Offence and clinical characteristics of Australian juvenile sex offenders

This study evaluated a series of pre‐sentence reports of a sample of juvenile sex offenders with the aim of providing information on the offence characteristics, developmental history and clinical profile of Australian juvenile sex offenders. The contents of 70 reports representing all juvenile sex offenders in contact with the New South Wales Juvenile Justice Department for the period 1996 to 1998 were analysed according to a structured protocol developed by the authors. The protocol assessed offence characteristics, developmental, cognitive, educational, psychosexual, and psychosocial factors. The profile findings indicated that juvenile sex offenders in New South Wales have problems across multiple domains of functioning, including the intra‐personal, social, educational, and sexual. The profile was similar to studies of juvenile sex offenders in the USA and Britain. The findings provide important information to those who adjudicate and care for this group of young people.     

性犯罪相关因素的综合性研究

目的探讨性犯罪的相关因素及预防措施。方法采用Olsen家庭问卷、艾森克人格问卷、WAIS-RC智力测验等测查工具,对78名性犯罪者和78名正常人对照,就家庭、个性、智力、社会环境等有关因素进行综合性分析。结果母孕期营养差、少年严重疾病、智能偏低、少年学习成绩差、少年品行障碍(如反复逃学、说谎、偷窃、打架斗殴、逃离家庭)、具有精神质(P)和神经质(N)等个体因素,研究组明显高于对照组。在家庭和社会环境方面:单亲家庭、父母文化水平低、家庭中有违法犯罪成员、对孩子管教方式不良、缺乏监督、不良结伴、追求享受、赌博、酗酒、坏人教唆等明显高于对照组,差异有显著性。结论预防性犯罪应采取综合措施,需要全社会的共同努力。     

Relating psychiatric disorders, offender and offence characteristics in a sample of adolescent sex offenders and non-sex offenders

Introduction Several studies have paid attention to the relationship between psychiatric disorders and adolescent offending but few have distinguished different types of offenders, especially within the category of youngsters who have committed sex offences. Aim To test for relationships between psychiatric disorder and specific offence category among young male offenders. Method Nationwide data were extracted from Dutch Forensic Psychiatric Services (FPD) files for five groups of offenders, as defined by their index offence: 308 violent sex offenders; 134 non‐violent sex‐offenders; 270 sex offenders against children; 3148 violent offenders and 1620 offenders charged with any crime other than interpersonal body contact crimes. They were compared on individual characteristics and psychiatric diagnoses according to DSM‐IV criteria. Having a diagnosis of a paraphilia alone was exclusively associated with sex offending, therefore all such youths were excluded from further analyses. The OVERALS technique was used to explore possible relationships between offence, psychiatric diagnoses, sociodemographic and individual characteristics among the remaining young men for whom all pertinent data were available (n = 1894). Results Sex offenders constituted a distinct group of juvenile delinquents. Developmental disorders were more common among non‐violent sex offenders and child molesters. Violent offences were more typical of delinquents from immigrant backgrounds. Conclusion Group differences in types of psychiatric diagnoses may reflect differences in aetiological factors for the various types of sexual and other delinquent behaviour, and this would be worthy of further study. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Differences in personality and risk characteristics in sex, violent and general offenders

Background Studies examining the characteristics of sex and violent offenders have found differences in personality and offence characteristics. However, none of these studies has examined differences in personality characteristics between violent, sex and general offenders using the Special Hospitals Assessment of Personality and Socialization (SHAPS). Method Using a retrospective archival research design, data on 153 male offenders were divided into three groups, sexual (n = 85), violent (n = 46) and general offenders (n = 22). Of the sample 139 offenders had completed the SHAPS. The Sexual Violence Risk‐20 (SVR‐20) measure was used to categorize levels of risk. Reconviction data collected over a 10‐year follow‐up period were analysed using the receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results Violent offenders had significantly more chaotic lifestyles, displayed greater psychopathology than sex or general offenders, and were most likely to reoffend, with over a quarter committing further violent offences. The sexual offender group share more in common with the general offenders, in terms of personality characteristics and recidivism rates, than with the violent offenders. More of the violent offenders were categorized as at medium or high risk of recidivism than any other group. The SVR‐20 significantly predicted any reconviction over five‐ and 10‐ year follow‐up periods. Discussion The results from this study support the use of self‐report inventories in assessing differences between offender groups. Such information may assist clinicians in prioritizing management and intervention strategies for those offenders, and in turn lower the risk of further offending. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Health status of juvenile offenders. A survey of young offenders appearing before the juvenile courts

This paper reports on the health needs of a sample of juvenile offenders appearing before a Manchester Court during the month of August 1992. Of the 192 subjects interviewed (74% of those listed), 19% had significant medical problems, 42% a history of substance abuse and 7% psychiatric problems requiring further treatment. Substantial numbers (26%) engaged in a variety of dangerous behaviours. Custodial remands were common (21%), particularly in those with multiple psychosocial difficulties.     

Commentary: sex offenders and insanity

Sex offenders with a psychotic illness present challenges in the determination of criminal responsibility, risk assessment, and psychiatric treatment. Novak et al. present data that raise concerns regarding how forensic psychiatrists could conclude sex offenders were not responsible for their offenses in the absence of clear evidence of psychotic symptoms at the time of assessment and/or offense. They also highlight issues of risk assessment and management of psychotic sex offenders that have not been adequately studied. We require further research of psychotic sex offenders to be able to offer scientifically supported opinions on risk assessment to courts and decision-makers.     

The differences between sex offenders who victimise older women and sex offenders who offend against children

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.     

Psychopathology and denial in alleged sex offenders

To investigate whether patients accused of having committed acts of sex offense manifest symptoms of psychopathology and whether they minimize or deny such symptoms during clinical evaluations, we administered the MMPI to 53 alleged sex offenders. We compared patients along two dimensions: a) whether they admitted or denied deviant sexual behavior, and b) whether they faced legal charges for sex offenses. Results indicated the following: a) Patients who denied deviant sexual behavior were significantly more likely to minimize psychopathology than were those who admitted to deviant sexual behavior (p less than .05). b) Patients facing no active legal charges showed significantly more psychopathology than did those facing legal charges (p less than .05). c) The most frequent forms of psychopathology shown by these patients were antisocial attitudes, depression, somatization, and cognitive disorganization. These findings suggest that many alleged sex offenders may experience, and deny, severe psychopathology in addition to their sexual disorders. Clinicians should be alert to subtle signs of psychopathology when evaluating alleged sex offenders who deny deviant sexual behavior, because these patients may be especially likely to minimize symptoms.     

Treatment and postrelease rehabilitative programs for juvenile offenders

The juvenile justice system has become notably aware of the increasing use of postrelease rehabilitative treatment interventions for offenders. In many instances, juvenile justice systems are required to ensure that core treatment needs of youth are met. As a result of the heightened awareness of the need for postrelease rehabilitation treatment programs, many researchers and providers are calling for more systematic approaches to offender treatment. This article summarizes a body of literature on juvenile offenders who have specialized postrelease rehabilitative treatment needs. It reviews cognitive-behavioral theoretical models and core postrelease treatment strategies. It presents a review of youth who have specialized needs in light of postrelease practices, describes several model postrelease rehabilitation programs, and reviews outcomes of these programs.     

Inferring predictors of risk: sex offenders

Researcher enthusiasm for actuarial approaches to the prediction of risk must be tempered by reality. They provide limited, sometimes misleading, information about groups and say nothing about individuals. Effective prevention of a problem requires an understanding of its causation, something beyond mere recognition of associations. Risk changes over time, place and circumstances and effective management depends on being able to adapt risk assessment into a dynamic system.     

Psychological predictors of recidivism in sex offenders

Based on comparison of results of psychological examinations of 24 recidivists and 25 patients having compulsive sexuological treatment, who within a three-year period after taking a specialized sexuological course did not relapse, the author detected some differences which appear to be significant for the prediction of successful treatment. As to psychodiagnostic methods (Hand test, Raven, EPI, DOPEN, MAS, Sullivan-Adelson, ICL, MMPI), the most marked differences between the investigated groups were found in Raven's test of progressive matrices and in the Minnesota personality inventory. Based on the assembled results it may be assumed that there is a higher risk of relapses of sexual delinquency in patients with inadequate defence against mental weakness, in psychoasthenic and schizoid personalities. Higher intelligence is in this context a favourable prognostic factor.     

Treatment of sex offenders with medroxyprogesterone acetate

Forty-eight male patients with long-standing histories of deviant sexual behavior received medroxyprogesterone acetate and milieu therapy for up to 12 months. Forty subjects responded positively, all within 3 weeks, with diminished frequency of sexual fantasies and arousal, decreased desire for deviant sexual behavior, increased control over sexual urges, and improvement in psychosocial functioning. Improvement in deviant sexual behavior and psychosocial functioning was maintained after treatment ended, and there was no evidence of permanent physiological changes. The author suggests that medroxyprogesterone acetate associated with counseling may be the treatment of choice for patients with long-term deviant sexual behavior. He discusses the ethical issues involved.     

Sexologic forensic expert evaluation of sex offenders

The authors differentiate between deviant and nondeviant sexual delinquents and focus attention in particular on the forensic evaluation of deviantly conditioned delinquents. They describe some differences in the psychosexual development of deviant delinquents and some anamnestic facts which signalize a deviant structure of the sexual motivation system. They emphasize the necessity of a comprehensive examination of the delinquent, incl. thorough sex diagnosis, psychological diagnosis of the personality, a detailed analysis of controlling and recognizing ability of the time of the crime and they submit suggestions for health measures.     

A preliminary typology of young sex offenders

Data concerning all young (15-20 years, n = 56) sex offenders (YSOs) subjected to forensic psychiatric investigation in Sweden during 1988-1995 were used in an attempt to construct and validate an introductory YSO typology based solely on offence characteristics. A 5-cluster solution received optimal support from cluster analysis of 15 offence-related variables. A few historical and clinical characteristics varied across clusters. Survival analyses revealed that the clusters differed with respect to sexual but not to violent or general reconviction rates.