Sex Offender "Profile" and Criminogenic Risk Factors
Posted by Joseph Doherty on Wed, Mar 30, 2011 @ 05:33 AM
Contrary to popular belief, there is no "profile" of a sex offender. Although some mental health professionals who treat sex offenders describe them as "manipulative," "deceptive," and "secretive" there is no set of characteristics, be they physical, emotional, mental or psychological that are common to all offenders. A "profile" of a sex offender does not exist.
But what can be applied to all sex offenders is a set of what is called "criminogenic risk factors." Using these factors is one way (there are others) of gauging an offender's risk to relapse. The factors are:
- Sexual preoccupation
- Deviant sexual interests
- Attitudes supportive of offending
- Intimacy deficits
- Emotion regulation problems
- Lifestyle impulsivity
- Poor problem solving skills
- Negative social influences
- Resistance to supervision
These factors are referred to as "dynamic" factors, as opposed to "stable" factors, in that they can change over time. Research has shown that effective treatment programs attempt to address as many of these factors as possible.
Some treatment programs target denial, minimization, low self-esteem, poor victim empathy and having been abused as a child. However, these factors have little or nothing to do with recidivism!
So, while there is no set of characteristics that form a sex offender profile there are criminogenic risk factors that can, and should, be used with sex offenders. Those treatment programs that target them are the most effective.
Photo credit: yony_ro
