Search

Sexual offending is a public health concern and societal risk requiring a multidisciplinary approach. While current data give an indication of the frequency of sexual victimization, these figures likely underestimate the severity of the concern as many of these incidents go unreported. And while sex offender research has increased over the past several decades, particular attention to those offenders with severe mental illness remains limited. In this descriptive review, literature describing sex offenders with psychotic disorders is explored with a focus on recent research. Important considerations are described, including theories surrounding psychosis and sexual offending, hospitalization rates, recidivism, not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI), female offenders, and treatment considerations. By exploring these important aspects of sex offenders with psychosis, conclusions are drawn and future directions are proposed, with a particular emphasis on clinical application for the mental health treatment provider. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the realm of sexual offenses, there has been a decrease in hands-on offenses, but an increase in online offenses against children. The current issue is whether online and offline sexual offenders are alike or differ. This literature review investigates the differences among individuals who have committed child pornography offenses, individuals who have committed contact offenses against children, and individuals who have committed both. This review discusses the various typologies that have been proposed of those who have committed online offenses against children, the diagnostic implications of having committed child pornography offenses, and the current state of treatment and prevention of individuals who have committed online sex offenses against children. The studies examined were found from psychology databases, listserv links, and references of those collected articles. Only articles in English were included in the review. Overall, Internet child pornography offenders (ICPOs) tend to score significantly differently from contact offenders on various psychological measures. These findings may imply that ICPOs have different treatment needs than contact offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual offenses represent an alarming proportion of crimes committed yearly. To address these concerns, several states, including South Carolina (SC), have enacted laws requiring sexually violent predators (SVPs) to be civilly committed to treatment. To date, no published study has examined sexual offenders recommended for treatment in SC. This study used a specially designed statewide database (SC-SVP research database) to determine which offender and offense characteristics were associated with increased likelihood of being recommended for civil commitment. Factors correlated with being more likely to be recommended included: being of a younger age at time of evaluation, prior sex convictions, having related and unrelated victims, a higher number of victims, frequent substance use, and a history of suicide attempts. Prior sex convictions, having both related and non-related victims, and a higher total number of victims align with characteristics associated with sexual recidivism. Frequent substance abuse and a history of suicide attempts do not mirror previous findings regarding sexual recidivism. These findings present new information regarding the civil commitment process of offenders being committed to the SC-SVP treatment program, characterize types of offenders committed to SC-SVP treatment program, and provide a foundation for using a computerized database in conducting sex offender research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the existing literature regarding the identification of, characteristics of, and difficulties in studying dually diagnosed female sex offenders. Methods: The paper examines estimates of the numbers of dually diagnosed female sex offenders together with their demographic makeup, the nature of the offenses they commit, their psychiatric characteristics, and the difficulty in measuring each subject when only ‘official’ data from arrest records exist. Results: Available data indicate that females account for between 1.3% and 3.5% of arrests for forcible rape and 8.5% of arrests for sex offenses, not including forcible rape and prostitution in single-perpetrator cases. Females also account for up to 12% of the sexual assaults on victims under the age of six. The paper then considers some of the legal issues in sex offender prosecution and the relationship of substance abuse to volitional control, and offers strategies for providing effective testimony to courts in risk assessment settings. Using an overview of substance abuse rates in sexual assault cases, the paper identifies areas for further research to quantify the nature of the offending population being considered. Conclusion: Given the current available data regarding the relation- ship between substance abuse and volitiOnal control, the use of substances should he seen as a clear risk factor when assessing risk among the female sex offending population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]