiskais riska faktors neuzrāda būtisku saistību ar atkārtotu dzimumnoziegumu veikšanu, to būtu nepieciešams izpētīt saistībā ar citiem riska faktoriem, lai turpmāk dzimumnoziegumu apkarošanā būtu plašāka informācija par seksuālā recidīva riska iespējām dzimumnoziedzniekos. The aim of this thesis is to systematically review the role of psychological risk factors for repeat sexual offending. To answer the research question of whether self-esteem is associated with reoffending, cross-sectional studies were searched in scientific databases such as Pro Quest, Science Direct, Sage Journals and Wiley Online Library. The studies were selected according to the Prisma Flow scheme (Moher et. al., 2009). Three studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the systematic review. The selected studies examined and explored the association of sex offenders' self-esteem with reoffending. The methodological quality of the studies was determined by the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Analytical Cross Sectional Studies (2017). After analysing the studies according to the eight given criteria, it was concluded that the selected studies were of sufficiently high quality to be included in the systematic review. The results showed that self-esteem has no direct association with reoffending (O'Hare, 2016; Thompson, 2019) however the research and literature reviewed showed that each variable (including self-esteem) has a significant association with sex offender reoffending rates (Thompson, 2019). Pettersen and colleagues (Pettersen et al., 2019) showed that higher self-esteem is associated with higher rates of sexual recidivism. These findings demonstrate that self-esteem and sexual reoffending are correlated and that a wide variety of factors such as problems with aggression, anger and violence could contribute to the risk of reoffending (Walker & Knauer, 2011). Overall, the association of self-esteem with sexual reoffending should be further explored by examining the association of other risk variables with sexual recidivism. Although self-esteem, individually, as a psychological risk factor does not show a significant association with sexual reoffending, it should be explored in relation to other risk factors in order to have more information on the risk of sexual reoffending in sex offenders in the future.

The current study is an analysis of archival data from a sexual behaviour clinic in Toronto, Canada. The dataset is comprised of offenders who were referred to the clinic for a sexological assessment and includes assessment information, such as victim information and phallometric assessment data for each offender. Victim information is comprised of official file information and official criminal history documentation. Phallometric testing is a psychophysiological measure of sexual arousal to different stimuli which vary by sex (male or female) and sexual development (prepubescent, pubescent, and adult). The purpose of this study is to examine victim characteristics that are positively associated with a primary sexual interest in pubescent children (hebephilia) and to combine these items to develop a scale that can accurately classify offenders with primary hebephilic interests from those who have no sexual interest in children. The classification of these two groups (primary hebephilia versus no sexual interest in children) is based on phallometric testing (see ‘Indices’).

This thesis is an analysis of an archival dataset consisting of a large sample of men who committed at least one sexual offense and were then assessed at a large Canadian sexual behaviour clinic in Toronto. The dataset includes each offender’s entire criminal history based on official criminal records, as well as assessment data from the sexual behaviour clinic. The clinic data consists of demographic data, each offenders phallometric assessment (a physiological measure that assesses sexual arousal to stimuli that vary by sex and sexual development), victim information, and data from a sexual history interview. The purpose of this study is to explore the offending trajectories of adult onset sex offenders, an understudied population of sexual offenders, and to determine whether certain offending trajectories are associated with certain offence characteristics and a sexual interest in children.

La réinsertion sociale est un processus parsemé d’embûches au cours duquel un individu faisant face à la justice peut bénéficier d’interventions lui permettant d’être une personne autonome, intégrée à sa communauté et respectueuse des lois. Puisque l’état actuel des connaissances ne permet généralement pas d’aller au-delà de l’identification des difficultés qui surviennent dans ce processus, cette étude qualitative exploratoire a pour objectif d’examiner en profondeur les défis rencontrés par des hommes en maison de transition dans le cadre de leur processus de réinsertion sociale. L’analyse de contenu des entretiens (n = 16) a permis de distinguer six catégories de défis, soit le retour à la liberté, la situation financière et occupationnelle, le réseau social, le développement personnel, la stigmatisation et l’hébergement en maison de transition. Des particularités chez certains profils (durée de la sentence, délinquance sexuelle) ont été relevées. Les résultats sont discutés en regard des théories du désistement criminel. L’exercice souligne entre autres que certaines conditions légales et la stigmatisation des personnes judiciarisées créent des enjeux de contre-productivité., Reintegration is a difficult process and individuals who have been affected by the justice system can benefit from interventions that help them to be autonomous, law-abiding, and integrated into their communities. Current research, however, seldom goes beyond identifying the difficulties in this process. Our qualitative study was an in-depth exploration of the challenges encountered by ex-convicts who had been provided with lodging in halfway houses as part of their reentry process. Six categories of challenges were identified following a content analysis of the interviews (n=16) : return to society, financial and occupational situation, social network, personal development, stigmatization, and living in halfway houses. Experiences specific to certain profiles (length of sentence, sexual delinquency) are noted. Results are discussed in relation to desistance theories. Among other things, the study highlights the ways in which legal conditions and the stigmatization of offenders can lead to counter-productive outcomes., La reinserción social es un proceso plagado de trampas a través del cual un individuo que enfrenta un proceso judicial puede beneficiar de intervenciones que le permiten ser una persona autónoma, integrada a su comunidad y respetuosa de las leyes. Como generalmente el estado actual del conocimiento no permite ir más allá de la identificación de las dificultades que ocurren en este proceso, este estudio cualitativo exploratorio tiene como objetivo estudiar a profundidad los desafíos encontrados por algunos hombres en los centros de reinserción social, en el marco de sus procesos de reinserción a la sociedad. El análisis de contenido de las entrevistas (n = 16) permitió diferenciar seis categorías de desafíos, ya sean el retorno a la libertad, la situación financiera y ocupacional, la red social, el desarrollo personal, la estigmatización, y el alojamiento en una casa de transición. Particularidades de algunos perfiles (duración de la sentencia, delincuencia sexual) son puestos en relieve. Los resultados son discutidos a la luz de las teorías del desistimiento delictivo. Entre otras cosas, este ejercicio subraya que algunas condiciones legales y la estigmatización de las personas judicializadas crean desafíos contra productivos.

Durante la última década ha aumentado el interés político criminal por expandir la aplicación del criterio de peligrosidad en el Derecho penal español. Esto determinó la introducción de la libertad vigilada con el objetivo expreso de aprehender el riesgo que plantea un nuevo tipo de sujeto jurídico-penal: el delincuente imputable peligroso. El presente trabajo examina detalladamente la evolución de esta medida de seguridad con el fin de extraer las notas características de la construcción de los «peligrosos» efectuada por el legislador. Como objetivo último, se pretende reflexionar sobre la idea de peligrosidad que se encuentra detrás de la plasmación legal y las implicaciones que derivan de ella.The last decade has seen a rise in the utilization of the dangerousness criterion in the Spanish criminal law. This determined the introduction of the measure of supervised release as a way to respond against certain types of offenders deemed to still pose a risk to the population at time of release. This paper aims to examine this process in depth with the purpose of extracting some of the features of this group of «dangerous» offenders as defined by the Criminal Code. More generally, it aims to gain some insight about which concept of dangerousness lies behind these changes.

Child sexual abuse is a serious social problem. In reports of sexually abused children, victims' narratives often contain elements that suggest the abuse was recorded to create images for child pornography with sadistic, bizarre, or perverted details. The presence of unusual or bizarre elements in the accounts of abused children affects their credibility. The purpose of this paper is to assess the presence and prevalence of these elements in the reports of children with suspected sexual abuse and to examine their consistency with verified cases of child abuse. We conducted two studies. In Study 1, we developed a list of 16 categories of unusual and bizarre scripts reported by children in reports of sexual abuse. In Study 2, we validated the list by examining the presence of the identified scripts in the actual experiences of both individuals convicted of crimes related to child pornography and Italian police officers who were involved with child pornography as part of their official duties. Our findings suggest that children's accounts of sexual abuse should be considered credible even if they contain unusual or bizarre elements that also occur in child pornography and therefore may reflect events actually experienced rather than merely the child's fantasy or imagination.

Funder: Bavarian State Ministry of Justice, BACKGROUND: Various studies have demonstrated that people who do not complete sex offender treatment have higher recidivism rates than completers or untreated controls. The mechanism behind this association, however, remains unclear. One explanation is that responsivity issues are more prevalent in high-risk offenders, making treatment failure and recidivism more likely, especially if treatment intensity is insufficient to match criminal needs. In addition, dropout may have a negative effect on offenders by increasing feelings of frustration or self-doubt. AIMS: To retest for a link between treatment discontinuation and recidivism by sex offenders and analyse the mechanisms mediating the link between treatment discontinuation and their recidivism. We hypothesise that non-completion has a negative effect on recidivism after controlling for a priori differences in risk of recidivism. METHODS: We analysed data from all sex offenders released from Bavarian prisons between 2004 and 2015 who had participated in prison-based social-therapeutic treatment and compared non-completers (n = 100) to offenders ending treatment as planned (n = 428). Criminal risk, offence characteristics, and treatment-related propensities were measured by a comprehensive assessment instrument, including the Static-99. Recidivism data were obtained from Federal Official Records with an average time-at-risk of 9.43 years (SD = 3.29). RESULTS: Treatment non-completion was significantly associated with recidivism after controlling for criminal risk, offence characteristics and treatment duration. This was mainly accounted for by men who had spent at least two years in treatment before premature termination and return to an ordinary prison setting. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings aid understanding the potentially negative impact of discontinuing social-therapeutic treatment for male sex offenders; termination after substantial commitment may be particularly problematic. Future research should encompass large enough sample sizes to study details behind staff or prisoner decisions to return the prisoner to ordinary prison conditions and to mitigate harms by loss of privileges.

Objectives. The main objective of the study was to compare personality tratis and diagnoses of personality disorders of sex offenders and offenders of other crimes. Furthermore, sex offenders with adult victims were compared to sex offenders with minor victims. Methods. This is a single-institution retrospective study of subjects identified as sex offenders and sent for institutional psychiatric evaluation. All written evaluations of people sent for institutional evaluation from 2010 to 2016 were used. Altogether, there were 501 cases, 444 male and 57 female. Of them, there were 57 cases of individuals charged with sexual offences, with 56 male and one female. Demographic, clinical, psychiatric, and legal dana were collected from the evaluations, including the marital status and place of residence, mental disorders diagnosed and prior history of treatment, previous convictions, assessment of criminal responsibility. Results. Personality disorders (ICD-10 F60 code) were diagnosed in 67.4% of sex offenders and in 32.6% of non-sex offenders (χ2=9.444, p=0.002). Among sex offenders, the most frequent personality disorders were antisocial (37.5%) and narcissistic (32.1%), followed by dependent (10.7%), borderline (8.9%) and paranoid personality disorder (3.6%). The rank was similar for the non-sex offenders, but with lower figures: antisocial (27.5%), narcissistic (23.5%), borderline (7.8%), paranoid (3.5%), and dependent personality disorder (2.0%). When comparing sex offenders with adult and with child victims, there was a difference only for the antisocial personality disorder, as 57.1% of those with adult victims and 32.4% of those with child victims had this diagnosis (χ2=4.448, p

Sex-offenders are at risk of criminal recidivism. For the treatment to be truly effective, it must be individualized. For this purpose, an accurate assessment should focus on criminological, psychological, and psychopathological features. The present study compared sex offenders with other offenders on historical experiences (i.e., problems with violence, anti-social behaviors, problems with personal relationships, problems with substance use, traumatic experiences, and parenting style). In addition, given the association between life events and psychopathy, we explored whether the relation between life events and crime type (sexual crime vs. other types of crime) might be moderated by psychopathy traits (interpersonal and affective deficits and antisocial behavior). Eighty-eight sex offenders (76% of whom child molesters) and 102 other offenders were included. The Historical, Clinical and Risk Management - 20 item Version 3 (HCR-20V3) and Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) were administered. The scores of the HCR-20V3 Historical scale items were computed to assess life events. The scores of the PCL-R factors, F1 Interpersonal affective deficits and F2 Antisocial behavior, were recorded. The presence of a history of problems with non-intimate relationships was the only significant risk factor for sexual crime compared with other crimes. Interpersonal and affective deficits provided an increased likelihood of being sex offenders as compared with other offenders when problems with non-intimate relationships were possibly/partially or certainly present.

Background and aimsPeople from the community seeking treatment in frameworks such as Sexaholics Anonymous (SA) and sex offenders are preoccupied with sex, sexual fantasies, and behaviors. The rates of compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD), however, are reported to be substantially lower among sex offenders than SAs. In this study, we examined differences between SAs and sex offenders in CSBD and in processes that might be at the core of CSBD – maladaptive schemas about the self and others, impulsivity, and sensation seeking.MethodsThe study comprised 103 sex offenders, 68 SAs, and 81 violence offenders who served as controls aged 18–74 years, who completed self-report measures regarding CSBD, maladaptive schemas, impulsivity, and sensation seeking.ResultsSAs were higher on CSBD, maladaptive schemas, impulsivity, and sensation seeking than sex offenders. Sex offenders were higher on CSBD and impulsivity than violence offenders. Among all groups, maladaptive schemas were linked with higher CSBD.ConclusionsHigh rates of CSBD among SAs might partially be accounted by differences in maladaptive schemas. We discuss the implication of the study to the understanding of CSBD, sexual offences, and therapy for CSBD and sexual offending.

Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to examine the tendencies toward specialization and generalist offending among intimate partner violence (IPV) offenders and to assess whether some well-known correlates of criminal offending are differentially associated with various offending patterns. Method: We use large-scale register-based data from Finland including all offenders in police-recorded cases of IPV between 2015 and 2019 (N = 19,030). Two different analytic approaches suggested for research on offense specialization are used: the multilevel item response theory (IRT) approach and latent class analysis (LCA). Results: Significant tendencies toward both specialization and generalist offending were found in the data using both analysis methods. In addition, the correlates were differentially associated with specialized versus versatile offending patterns. Specialization in IPV was associated with, for example, female gender, older age, higher socioeconomic status, and having an immigrant background. The findings also show IPV specialization and generalist offending to be differentially associated with different victimization types. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the idea of IPV offenders as specialists who do not engage in violence and crime in other contexts is not empirically fully accurate. Implications for future research, theory, and prevention policies are discussed.

The realities surrounding sex offenders in the United States can often times be inundated with preconceived and even false certainties. A consequence of such misleading beliefs for sex offenders can be the creation of urban legends and myths that motivated individuals can use to back an agenda and that can bring unintended collateral damage creating false realities for offenders, their families, law enforcement, and the community. This study utilizes Loseke's lens to examine the socially constructed realities in which sex offenders in the United States are forced to live. The history of the treatment of sex offenders is detailed from colonial America through child sexual abuse panic of the 1980s and into the current cyber age. We review laws passed in the 1990s, through the first part of the new millennium, which fueled individuals' fear of sex offenders. Additionally, we explore how claims-makers use myths and socially constructed realities to create social problems for sex offenders, generate public fear and resentment, and pressure policy makers and legislatures to pass laws that promise false hope and false security to communities. Finally, myths associated with cyber sexual offenders are explored. Solutions to combat myths are offered to legitimize the true reality surrounding sex offenders.

Phallometry is an objective method of assessing male sexual arousal. The main applications in forensic psychiatry concern the evaluation of men charged with or convicted of sexual offences, the evaluation of those with suspected paraphilias not subject to the criminal justice system, risk assessment and measurement of response to sex offender treatment. In some jurisdictions, phallometry is incorporated into legal decisions about release from custody or discharge from secure hospitals. This paper provides a brief overview of the international development of phallometry, considers challenges to its broader adoption and discusses future directions for research and clinical practice.

Sexual delinquency is a worldwide problem that affects people of all social and cultural backgrounds, leaving many detrimental consequences for direct and indirect victims as well as the community. The socio-political reaction to sexual offending has changed throughout history. The initial reaction involved an extremely retributive approach, but the development and humanization of society forced the focus of treatment to expand to foster positive potential in the offender's personality and behavior. The main objective of this paper is to present the basic models of treatment of sex offenders that are supported by the research results: Relapse prevention model, Self-regulation model, Risk-needresponsivity model and Good lives model. The paper will also discuss the incidence of sexual delinquency in Serbia, as well as current findings in the field of sex offender assessment. Seksualno prestupništvo predstavlja svetski problem koji pogađa ljude svih društvenih i kulturnih slojeva, ostavljajući mnogobrojne štetne posledice po direktne i indirektne žrtve, ali i zajednicu u celini. Društveno-politička reakcija na seksualno prestupništvo menjala se kroz istoriju. Prvobitna reakcija podrazumevala je izuzetno retributivan pristup, ali su razvoj i humanizacija društva uticali da se fokus tretmana proširi na podsticanje pozitivnih potencijala u ličnosti i ponašanju prestupnika. Cilj ovog pregleda literature je prikaz osnovnih modela tretmana seksualnih prestupnika koji imaju potporu u rezultatima istraživanja. To su model prevencije relapsa, model samoregulacije, model rizika, potreba, responzisvnosti i model dobrog života. radu će biti prikazana i učestalost seksualnog prestupništva u Srbiji, kao i aktuelna saznanja u oblasti procene seksualnih prestupnika.

“Él era el pilar fundamental que nos ayudaba en todo y ahora simplemente no sabemos qué va a pasar”. Aquestes van ser les paraules d'una mare d'un dels interns en estat preventiu al Centre Penitenciari Puig de les Basses (CPPB). Aquestes mateixes van ser les que em van obrir els ulls i em van permetre veure el camí tan dur que han de passar les famílies quan algú del seu entorn es veu envoltat pels efectes que té la delinqüència. Quan parlem de delinqüència, De la Torre, P (1982) fa referència a aquells subjectes que duen a terme una conducta antisocial tipificada davant la llei com un delicte. L'any 2019, a Girona, segons documents del Ministeri d'Interior del Govern d'Espanya, es van produir des del mes de gener fins al desembre un total de 45.242 infraccions penals, entre les quals, 620 van estar delictes relacionats amb la tipologia sexual i 1.109 pertanyen al total de delictes tipificats de robatori amb violència i intimidació. Durant tres mesos i mig he estat al mòdul 5 de CPPB de Figueres, un mòdul que alberga aquelles persones que han comès un delicte sexual o de robatori amb violència i intimidació. Durant aquest trajecte he pogut conèixer i conviure de ben a prop amb persones que no ho han tingut fàcil, amb persones que han acabat privades de la seva llibertat a causa de la comissió d’un delicte. Persones amb pors que no sabien què els hi proporcionaria el futur i unes d'altres sent conscients, després de molt de temps, de les conseqüències catastròfiques que han comportat els seus errors. En aquest temps he hagut de lluitar contra prejudicis i pors personals que jo mateixa portava a la meva motxilla i, en aquest recorregut he descobert una part que està totalment a les fosques d'aquelles persones que han comès delictes d’ambdues tipologies esmentades anteriorment. A través d'aquest treball pretenc descobrir i apropar-vos el perquè: el motiu pel qual una persona comet un delicte de robatori amb violència i intimidació o sexual i quins són els factors que influeixen, així com el perquè alguns cometen delictes de forma continuada: delinqueixen a conseqüència d'haver crescut en un entorn poc estructurat sense una convivència normalitzada? Ha estat per necessitat? Males companyies o poc suport familiar i relacional? Cometen més d'un delicte a causa d'un tractament insuficient per part dels professionals? Es fa algun tipus de treball amb la família? En definitiva, en el present treball trobareu la contextualització en l’actualitat i la realitat delictiva a través de coneixements teòrics i entrevistes a les persones pertinents. L’objectiu d’aquest és poder apropar-vos experiències i històries tant dels interns com de les seves famílies i d'aquella condemna silenciosa que aquestes viuen. Coneixereu els factors de la reincidència i la importància de la família en tot el procés amb la finalitat de descobrir si el paper d'aquesta és clau per acabar amb la reincidència perquè, en cas de ser així, estaríem davant una eina tractamental que podria ser-nos útil per facilitar el camí cap al canvi i, per tant, fer possible la reeducació de la persona privada de llibertat.

В научном обзоре с целью ознакомления специалистов с психофизиологическими подходами с использованием полиграфа к диагностике парафильных расстройств, оценке общественной опасности и мониторингу правонарушителей, совершивших преступления против половой неприкосновенности, кратко освещаются исторические аспекты применения полиграфических проверок в криминалистической и сексологической практике, подробно описываются технологии, используемые в США, Великобритании и России. Обосновывается необходимость применения полиграфа в рамках лечения сексуальных преступников и их супервизии после освобождения. Излагаются те проблемы, в том числе законодательные, с которыми сталкиваются специалисты-полиграфологи., This scientific review pursues the objective of familiarizing specialists with the psychophysiological approaches to polygraph use in diagnosing paraphilic disorders, assessing social dangerousness, and monitoring sex offenders. We briefly elucidate the historical aspects of using polygraph testing in the practice of criminalistics and sexology, submitting a detailed description of techniques used in the US, Great Britain, and Russia. We provide substantiation for the necessity of using the polygraph within the framework of sex offender therapy and supervision following their release. We deliberate on the challenges faced by the polygraph specialists, including the legislative ones.

With the reorganization of Penitentiary Medicine (DLgs 230/99) and the transfer to National Health Service as regards the healthcare of inmates (DPCM 01.04.08), Italian regions have to manage diagnostic processes and therapies of prisoners. Main aim of the Organization for adult inmates is to prevent self and other injurious behaviours. In these frame, within inmates entering in prison, an intervention protocol has been carried out at the Penitentiary of Monza, since September 2012. Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III) is assessed in order to investigate the personality structure and functioning. Personality assessment in penitentiary context is important to know the patient's personality style and coping behavior, useful to cope with the new condition of living. As indicated by the literature, the scores obtained to Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III subscales can guiding treatment decisions: after analyzing the personality profile report, the clinician makes a diagnosis and, having verified the validity indexes, he determines the three highest scores among the personality patterns, the severe personality disorders, and the Axis I clinical syndromes (both severe and moderate). Hence feedbacks about vulnerabilities to be treated given to the patient determine the care path to be followed, defining the intervention goals with the patient.

There is little empirical research examining the reasons behind multiple perpetrator sexual offending. A limited number of studies provide reasons for offending offered by perpetrators of this type of sexual violence, but only one published study exists where these perpetrators were interviewed regarding their offense. The Multi-Factorial Model of Multiple Perpetrator Sexual Offending (MPSO) proposed that various factors (individual, sociocultural, and situational) play a role in this type of sexual assault, noting in particular the importance of group dynamics and processes. In the current study, 25 convicted perpetrators of multiple perpetrator sexual offending housed in educational centers and prisons in Portugal were interviewed about their involvement and reasons for participating in the offense. The findings suggested that group processes and dynamics play an important part in this type of sexual offending. Furthermore, the results provided some evidence to support the factors proposed by the Multi-Factorial Model of MPSO. These findings have implications for prevention and treatment programs and for the assessment of offenders.

Most Spanish prisons provide specialised treatment for incarcerated sex offenders, both rapists and child molesters. This treatment is a cognitive-behavioural intervention that has shown relative effectiveness in previous research. With regard to offenders’ rehabilitation, recidivism assessments are necessary as a final measure of treatment effectiveness. However, the evaluation of recidivism by itself does not provide sufficient information on the treatment process and the specific effects that treated subjects could undergo. This paper aims to analyse the therapeutic effectiveness of psychological treatment provided to rapists (in general, males sentenced for committing a sexual offence against women). To this aim, a group of treated rapists (N = 153) serving a sentence in prison was analysed. Using a specially designed scale (PASSO), the global therapeutic change and ten specific variables (including assertiveness, readiness to change, cognitive distortions, impulsivity, etc.) were assessed. The within-subjects comparison showed that treated sex offenders improved, in therapeutic terms, globally as well as in most of the specific variables assessed (improvements not experimented by the control group). Also, different therapeutic subscales showed relevant associations between them. The findings regarding treatment effectiveness are discussed.

Background/Objective: Evidence showed that reoffending habits are increasing among offenders with violent sexual behaviors. Given the recidivism rates, a psychotherapeutic intervention becomes imperative. This study examined the efficacy of prison-based cognitive behavioral rehabilitation intervention (PCBRI) on violent sexual behaviors among sex offenders in Nigerian prisons. Method: A total of45 participants were the sample size. Compulsive Sexual Behavior Inventory and Hypersexual Behavior Inventory were employed in assessing the participants at 3 points. Using a simple random allocation sequence, 23 participants were exposed to PCBRI programme and 22 participants allocated to control condition. The data obtained were analyzed using repeated measures 2-way analysis of variance. Results: Results indicated a significant effect of the treatment on violent sexual behaviors among sex offenders in Nigerian prisons exposed to the PCBRI programme when compared to the no-intervention group. Result also showed a significant interaction effect of time and group on sex offenders with violent sexual behaviors. Follow-up tests showed significant decrease in violent sexual behaviors after 6 months for the PCBRI group in comparison to the control group. Conclusion: This study concluded that PCBRI approach is a type of psychotherapy that reduces violent sexual behaviors among sex offenders in Southeast Nigeria.

This article explores the legal constraints imposed on the rising number of so-called ‘dangerous’ sex offenders in England and Wales, in particular once they have been released from prison into the community. The main methods of constraint are strict licence conditions, Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements and civil protective orders such as Sexual Harm Prevention Orders. ‘Control’ in the community is thus widespread, but is difficult to assess whether it is either effective or necessary without a great deal more research and analysis. Post-sentence ‘punishment’ has been largely ignored by both academic lawyers and criminologists. The article concludes that financial austerity might prove to be as important as the human rights agenda in curbing the disproportionate use of powers of control.

In recent qualitative studies, posttraumatic growth has been highlighted as a possible sign of change in how offenders relate to their basic existential needs. In this article, we present results of a pilot study with a mixed-method design on posttraumatic growth and psychological stress in a sample of sexual offenders ( n = 30) in ongoing therapy. We performed univariate analyses and subsequent hierarchical analyses, and the results affirmed our hypothesis that posttraumatic growth is negatively associated with psychological stress. We used phenomenological analysis to identify themes in the participants' reflections on posttraumatic growth. We found that prison experiences forced the participants to change. Prisoners experience emotional support from others during incarceration as crucial to positive change. Taking responsibility for the crime helped them engage in the therapy more fully and resulted in more posttraumatic growth. ispartof: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology vol:61 issue:2 pages:171-190 ispartof: location:United States status: published

Objectives: Within the literature on sex offending, much attention is paid to the distinction between those sex offenders who offend against adults and those who offend against children. In contrast, there is a paucity of research into sex offenders who offend specifically against elderly or older victims. Method: A detailed interview and psychometric tests were conducted with a sample of 28 sex offenders who had been convicted of a sexually motivated offence against an older female. These data were compared to a sample of 23 child sex offenders. Results: Results indicate that amongst other significant differences between these sub-groups, men who offend against older women are generally younger, are more violent, and are more likely to use a weapon and cause injury and death compared to child sex offenders. The men who offended against children were more likely to think about and plan their offending, spend more time with the victim pre and post offence, admit sexual arousal during the offence, and admit to a sexual motivation for the offence. Conclusions: This study suggests that men who sexually offend against older women and men who sexually offend against children are distinct groups. Treatment and risk management strategies should take this into account. Further exploration of this sub-group of offenders is recommended to help inform treatment and risk management strategies for sex offenders who offend against older people.

The purpose of this article was to develop an Spanish psychometric typology of sexual offenders taking into account dynamic risk factors. The sample comprised 94 sex offenders imprisoned in Spain (52 rapists and 42 child molesters). The analysis yielded two different offender categories based on the subjects’ criminogenic needs level (high and low). The results also showed that social desirability has a strong influence on the developed typologies, whereas the offence type, sociodemographic characteristics, and criminal history do not. A dynamic risk factors typology, such as the one proposed here, could help criminal and correctional facilities to fulfill their remit. It could also be useful for linking treatment intensity to offenders’ criminogenic needs, as well as providing a platform for recidivism risk assessments.

Religiousness and spirituality have been identified as important factors in promoting desistance from sexual offending and as helpful coping resources with negative psychological consequences related to public registration. However, the potential mental health benefits, and detriments, of religiousness and spirituality for persons convicted of sexually offending have not been widely examined. Given the moral implications of their behavior and stigmatization by society, including from religious and spiritual communities, this study aimed to examine levels of religious struggle and their associations with symptoms of mental health among 30 men on the Maryland Sex Offense Registry. Relative to the normative sample, the mean level of spiritual transcendence, constructive perceptions of spirituality that develop within social, cultural, and educational contexts, was significantly lower within this sample. Conversely, religious struggle mean scores indicated that the men in this sample experienced significantly greater difficulties relative to God and their faith community. Greater levels of religious struggle were significantly related to higher neuroticism, greater self-reported shame, depression, anxiety, and hopelessness, as well as lower levels of self-compassion. Based on these preliminary findings, religious struggles may adversely influence the mental health of persons convicted of sexually offending. More research is needed to gain a better understanding of the associations between religiousness, spirituality, and mental health in this population. Future directions for research and clinical implications for mental health providers, including spiritually informed treatment approaches with persons convicted of sexually offending, are discussed.

The Wilson Sex Fantasy Questionnaire (WSFQ) assesses the use of 40 specific sexual fantasies, which are grouped into four overarching themes (Intimate, Exploratory, Impersonal, and Sadomasochistic). It also includes two items that reflect characteristics associated with children. Since sexual fantasies are a key factor in sex offender treatment, the present study tested the validity of the WSFQ for use with men who have sexually offended against children (SOC). Differential validity was assessed by comparing 54 SOC, 22 community males with a sexual interest in children (C-SI), and 79 community males with no sexual interest in children (C-NSI) on each WSFQ subscale and child-related item. Results showed that SOCs scored lower on each subscale than both community groups. On the two child-related items, the SOCs and C-SIs scored higher than C-NSIs. For the “Sex with someone much younger than yourself” item, younger SOCs had greater scores than younger C-NSIs, while older C-NSIs had greater scores than older SOCs. Construct validity was assessed using the SOC sample by examining relationships between WSFQ variables and 1) the self-reported use of deviant sexual fantasies assessed via the Thoughts and Fantasies Questionnaire and 2) offending behavior derived from crime scene data. The WSFQ Intimacy subscale was unrelated to any deviant sexual fantasies, while the other subscales were most strongly associated with sadistic fantasies. The child-related WSFQ items were most strongly associated with sexual fantasies about prepubescent children. Very few relationships were observed between the WSFQ variables and crime scene behaviors. The implications of the results are discussed, along with the study’s limitations and suggestions for future research.

Multiple factors determine handedness including genetics, prenatal stress and post-natal environmental conditions. Atypical handedness, whether manifest as increased sinistrality or decreased strength of lateral preference, has been noted in a wide variety of populations with neuropathology. Those with atypical sexual preferences, specifically paedophilia, also manifest reduced rates of right-handedness. This paper uses the largest sample of phallometrically assessed men to date to establish the pattern of atypical handedness in paedophilia. Specifically, whereas prior research has largely characterized participants dichotomously as right-handed or non-right-handed and/or used self-report of writing hand, this paper expands upon such reports by using the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory's laterality quotient. Participants' handedness and phallometrically assessed sexual preference were analyzed both as continuous and categorical variables, and the responses of those scoring in the range of ambiguous-handedness were evaluated to ascertain whether they were ambiguously handed or more accurately described as mixed-handed. Results indicated those producing scores in the range of ambiguous-handedness demonstrated response patterns consistent with ambiguous-handedness, rather than mixed-handedness. Paedophiles demonstrated high rates of non-right-handedness primarily manifested as sinistrality, whereas those who had a sexual preference for pubescent children evidenced increased ambiguous-handedness. Results support a view of ambiguous-handedness as less pathological than previously hypothesized, and of a neurodevelopmental origin of paraphilic sexual preferences.

Une critique couramment formulée à l’encontre des outils actuariels statiques concerne leur incapacité à éclairer l’intervention, au regard de leurs fondements athéoriques. Dans la cadre d’un effort visant à nuancer cette critique, la présente étude a tenté d’identifier les construits théoriques présents dans la Statique-99R, l’échelle actuarielle de prédiction de la récidive des délinquants sexuels la plus utilisée. Une analyse factorielle exploratoire des items de l’instrument en a extrait trois facteurs : la délinquance sexuelle, la délinquance générale et le jeune âge. Une interprétation de ces facteurs en ce qui a trait aux dimensions psychologiques a été proposée : la délinquance sexuelle en tant qu’indicatrice de déviance sexuelle ou de préoccupations sexuelles et la délinquance générale en tant qu’indicatrice de traits antisociaux et/ou de psychopathie. Les limites et les implications pour de futures recherches sont discutées., The aim of the current paper is to identify dimensions of the Static-99R, the most commonly used sex-offender actuarial scale. Exploratory factor analysis extracted three dimensions from the scale : sexual criminality, general criminality and young age. An interpretation of the psychological meaning of these dimensions was suggested : sexual criminality as an indicator of either sexual deviance or sexual preoccupations, and general criminality as an indicator of antisocial traits and/or psychopathy., Una critica comúnmente formulada hacia las herramientas estadísticas actuariales consiste en su incapacidad para aclarar la intervención, debido sus bases no teóricas. En el marco de un esfuerzo por matizar dicha crítica, el presente estudio ha intentado identificar las construcciones teóricas presentes en Statistique-99R, la escala actuarial más utilizada en lo que a predicción de la reincidencia de los delincuentes sexuales se refiere. Un análisis factorial exploratorio de los elementos de dicho instrumento extrajo tres factores : la delincuencia sexual, la delincuencia general y la edad joven. Una interpretación de estos factores en términos psicológicos ha sido propuesta : la delincuencia sexual como índice de desviación sexual o de inquietudes sexuales, y la delincuencia general como indicador de rasgos antisociales o de psicopatía. Los límites y las implicaciones para futuras investigaciones son aquí abordados.

Sex offender typologies have been developed in an effort to better understand the heterogeneity of sexual offending as well as offenders’ varied risk and therapeutic needs. Perhaps the most well-known and validated child molester typology is the Massachusetts Treatment Center: Child Molester Typology–Version 3 (MTC:CM3). However, this typology was developed and validated using primarily White sex offenders. The current study aimed to replicate this typology in an ethno-racially diverse sample of incarcerated White, Black, and Latino child molesters ( N = 499). Overall, we found that the MTC:CM3 was applicable to non-White child molesters but that there were differences in the proportion of offenders of different ethno-racial groups in Axis I type classifications. We found no differences in Axis II type classifications. Specifically, Black offenders were more often classified as socially incompetent and sexually attracted to adults compared with White and Latino offenders. Whereas White offenders were more often classified as socially incompetent and sexually fixated on children when compared with Black offenders, Latino offenders were more often classified as high in social competence and sexually attracted to adults than Black offenders. On Axis II, the majority of all three subsamples were classified as not having sexual contact with children beyond the offense, unlikely to inflict physical harm on victims, and as not having sadistic interests. Addressing these typological characteristics in the development and implementation of prevention and treatment efforts might increase the responsiveness of specific sex offender populations.

En el presente trabajo se aborda el análisis del nivel de cumplimiento por parte del Estado español de los requerimientos internacionales en materia de sancionatoria aplicables a delincuentes sexuales. La aprobación del Convenio de Lanzarote de 2007 y de la Directiva europea 2011/93/UE ha comportado la necesidad de adaptar el ordenamiento jurídico-penal de los distintos Estados europeos con el objetivo de introducir distintas medidas de obligatoria imposición a los sujetos que cometen delitos contra la libertad e indemnidad sexual siempre que la víctima del delito sea menor de edad. El objeto del presente trabajo consiste en determinar las concretas medidas reguladas por los dos instrumentos legislativos internacionales y como han sido observadas por parte del legislador español. Para ello, se realiza también un breve análisis de derecho comparado en el que se aborda la positivización de las distintas medidas por parte de Alemania, el Reino Unido, Francia e Italia.

Substance abuse has often been associated with committing sex offenses. In this article, the following will be reviewed: 1) studies that assessed substance abuse in sex offenders; 2) differences in substance abuse among different types of sex offenders; 3) differences in substance abuse between sex offenders and nonsexual offenders and substance abuse in the normal population; 4) sex offenders’ intoxication at the time of the offense; and 5) differences in intoxication at the time of the offense among different types of sex offenders. Studies will be discussed according to the method they used to assess substance abuse, i.e., file research, screening instruments or semi-structured interviews. This review shows that about half of the sex offenders has a history of substance abuse, a quarter to half of the sex offenders has a history of alcohol misuse and that about one fifth to a quarter of the sex offenders has a history of drug misuse. Furthermore, about a quarter to half of the sex offenders appeared to be intoxicated at the time of the offense. The review results in recommendations for future research. Because of the high prevalence of substance abuse in sex offenders it is advisable to routinely screen for substance abuse and, if necessary, to treat substance abuse.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of mental disorders in convicted sex offenders admitted to the Psychiatric Custody and Treatment Hospital (Forensic Psychiatric Facility). METHOD: 89 patient records of males admitted from March 2005 to August 2006 were analyzed. The analysis included evaluation of two study groups: Group I comprised subjects who had committed sex offenses (sexual offenders) while Group II contained subjects convicted for other crimes (non-sexual offenders). Variables studied were: age bracket, years of schooling, marital status, skin color, place of birth, previous psychiatric admissions and psychiatric diagnosis. RESULTS: Mental retardation and personality disorders were the mainly diagnoses in Group I (sexual offenders) (61,76% and 29,41% respectively). In the other hand, schizophrenic subjects predominated in Group II (non-sexual offenders) (82,93%). CONCLUSION: Different from international data, we have found low prevalence of personality disorders among Brazilian forensic population and we believe that it's due to a distinguishing characteristic of the Brazilian legal system, which does not consider personality disorder a mental disease, thus, not prompting these patients to civil commitment. OBJETIVO: Avaliar a prevalência de transtornos mentais em pacientes em cumprimento de medida de segurança por crimes de natureza sexual e não sexual. MÉTODO: Foram analisados 89 prontuários de pacientes do sexo masculino internados no período de março de 2005 a agosto de 2006. A análise consistiu na avaliação de dois grupos de estudo assim divididos: Grupo I, composto de sujeitos que cometeram crimes sexuais, e Grupo II, formado por sujeitos que foram condenados por outros crimes que não de natureza sexual. As variáveis analisadas foram: idade, grau de escolaridade, estado civil, cútis, naturalidade, internações psiquiátricas anteriores e diagnóstico psiquiátrico. RESULTADOS: Entre os sujeitos do Grupo I (condenados por crimes sexuais), observou-se maior prevalência de diagnóstico de retardo mental (61,76%) e transtorno de personalidade (29,41%). Já no Grupo II (condenados por crimes de outra natureza que não sexual), houve predominância do diagnóstico de esquizofrenia (82,93%). CONCLUSÃO: Diferentemente do encontrado na literatura internacional, em nosso meio observou-se baixo índice de transtorno de personalidade entre os sujeitos estudados, o que pode ser justificado pelo fato de o sistema penal brasileiro considerar tal diagnóstico apenas como perturbação da saúde mental, não acarretando em medida de segurança ou internação psiquiátrica.

COSA (in Nederlands: Cirkels voor Ondersteuning, Samenwerking en Aanspreekbaarheid) is in 1994 in Canada ontwikkeld, als antwoord op negatieve reacties van burgers op de terugkeer van een veroordeelde zedendelinquent in Hamilton, een klein stadje nabij Toronto. In CoSA wordt een veroordeelde zedendelinquent, die zijn straf heeft uitgezeten (‘kernlid’ genoemd), ondersteund bij zijn terugkeer in de samenleving door een groep van drie tot zes zorgvuldig geselecteerde en getrainde vrijwilligers. Samen worden zij een ‘cirkel’ genoemd. Het doel is: resocialisatie en preventie van recidive. De cirkel wordt ondersteund en gesuperviseerd door een ervaren, professionele cirkelcoördinator, en door professionals die betrokken zijn bij de nazorg (de buitencirkel). CoSA is bedoeld voor zedendelinquenten met een gemiddeld tot hoog recidiverisico en een hoge ondersteuningsbehoefte, die geen delicten meer willen plegen. Voor dit proefschrift is CoSA in vijf aparte deelstudies onderzocht om een bijdrage te leveren aan de wetenschappelijke onderbouwing ervan. Vier studies hebben als onderwerp de werkzame processen en factoren in CoSA, en de impact van CoSA op zowel kernleden als vrijwilligers. De vijfde studie brengt de opvattingen over resocialisatie van zedendelinquenten en de steun voor CoSA in negen Europese landen in beeld.

COSA (in Nederlands: Cirkels voor Ondersteuning, Samenwerking en Aanspreekbaarheid) is in 1994 in Canada ontwikkeld, als antwoord op negatieve reacties van burgers op de terugkeer van een veroordeelde zedendelinquent in Hamilton, een klein stadje nabij Toronto. In CoSA wordt een veroordeelde zedendelinquent, die zijn straf heeft uitgezeten (‘kernlid’ genoemd), ondersteund bij zijn terugkeer in de samenleving door een groep van drie tot zes zorgvuldig geselecteerde en getrainde vrijwilligers. Samen worden zij een ‘cirkel’ genoemd. Het doel is: resocialisatie en preventie van recidive. De cirkel wordt ondersteund en gesuperviseerd door een ervaren, professionele cirkelcoördinator, en door professionals die betrokken zijn bij de nazorg (de buitencirkel). CoSA is bedoeld voor zedendelinquenten met een gemiddeld tot hoog recidiverisico en een hoge ondersteuningsbehoefte, die geen delicten meer willen plegen. Voor dit proefschrift is CoSA in vijf aparte deelstudies onderzocht om een bijdrage te leveren aan de wetenschappelijke onderbouwing ervan. Vier studies hebben als onderwerp de werkzame processen en factoren in CoSA, en de impact van CoSA op zowel kernleden als vrijwilligers. De vijfde studie brengt de opvattingen over resocialisatie van zedendelinquenten en de steun voor CoSA in negen Europese landen in beeld.

Actuarial instruments for assessing sex offender recidivism have limited utility for specific risk assessment questions, such as the risk posed to particular types of victim. In order to obtain variables that discriminate between offenders with different classes of victim, data were coded from 324 files of child sexual offenders from a community-based sexual offender treatment program. Offenders with single or multiple victims were compared, as were offenders who did or did not offend against victims of both genders, and offenders with only intra-familial or extra-familial victims versus offenders with victims in both relationship categories. Variables that discriminated single-victim and multiple-victim offenders were similar to those identified in actuarial risk assessment scales, with the exception of history of childhood sexual abuse. With the exception of physical abuse history, the same variables discriminated specific offender groups according to victim gender and victim relationship, although in different combinations. There was limited support for the notion of specific risk variables.

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Treballs Finals de Grau de Criminologia, Facultat de Dret, Universitat de Barcelona, Curs: 2013-2014, Tutor: Santiago Redondo Illescas, El programa Circles of Support and Accountability, creado en Canadá, consiste en formar una red comunitaria en forma de círculos alrededor de un delincuente sexual al final de su condena. Su finalidad es insertar en la comunidad al individuo, ayudando a que éste aprenda a generar lazos sociales de nuevo. Uno de los papeles más importantes en la tarea, es la de los voluntarios. No se trata solamente de apoyar a un delincuente sexual a reinsertarse, sino de un proyecto cuya motivación va dirigida a crear una sociedad en la que no haya más víctimas de delitos sexuales. La realización de una investigación estadística sobre una pequeña muestra de estudiantes universitarios de Barcelona, nos proporcionará una orientación sobre el conocimiento del tratamiento para delincuentes y sobre la aceptación del programa CerclesCat por la población universitaria.

Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) provide re-integrating sex offenders with a group of trained volunteers who support this rehabilitation process. Effect studies show promising results in reduction of recidivism. This study provides a theoretical underpinning and empirical validation of the COSA intervention model, based on a grounded theory analysis of 38 circle narratives, reflecting the experiences of 21 circles. Four circle functions appear to be essential, with inclusion being most important. Inclusion is serving basic human needs and is motivating the sex offender to allow monitoring and being held accountable. Program integrity and a positive group development are essential preconditions for circle effectiveness.

geen samenvatting aanwezig

geen samenvatting aanwezig

Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) provide re-integrating sex offenders with a group of trained volunteers who support this rehabilitation process. Effect studies show promising results in reduction of recidivism. This study provides a theoretical underpinning and empirical validation of the COSA intervention model, based on a grounded theory analysis of 38 circle narratives, reflecting the experiences of 21 circles. Four circle functions appear to be essential, with inclusion being most important. Inclusion is serving basic human needs and is motivating the sex offender to allow monitoring and being held accountable. Program integrity and a positive group development are essential preconditions for circle effectiveness.Keywords: sex offenders, COSA, intervention theory, relapse prevention, treatment effectiveness, recidivism

D.Litt. et Phil. Forgiveness is generally a controversial phenomenon within the psychological literature. While it is regarded by feminist scholars like Lamb (2005) as part of an oppressive societal discourse that is harmful to victims of sexual violation, researchers on forgiveness provide empirical data that links seeking forgiveness and forgiving to psychological well-being. The psychological benefits of seeking forgiveness are documented in the two studies undertaken by Meek, Albright and McMinn (1995) and Witvliet, Ludwig and Bauer (2002). Studies conducted by Freedman and Enright (1996), Coyle and Enright (1997), Gisi & D'amato (2000), Worthington Jr, Kurusu, Collins, Ripley and Baler (2000) provide evidence of the existence of a positive correlation between forgiving and psychological well-being. In the midst of the forgiveness controversy, offending individuals continue to make pleas for forgiveness. Forgiveness-seeking models presented by Schmidt (1995) and Ashby (2003a, 2003b) show that an offender can engage in a genuine forgiveness-seeking effort. A perpetrator's experience of seeking forgiveness is documented in a forgivenessseeking model developed by Schmidt (1995) and the two presented by Ashby (2003a, 2003b). These three forgiveness-seeking models are problematic because they are not based on any empirical foundations. This exploratory phenomenological study was undertaken to empirically identify the essential features of a child molester's experience of seeking forgiveness. The three pilot study respondents (PC, PI, PW1) and the three respondents (P1 ,P2,P3) who were part of the study's sample were recruited from Childline Durban in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. While the three forgiveness models presented by Schmidt (1995) and Ashby (2003a, 2003b) suggest that offenders can engage in genuine forgiveness-seeking endeavours, perpetrators of child sexual abuse are, however, not generally perceived as the type of offenders that could seek forgiveness authentically. Child molesters are generally mistakenly perceived as psychopathic and sadistic beings, incapable of seeking forgiveness (lvey & Simpson, 1998). This common perception of child molesters necessitated an in-depth exploration of the literature on child sexual abuse and a pilot study. The literature review on child sexual abuse assisted the researcher to identify the psychological constellation of a male child molester for the purpose of determining whether a male child molester's psychological make-up will enable him to consider seeking or seeking forgiveness. The literature review on child sexual abuse indicated that some male child molesters may be able to engage in authentic forgiveness-seeking endeavours. Child molesters who do not have antisocial, psychopathic, narcissistic tendencies and those who are not alexithymic can make genuine attempts to seek forgiveness.

This study focuses on the relationship between returning offender residential mobility and neighborhood structural factors characteristic of socially disorganized neighborhoods. It uses a unique data set that combines information on parolees released in the state of California during the 2005-2006 time period with their geocoded addresses to view the types of neighborhoods they are moving to. The authors find that sex offenders are entering neighborhoods with more concentrated disadvantage and residential instability upon reentry from prison and upon subsequent moves. This effect for sex offender status is particularly strong for whites and Latinos, leading them into more socially disorganized neighborhoods. The authors also find that sex offenders are more likely to enter neighborhoods with more minorities as measured by Latinos and African Americans and less likely to enter neighborhoods with more whites. © The Author(s) 2010.

La investigación internacional ha evidenciado la relevancia de la variable empatía en la agresión sexual. El objetivo de este estudio es explorar, en una muestra española de delincuentes, la relación déficit en empatía-agresión sexual para diferentes tipos de víctimas, así como los posibles beneficios del tratamiento psicológico en la mejora de esta variable. Para evaluar la empatía se tradujo y adaptó al castellano la Rape Empathy Measure y se aplicó a un grupo de 118 delincuentes no-sexuales y a otro de 73 violadores, 39 tratados y 34 no-tratados. Los principales resultados obtenidos ponen de manifiesto que los violadores no-tratados puntúan más bajo en empatía que los delincuentes no-sexuales; sin embargo, los violadores tratados superan en empatía tanto a los violadores no-tratados como a los delincuentes no-sexuales. Estos resultados son parcialmente coherentes con los de otras investigaciones precedentes. Para finalizar se comenta la conveniencia de evaluar en futuros estudios tanto la variable empatía como otras variables psicológicas conectadas con la agresión sexual, International research has emphasised that empathy is a relevant factor of sex offending. The main goal of this study is to explore, in a Spanish sex offender sample, the relationship between empathy deficits and sex crime for various types of victims. This study also analyses the positive effect that psychological treatment could have on empathy. For this purpose, 118 non-sex offenders were compared on an adapted version of Rape Empathy Measure to 39 treated rapists and 34 untreated rapists. Results show that the untreated rapists have lower empathy levels than non-sex offenders. Nevertheless, the treated rapists scored higher on empathy than the other two groups assessed, untreated rapists and non-sex offenders. Lastly, some suggestions are provided for future research in terms of the assessment of empathy and other factors related to sexual aggression, Este trabajo se fundamenta en los resultados de investigación obtenidos en el marco del Proyecto Coordinado I+D (SEJ2005-09170-C04-01/PSI) titulado «Delincuencia violenta: Programas de Prevención, Tratamiento y Predicción», gracias a la financiación específica recibida por la Dirección General de Instituciones Penitenciarias del Ministerio del Interior.

La evaluación del riesgo de conducta violenta es un campo emergente en la actual Psicología de la Delincuencia. A partir de la investigación sobre carreras criminales y predictores de riesgo, durante los últimos años se han desarrollado diferentes escalas de evaluación del riesgo de violencia. Uno de estos instrumentos es el Sexual Violence Risk Assessment-20 (SVR-20), traducido y adaptado al español en el Grupo de Estudios Avanzados en Violencia de la Universidad de Barcelona. El objetivo de este estudio es evaluar la capacidad del SVR-20 para predecir la reincidencia sexual en una muestra española de delincuentes sexuales. Para ello se ha aplicado el SVR-20 de forma retrospectiva a un grupo de 163 agresores sexuales ya excarcelados. La capacidad discriminativa del instrumento ha sido evaluada a través del modelo de regresión logística. Se obtuvo un porcentaje de clasificaciones correctas de los sujetos no reincidentes del 79,9% y de los sujetos reincidentes del 70,8%. La curva ROC obtenida muestra una buena capacidad discriminativa del SVR-20 con un valor de área bajo la curva (AUC) de 0.83. La principal conclusión de este estudio es que el SVR-20 es un instrumento de utilidad para mejorar los pronósticos de riesgo de violencia sexual, Violent behaviour risk assessment is one of the most relevant research areas in current Psychology of Crime. Various scales for violence risk assessment have recently been developed from research about crime careers and risk factors. One of these instruments is the Sexual Violence Risk Assessment-20 (SVR-20), translated and adapted to Spanish by the Group of Advanced Studies in Violence of the University of Barcelona. The goal of this study is to verify the predictive capacity of the SVR-20 to predict sexual violence recidivism in a Spanish sample of sexual offender inmates. The method used was a retrospective study based in 163 sexual offender files and a 4-year time lag. The data were analysed with the logistic regression technique. Of the sample, 79.9% non-recidivist individuals were correctly classified, and 70.8% recidivist individuals. The ROC curve obtained for the model shows a very good discriminant capacity for the SVR-20, with a 0.83 AUC value. The main conclusion of this study is that the Spanish adaptation of SVR-20 is a good instrument to predict the risk of sexual violence, Este trabajo se ha desarrollado en el marco del Proyecto coordinado de investigación I+D (SEJ2005-09170-C04-01) titulado «Delincuencia violenta: programas de prevención, tratamiento y predicción», gracias a la financiación específica recibida del Centro de Estudios Jurídicos y Formación Especializada del Departamento de Justicia de la Generalitat de Cataluña

There is an urgent need for development of methods of assessment and management of sex offenders (rapists, child sex offenders, other sexual offenders, and murderers) to mount a society-wide battle against the scourge of sexual offences in India. This paper provides an overview of theories, models, and assessment methods of rapists. It draws upon literature from psychiatry, psychology, criminology, probation, and ethics to provide a framework for understanding reasons behind rape, how mental health issues are implicated, what mental health professionals can do to contribute to crime management, and why this is ethically right and proper.