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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
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Results for sex offenders
179 results foundAuthor: Marhia, Natasha Title: Just Representation? Press Reporting and the Reality of Rape Summary: Since its inception in 2003, the Lilith Project, part of Eaves, has monitored and reported upon the press. This has led to an increasing awareness that newspaper reports about sexual violence do not accurately reflect these crimes. Lilith identified a random sample of 136 news articles about rape and sexual assault appearing in mainstream newspapers and on the BBC Online news site during the calendar year 2006 and analysed their content, in relation to the offence(s), perpetrator(s), victim(s) and judicial proceedings, and language used to represent all of the above. Key findings The main finding of the study was the identification of a press construction of rape, perpetrators and victims which is contrary to all research and crime statistics and which has a damaging effect on public perceptions of sexual offences and in turn the reporting of, and conviction rates for, sexual offences. This construction depicts rape as an outdoor crime at the hands of a monstrous or bestial deviant stranger, who may be 'foreign', and uses extreme violence to overpower a victim. In this construction the female victim must be 'proven innocent' through press reporting of her actions before, during and after the attack, including her unimpeachable conduct, valiant resistance, subsequent helplessness and physical and emotional trauma. This finding echoes earlier research in this area. The report also explores new and emerging themes such as the press failing to link individual cases of rape and sexual assault to a wider continuum of violence against women; the press tendency to over-report 'false allegations'; and the use of rape cases involving non-British nationals by the press as a vehicle for mobilising xenophobia. The press construction of rape contrasts with the research evidence in the following ways: - Rape cases which led to a conviction account for 48.5% of news reports about rape, but in reality only 5.7% of reported rapes result in a conviction. - Attacks by strangers account for over half - 54.4% - of press reports about rape, despite the fact that only 8-17% of rapes in the UK are stranger rapes. - The majority - 56% - of rapes are perpetrated by a current or former partner, but these cases are almost invisible in the press, accounting for only 2% of stories about rape. - Although only 13% of rapes take place in public places, these account for 54% of press reports of rape. - The press disproportionately covers rape cases involving excessive additional violence including grievous bodily harm and murder, the use of a weapon or intoxicants, abduction and kidnapping and/or multiple assailants. - Attacks against underage girls are over-reported in the press, while attacks against adult women are under-reported compared with recorded crime statistics. Details: London: Eaves, 2008. 58p. Source: The Lilith Project 2008: Accessed April 25, 2018 at: https://i4.cmsfiles.com/eaves/2012/04/Just-Representation_press_reporting_the_reality_of_rape-d81249.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://i4.cmsfiles.com/eaves/2012/04/Just-Representation_press_reporting_the_reality_of_rape-d81249.pdf Shelf Number: 117147 Keywords: Mass MediaRapeSex OffendersSexual Violence |
Author: Daly, Reagan Title: Treatment and Reentry Practices for Sex Offenders: An Overview of States Summary: This report provides an overview and analysis of existing treatment and reentry practices for sex offenders who are involved with the criminal justice system. It focuses, specifically, on four broad areas of practice: treatment in prison, treatment under community supervision, reentry programming, and community supervision. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2008 Source: Bureau of Justice Assistance Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 115185 Keywords: RecidivismRehabilitationSex Offenders |
Author: Hanson, R. Karl Title: A Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Treatment for Sexual Offenders: Risk, Need, and Responsivity Summary: The effectiveness of treatment for sexual offenders remains controversial, even though it is widely agreed that certain forms of human service interventions reduce the recidivism rates of general offenders. The current review examined whether the principles associated with effective treatments for general offenders (Risk-Need-Responsivity: RNR) also apply to sexual offender treatment. Based on a meta-analysis of 23 recidivism outcome studies meeting basic criteria for study quality, the unweighted sexual and general recidivism rates for the treated sexual offenders were lower than the rates observed for the comparison groups (10.9% [n = 3,121] versus 19.2% [n = 3,625] for sexual recidivism; 31.8% [n = 1,979] versus 48.3% [n = 2,822] for any recidivism). Programs that adhered to the RNR principles showed the largest reductions in sexual and general recidivism. Given the consistency of the current findings with the general offender rehabilitation literature, we believe that the RNR principles should be a major consideration in the design and implementation of treatment programs for sexual offenders Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2009. Source: Online Resource: Accessed April 17, 2018 at: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2009-01-trt/2009-01-trt-eng.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Canada URL: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2009-01-trt/2009-01-trt-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 117105 Keywords: RecidivismRisk AnalysisSex Offender TreatmentSex Offenders |
Author: Olson, David E. Title: Final Report: The Impact of Illinois' Truth-in-Sentencing Law on Sentence Lengths, Time to Serve and Disciplinary Incidents of Convicted Murderers and Sex Offenders Summary: Truth-in-sentencing (TIS) policies require those convicted and sentenced to prison to serve at least 85 percent of their court-imposed sentence and often results in inmates serving longer periods of incarceration. This study seeks to answer two of the key questions regarding the implementation of Illinois' TIS law as it pertains to convicted murders and sex offenders: 1) has TIS changed the sentence lengths and lengths of time to serve in prison for murderers and sex offenders, and if so, to what degree, and 2) has TIS had an influence on the extent and nature of disciplinary infractions to these inmates. Details: Chicago: Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, 2009. 54p. Source: Loyola University Chicago, Department of Criminal Justice Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 115343 Keywords: MurderersSentencingSex Offenders |
Author: McManus, Rob Title: Recidivism among sex offenders in South Carolina Summary: This report replicates the BJS report which analyzed recidivism among sex offenders released from prisons in several states in 1994 examining recidivism for a cohort of sex offenders released from South Carolina prisons in 2001. It expands upon this analysis by also examining recidivism among a cohort of offenders admitted to community correctional supervision in 2001. Undertaken as part of a multi-site initiative, the results will be included in a forthcoming publication of the Research and Statistics Association. Details: Columbia, SC: South Carolina Department of Corrections, South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services, South Carolina Budget & Control Board, South Carolina Department of Public Safety, 2007, 81p. Source: Internet Source Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 117598 Keywords: Community Based CorrectionsRecidivismSex Offenders |
Author: Kemshall, Hazel Title: Child Sex Offender Review (CSOR) Public Disclosure Pilots: A Process Evaluation Summary: The Child Sexual Offender Review (2007) recommended that a pilot be set up to provide members of the public with a formal mechanism for requesting information about individuals who have unsupervised access to children and who may have convictions for child sexual offending. The public disclosure pilot was established in four police forces in England running for one-year from September 2008-09. A process evaluation was conducted to look at the success of the pilot. The evaluation used qualitative and quantitative data to assess the extent and nature of applications, whether the pilots contributed to existing child protection arrangements and the cost of implementation. Details: London: Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, 2010. 41p. Source: Internet Resource; Home Office Research Report 32 Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 117629 Keywords: Child ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseSex Offenders |
Author: Save the Children Denmark Title: Sex Offenders Without Borders: An Investigation Into the Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children in Thailand, Cambodia and Burma in Relation to Travel and Tourism Summary: This investigation was carried out to gain more insight into the modus operandi of travelling sex offenders who sexually exploit children in Thailand, Cambodia and Burma; with particular emphasis being placed on the activities of Danish travelling sex offenders. Details: Copenhagen: Save the Children Denmark, 2009. 98p. Source: Year: 2009 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 118228 Keywords: Human TraffickingSex OffendersSex TourismSexual Exploitation (Children) |
Author: International Tribunal for Children's Rights Title: International Dimensions of the Sexual Exploitation of Children: Global Report Summary: The sexual abuse and exploitation committed on children by adults surpass all national boundaries. These abuses thus become the responsibility of more than one state, they become, in effect, an international problem. Some of the most common examples of these international dimensions of sexual exploitation of children include child sex tourism, cross-border trafficking of children for sexual purposes, child pornography and most recently the use of the Internet as a new channel for the proliferation of these forms of abuse and exploitation. This report presents an analysis and compilation of the recommendations produced by the first cycle of interventions of the International Tribunal for Children's Rights in France, Brazil and Sri Lanka. The recommendations cover a wide array of measures aimed at better protecting children from sexual exploitation and ensuring that their abusers are properly prosecuted and convicted, all over the world. Details: Montreal: International Bureau for Children's Rights, 1999. 116p. Source: Year: 1999 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 102426 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild PornographyChild ProtectionChild Sex TourismChild Sexual AbuseHuman TraffickingSex Offenders |
Author: French, Brian Title: Experience of Sexual Violence and Abuse: Findings from the 2008/09 Northern Ireland Crime Survey Summary: This bulletin draws on findings from the 2008/09 Northern Ireland Crime Survey, a continuous, representative, personal interview survey of the experiences and perceptions of crime of 3,856 adults living in private households throughout Northern Ireland. The findings present estimates of the prevalence of sexual violence among women and men in Northern Ireland, from childhood to adulthood. It also provides insights into who has been victimized, who the perpetrators were, the context in which the abuse occurred, the impact of the abuse on the lives of those who had been victimized, and the patterns of disclosure of the abuse to others. Details: Belfast: Northern Ireland Office, Statistics and Research Branch, 2009. 36p. Source: Research and Statistical Bulletin 9/2009 Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 117668 Keywords: Crime StatisticsSex OffendersSex OffensesSexual AbuseSexual ViolenceVictimization Surveys |
Author: Nathan, Lavinia Title: Te Whakakotahitanga: An Evaluation of the Te Piriti Special treatment Programme for Child Sex Offenders in New Zealand Summary: This study represents an attempt to evaluate the Maori cultural component of the Te Piriti Special Treatment Unit, a unit aimed at providing a treatment program to all offenders in order to reduce sexual re-offending against children. There were two specific areas of interest: firstly, to assess the impact of the use of cultural components on the reoffending rate of sexual re-offending against children by Maori participants, and secondly to ascertain the degree to which processes and cultural systems have been successfully integrated into the program for Maori. Details: Wellington, NZ: Psychological Service, Department of Corrections, 2003. 57p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2003 Country: New Zealand URL: Shelf Number: 118748 Keywords: Child Sexual Abuse (New Zealand)Indigenous PeoplesRehabilitation, Sex OffendersSex Offenders |
Author: Grillot, Caroline Title: Street Pedophilia in Cambodia: A Survey on Phnom Penh's Suspects and Victims Summary: This report focuses on street pedophiles and vulnerable children, as both groups remain difficult to observe and approach as they mingle outside common places usually meant for sexual interactions, such as bars and brothels. The survey provides an analysis of the current environment which pedophiles benefit from in Cambodia. It focuses on western males in the Phnom Penh region who represent the majority of the offenders and also on young boys who constitute their main target. Details: Phnom Penh: Action pour les Enfants, 2005. 38p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2005 Country: Cambodia URL: Shelf Number: 118626 Keywords: PedophilesPedophilia (Cambodia)Sex OffendersSex Tourism |
Author: Renault, Raphael Title: Survey on Street-Based Child Sexual Exploitation in Cambodia: Overview of 7 Provinces Summary: Child sexual exploitation has been increasing in Cambodia since the 1990's, with sexual predators coming from abroad as short-term tourists or as long-term residents. Usually, travelling sex offenders visiting Cambodia operate in two different ways, either by visiting brothels or by preying on children in the streets, the markets, the beaches or other public areas. On-going observations in Phnom Penh led to the conclusion that pedophile-related behaviors were changing in the capital. It was suspected that travelling sex offenders were moving into more remote areas as a result of the strengthening of law enforcement activities with respect to child abuse in Phnom Penh. The objectives of this study are: 1) To provide an overview of street-based child sexual exploitation perpetrated outside phnom Penh; 2) To gain an understanding of the underlying factors that make street-based child sexual exploitation possible in countryside Cambodia; and 3) To obtain information on the profile of victims and sex-offenders. Details: Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Action pour les Enfants, 2006. 43p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2006 Country: Cambodia URL: Shelf Number: 118727 Keywords: (Cambodia)Child ProstitutionChild Sexual AbusePedophilesSex OffendersSex Tourism (Cambodia) |
Author: Parkinson, Patrick Title: Study of Reported Child Sexual Abuse in the Anglican Church Summary: This report discusses the nature and extent of reported child sexual abuse by clergy and church workers, including volunteers, since 1990 in the Anglican Church of Australia. The aims of the research study were to: 1) understand the characteristics of accused persons and complainants and the circumstances of the offense; 2) ascertain patterns of abuse in relation to similarities or differences in gender and age of the child complainants; and 3) inform the Church on what steps could be taken towards better prevention of sexual abuse within church communities. Details: Melbourne: Anglican Church of Melbourne, 2009. 61p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2009 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 115658 Keywords: Child Sexual Abuse (Australia)Sex OffendersSexual Abuse |
Author: Jacobson, Jessica Title: Unjust Deserts: Imprisonment for Public Protection Summary: The indeterminate sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) was created by the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (U.K.). The sentence enables the courts to imprison for an indefinite period those convicted of violent and sexual offenses who are deemed to be dangerous, but whose offending is not so serious that they quality for a life sentence. Around 6,000 people have received the sentence since it was implemented in april 2005; about 2,500 of those are currently being held in custody beyond expiry of their minimum term in custody, or tariff. This report reviews the implication of the implications of the IPP sentence for those serving it and for the courts, the Prison Service and the Parole Board. In so doing, it highlights what is perceived to be flaws inherent in the design of the sentence, and the injustices in its implementation. Details: London: Prison Reform Trust, 2010. 70p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 119267 Keywords: ImprisonmentIndeterminate Sentences (U.K.)SentencingSex OffendersViolent Offenders |
Author: Nicholls, Carol McNaughton Title: Examining Implementation of the Stable and Acute Dynamic Risk Assessment Tool Pilot in England and Wales Summary: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) piloted a new dynamic risk assessment tool for sexual offenders managed in the community – the Stable and Acute 2007. This tool was used by both police and probation staff managing eligible convicted sexual offenders. This evaluation examines how the Stable and Acute 2007 tool was implemented in the pilot areas, the benefits and limitations of the tool, and provides recommendations for any future use of dynamic risk assessment in England and Wales. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2010. 77p. Source: Internet Resource; Ministry of Justice Research Series 4/10 Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 117726 Keywords: ProbationRisk Assessment, Sex OffendersSex Offenders |
Author: McAlinden, Anne-Marie Title: Employment Opportunities and Community Re-integration of Sex Offenders in Northern Ireland Summary: This report considers employment opportunities and community re-integration of sex offenders in Northern Ireland. The report looks first at the international and national literature on employment opportunities and community reintegration of sex offenders, before turning to consider Northern Ireland as a specific case study. Details: Belfast: Northern Ireland Office, Statistics and Research Branch, 2009. 75p. Source: Internet Resource; NIO Research and Statistical Series; Report No. 20 Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 118699 Keywords: Employment, Ex-OffendersRehabilitationReintegrationSex Offenders |
Author: Honomichi, Ryan Title: An Evaluation of the Child Abuser Vertical Prosecution Program Summary: This report is an evaluation of the Child Abuser Vertical Prosecution (CAVP) Program that is funded by the State of California. The goals of the program are to enhance prosecution efforts in felony child sexual abuse cases and to reduce the emotional trauma and secondary victimization related to the legal process for young victims and their families. The purpose of this evaluation is to determine if there was an impact on prosecution practices and outcomes as a result of CAVP Program funding and to determine whether the program accomplished its goals in a cost effective manner. Details: Sacramento: California Governor's Office of Criminal Justice Planning, Program Evaluation Division, 2002. 69p. Source: Year: 2002 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 119364 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseChildren, Crimes AgainstProsecution (California )Sex Offenders |
Author: Stewart, Lynn Title: An Examination of the Effectivess of Tupiq: A Culturally Specific Program for Inuit Sex Offenders Summary: The Tupiq program is a culturally specific, high intensity program for moderate to high risk Inuit sex offenders. It is designed to adhere to the principles of effective correctional programs and, additionally, provide teachings based on traditional Inuit knowledge and cultural ceremonies led by Inuit healers and facilitators. The study assessed whether participation in this specialized program improves correctional outcomes. The study found evidence that the program reduces general and violent recidivism among moderate to high-risk Inuit sex offenders and that it may also reduce sexual reoffending. Details: Ottawa: Correctional Service of Canada, 2009. 40p. Source: Internet Resource; 2009 No. R-213 Year: 2009 Country: Canada URL: Shelf Number: 119368 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsEskimos (Inuit)Natives of North AmericaRehabilitationSex OffendersTreatment, Sex Offenders |
Author: International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children Title: Child Pornography: Model Legislation & Global Review. Fifth Edition Summary: Research into national child pornography legislation began in November 2004. Primary sources of information included: LexisNexis; a survey of Member Countries previously conducted by Interpol regarding national child sexual exploitation legislation; government submissions to the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography in conjunction with a U.N. report on child pornography on the Internet; and direct contact with in-country nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), law enforcement agencies and officers, and attorneys. Sadly, the end results continue to shock. Of the 187 Interpol Member Countries, only 29 have legislation sufficient to combat child pornography offenses (5 Member Countries meet all of the criteria set forth above and 24 Member Countries meet all but the last criteria, pertaining to ISP reporting); and 93 have no legislation at all that specifically addresses child pornography. Of the remaining Interpol Member Countries that do have legislation specifically addressing child pornography: 54 do not define child pornography in national legislation; 24 do not provide for computer-facilitated offenses; and 36 do not criminalize possession of child pornography, regardless of the intent to distribute. Fundamental topics addressed in the model legislation portion of this report include: Defining “child” for the purposes of child pornography as anyone under the age of 18, regardless of the age of sexual consent; Defining “child pornography,” and ensuring that the definition includes computer- and Internet-specific terminology; Creating offenses specific to child pornography in the national penal code, including criminalizing the possession of child pornography, regardless of one’s intent to distribute, and including provisions specific to downloading or viewing images on the Internet; Ensuring criminal penalties for parents or legal guardians who acquiesce to their child’s participation in child pornography; Penalizing those who make known to others where to find child pornography; Including grooming provisions; Punishing attempt crimes; Establishing mandatory reporting requirements for healthcare and social service professionals, teachers, law enforcement officers, photo developers, information technology (IT) professionals, ISPs, credit card companies, and banks; Addressing the criminal liability of children involved in pornography; and Enhancing penalties for repeat offenders, organized crime participants, and other aggravated factors considered upon sentencing. Details: Alexandria, VA: International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, 2008. 33p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 119545 Keywords: Child Pornography, Model LegislationChildren, Crimes AgainstInternet CrimesOrganized CrimeSex CrimesSex OffendersSexual Exploitation, Children |
Author: Harrell, Margaret C. Title: A Compendium of Sexual Assault Research Summary: This volume summarizes recent studies on sexual assault that are deemed useful and relevant to the U.S. Department of Defense and other policymakers interested in sexual assault issues. Entries include a brief overview of the prevalence and effects of sexual assault, and of important events and laws pertaining to sexual assault in both the civilian and military sectors. The compendium's annotated bibliography includes summaries of more than 450 studies of sexual assault. Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2009. 319p. Source: Internet Resource; Accessed August 14, 2010 at: http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/2009/RAND_TR617.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/2009/RAND_TR617.pdf Shelf Number: 117555 Keywords: Date RapeRapeSex OffendersSex OffensesSexual AbuseSexual AssaultSexual HarassmentSexual Violence |
Author: National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA, UK) Title: Practice Advice on Investigating Stalking and Harassment Summary: Investigations relating to harassment can be linked to some of the most serious crimes that the police deal with including murder, sexual offences and domestic abuse. Effective police responses to crimes related to harassment can have a direct impact on improving public satisfaction and confidence in the criminal justice system and bringing offenders to justice. This document provides strategic and operational advice for reporting, responding to and investigating harassment. (Excerpts from Document) Details: Wyboston, UK: Association of Chief Police Officers and the National Policing Improvement Agency, 2009. 78p. Source: Interet Resource; Accessed August 14, 2010 at: http://www.npia.police.uk/en/docs/Stalking_and_Harassment.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.npia.police.uk/en/docs/Stalking_and_Harassment.pdf Shelf Number: 117751 Keywords: Criminal InvestigationsDomestic AbuseHarassmentSex CrimesSex OffendersSexual AssaultSexual ViolenceStalking |
Author: Carr, Angela Title: How the Criminal Justice System Handles Allegations of Sexual Abuse: A Review of the Implementation of the Recommendations of the Seeking Justice Report Summary: In June 2003, the CMC presented its report — Seeking justice: an inquiry into the handling of sexual offences by the criminal justice system — to the Queensland Parliament in accordance with section 69 of the Crime and Misconduct Act 2001. That report made 23 recommendations for reform of the criminal justice system, plus a final recommendation that in two years’ time the CMC review the implementation of these recommendations. The current report presents the results of that review. The study found that good progress has been made in implementing most of the recommendations in the Seeking justice report, and in reforming the way in which sexual offences are investigated and prosecuted in Queensland. Details: Brisbane: Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission, 2008. 58p. Source: Internet Resource; Accessed August 16, 2010 at http://www.cmc.qld.gov.au/data/portal/00000005/content/77815001205361682379.pdf Year: 2008 Country: Australia URL: http://www.cmc.qld.gov.au/data/portal/00000005/content/77815001205361682379.pdf Shelf Number: 109692 Keywords: Prosecution, Sex OffendersSex OffendersSex Offenses (Queensland, Australia)Sexual Abuse (Queensland, Australia |
Author: Zgoba, Kristen Title: Megan's Law: Assessing the Practical and Monetary Efficacy Summary: This research concerns the various impacts of community notification and registration laws (Megan’s Law) in New Jersey. Although this report includes a variety of interesting findings and many ideas that will be explored upon post grant period, this research was embarked upon, in general, to investigate: 1) the effect of Megan’s Law on the overall rate of sexual offending over time; 2) its specific deterrence effect on re-offending, including the level of general and sexual offense recidivism, the nature of sexual re-offenses, and time to first re-arrest for sexual and non-sexual re-offenses (i.e., community tenure); and 3) the costs of implementation and annual expenditures of Megan’s Law. These three primary foci were investigated using three different methodologies and samples. Phase One was a 21-year (10 years prior and 10 years after implementation, and the year of implementation) trend study of sex offenses in each of New Jersey’s counties and of the state as a whole. In Phase Two, data on 550 sexual offenders released during the years 1990 to 2000 were collected, and outcomes of interest were analyzed. Finally, Phase Three collected implementation and ongoing costs of administering Megan’s Law. This report presents the major findings of the three phases of the study. Details: Trenton, NJ: New Jersey Department of Corrections, Office of Policy and Planning, Research & Evaluation Unit, 2008. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2010 at: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/225370.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/225370.pdf Shelf Number: 113931 Keywords: Megan's Law (New Jersey)RecidivismSex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: Orchowsky, Stan Title: Improving State Criminal History Records: Recidivism of Sex Offenders Released in 2001 Summary: JRSA is working with the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) on a project designed to improve state criminal history records. The project allows State Statistical Analysis Centers (SACs) to develop the capacity to obtain and analyze their states' criminal history records or, in the case of SACs that already have this capacity, to participate in coordinated studies of key topics of interest to state justice decisionmakers. SACs will provide feedback to their state criminal history repositories on errors in the data discovered as the analyses are undertaken. This ongoing process of analysis and correction of data in the files will help improve the overall quality of the data in the criminal history records. The first project involved SACs in nine states (Alaska, Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Utah) studying sex offender recidivism using the criminal history records data. This report presents the findings of this analysis. Details: Washington, DC: Justice Research and Statistics Association, 2009. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 24, 2010 at: http://www.jrsa.org/programs/sex-offender-final-report.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.jrsa.org/programs/sex-offender-final-report.pdf Shelf Number: 119682 Keywords: Criminal RecordsRecidivismSex Offenders |
Author: Nugent-Borakove, M. Elaine Title: Testing the Efficacy of SANE/SART Programs: Do They Make A Difference in Sexual Assault Arrest & Prosecution Outcomes? Summary: This study examined the effectiveness of SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners)/SART (Sexual Assault Response Teams) programs as a tool in the criminal justice system, specifically the impact of sexual assault case outcomes. The study examined five primary research questions: (1) was the arrest rate higher in cases where a SANE/SART exam was performed as compared with cases in which no exam was performed; (2) was the indictment/charging rate higher in such cases; (3) were guilty pleas more likely to be entered in such cases; (4) was the conviction rate higher in such cases; and (5) was the sentence more severe in such cases. Details: Alexandria, VA: American Prosecutors Research Institute, 2006. 62p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 9, 2010 at: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/214252.pdf Year: 2006 Country: United States URL: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/214252.pdf Shelf Number: 119772 Keywords: ProsecutionSex OffendersSexual AssaultVictims of Crime |
Author: Letourneau, Elizabeth J. Title: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Sex Offender Registration and Notification Policies for Reducing Sexual Violence Against Women Summary: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of one state’s sex offender registration and notification policy in reducing sexual violence. The problem of sexual violence is a national legislative priority as evidenced by numerous sex offender-specific policies enacted at the federal level over the past 15 years. Specifics vary among states regarding criminal justice responses to sex offending, but all such policies have as their primary goals the prevention of sexual violence and the reduction of sexual re-offending. The present study examined the effects of comprehensive registration and community notification policies on rates of sexual violence in South Carolina. Specifically, the present study proposed to evaluate whether broad sex offender registration and notification policies have reduced recidivism or deterred new sexual offenses. Additionally, this study proposed to examine whether unintended effects of broad registration and notification policies have occurred. Of note, the present study focused almost exclusively on the effects of registration and notification as pertains to offenses committed by adults. Given that registration and notification policies often target juveniles adjudicated delinquent as minors, the investigative team has been involved in separate research pertaining to the effects of these policies as pertains to juveniles. This study examined whether the introduction of sex offender registration and notification laws in South Carolina were associated with reductions in sexual crimes and, if so, whether this reduction could be attributed to an actual reduction in sexual violence and/or recidivism (i.e., an intended effect) or to changes in criminal judicial processing of individuals for registry crimes (i.e., an unintended effect). In the context of this project, “sex offender” typically refers to anyone with one or more sex crime convictions. Specific sex crime charges are listed in Table 1 and include contact and noncontact offenses against children and adults. Specific study aims included: (1) To examine whether South Carolina registration and notification policies have the intended effect of preventing first time sexual offending; (2) To examine whether South Carolina registration and notification policies have the intended effect of reducing sexual recidivism for known sex offenders; and (3) To examine whether South Carolina registration and notification policies have the unintended effect of reducing the probability that individuals who commit sexual crimes will be prosecuted or convicted for such crimes. In addition to these primary aims, we also investigated (4) whether registration violations (e.g., failure to register) were associated with sexual or general recidivism. Details: Charleston, SC: Medical University of South Carolina, 2010. 77p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 13, 2010 at: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/231989.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/231989.pdf Shelf Number: 119926 Keywords: RecidivismSex Offender RegistrationSex OffendersSexual Violence |
Author: Mack, Elizabeth A. Title: Sex Offenders and Residential Location: A Predictive Analytic Framework Summary: Despite the growing body of research dealing with sex offenders and the collateral consequences of legislation governing their post release movements, a complete understanding of the residential choices of registered sex offenders remains elusive. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a predictive analytical framework for determining which demographic and socioeconomic factors best forecast the residential choices of convicted sex offenders. Specifically, using a derived index of social disorganization (ISDOR) and a commercial geographic information system (GIS), we implement both linear statistical and non-linear data mining approaches to predict the presence of sex offenders in a community. The results of this analysis are encouraging, with nearly 75% of registered offender locations predicted correctly. The implications of these approaches for public policy are discussed. Details: Tempe, AZ: Arizona State University, GeoDa Center for Geospatial Analysis and Computation, 2010. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper No. 2010-03: Accessed October 14, 2010 at: http://geodacenter.asu.edu/drupal_files/2010-03_0.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://geodacenter.asu.edu/drupal_files/2010-03_0.pdf Shelf Number: 119955 Keywords: Data MiningGeographic StudiesGeospatial AnalysisGISResidency RestrictionsSex OffendersSocioeconomic Status |
Author: Chan, Vanessa Title: Evaluation of the Sex Offender Community Disclosure Pilot Summary: In June 2007, the Home Office published its Review of the Protection of Children from Sex Offenders. One of the conclusions was that more information should be shared with the public about specific Registered Sex Offenders (RSOs) who may pose a threat to particular children. A disclosure scheme was piloted in four English police force areas in 2008/9. In parallel to these developments, the Scottish Government decided to pilot a similar disclosure scheme in the Tayside Police force area between September 2009 and May 2010. The pilot involved a dedicated Disclosure Team being set up to deal with enquiries from parents about specific individuals perceived to pose a threat to their children. For each enquiry, the Disclosure Team conducted a comprehensive risk assessment using the information provided by the applicants and existing information on Police, Social Work and NHS systems. Depending on the outcome of the risk assessment, the team had the option to disclose information and/or trigger existing mechanisms to deal with child protection and the management of sex offenders. This report presents the findings of an independent evaluation of the pilot conducted on behalf of the Scottish Government by Ipsos MORI Scotland in collaboration with Beth Weaver of the University of Strathclyde. The overall aim of the evaluation was to explore the extent to which the pilot enhanced child protection beyond what would happen anyway under existing child protection measures and Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements. The evaluation also focused on how the scheme might be refined and improved before being implemented more widely. The evaluation was conducted primarily through in-depth interviews with a range of stakeholder groups (including applicants, professionals involved in administering the pilot, practitioners, RSOs and national stakeholders). The evaluation also comprised analysis of data on the type of enquiries handled by the pilot, financial resources related to the pilot and the movement of RSOs in Tayside. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Government Social Research, 2010. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 25, 2010 at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/328113/0106001.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/328113/0106001.pdf Shelf Number: 120079 Keywords: Child ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseSex Offenders |
Author: Great Britain. Ministry of Justice Title: Providing Anonymity to Those Accused of Rape: An Asessment of Evidence Summary: This report brings together findings from previous reviews and primary research studies as well as statistics to present a summary of evidence relevant to the issue of whether or not to provide anonymity to those accused of rape. It examines a number of key areas to determine whether the likely impact of anonymity can be identified from existing evidence. These include: the legal position on anonymity in rape cases; reporting and investigation of rape; false allegations; convictions and offending histories; and media coverage of criminal cases. Findings will be of wider interest to those concerned with criminal justice policy, the offence of rape and violence against women and girls. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2010. Source: Internet Resource: Ministry of Justice Research Series 20/10: Accessed December 1, 2010 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/anonymity-rape-research-report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/anonymity-rape-research-report.pdf Shelf Number: 120330 Keywords: RapeRapists (UK)Sex OffendersSexual Violence |
Author: Thomforde-Hauser, Rebecca Title: Sex Offense Courts: Supporting Victim and Community Safety Through Collaboration Summary: This article traces the problem of managing sex offenders and the establishment of sex offense management courts in New York, discussing their history, how they work and challenges to implementation. By outlining New York’s experience, this paper aims to provide lessons learned to other jurisdictions so that they can continue to improve criminal justice responses to the problem of sex offending. Details: New York: Center for Court Innovation, 2010. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 9, 2010 at: http://www.communitycourts.org/_uploads/documents/Sex_Offense_Courts.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.communitycourts.org/_uploads/documents/Sex_Offense_Courts.pdf Shelf Number: 120428 Keywords: Sex OffendersSex Offense Courts (New York) |
Author: Clark, Haley Title: Insights Into Sexual Assault Perpetration: Giving Voice to Victim/Survivors' Knowledge Summary: Significant proportions of women in Australia have been sexually assaulted: national victimisation surveys consistently estimate that around one in six women experience sexual assault from the age of 15.1 At local, state and national levels, reducing the incidence of sexual violence is a pressing concern and a core focus of policy development. However, those responsible for developing prevention strategies face the challenge that there is a lack of knowledge about sexual offending. Research has established that women are primarily assaulted by people they know, often in contexts of trust and familiarity. We also know that this acts as a barrier to disclosing sexual assault and many offences therefore remain hidden. Few victim/survivors report offences to police and fewer still see their perpetrator convicted. Most of what we know about male sexual offenders is based on the small minority who have been detected. The research base suggests that these men may not be representative of undetected offenders or the types of sexual offences regularly perpetrated. To date, the sexual offending literature has emphasised instances involving adult sexual assault where perpetrators and victims know each other. Relatively little is known about the situational circumstances in which sexual assault occurs, the factors that facilitate or inhibit it occurring, the use of strategies by offenders, and how these aspects all fit together. The Giving Voice project adds to our understandings of sexual offending by asking victim/survivors how the sexual assault(s) they experienced happened; what factors they thought facilitated it; and what strategies, behaviours and tactics perpetrators used to offend against them. Building the evidence on how sexual assault occurs, and particularly the strategies used by men to perpetrate, can assist in the development of prevention initiatives. Details: Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2010. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report No. 18: Accessed December 15, 2010 at: http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/resreport18/rr18.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/resreport18/rr18.pdf Shelf Number: 120520 Keywords: RapeSex OffendersSexual Assault (Australia) |
Author: Bonta, James Title: The National Flagging System: Identifying and Responding to High-Risk, Violence Offenders Summary: The National Flagging System (NFS) was established to track high-risk, violent offenders. In general, offenders who are judged to be suitable candidates for a Dangerous Offender (DO) and/or Long Term Offender (LTO) application should they reoffend are placed on the national CPIC system. Thus, if they do reoffend, authorities are quickly alerted to their status and steps taken to consider a DO/LTO application. The present research was aimed at empirically investigating the effectiveness of this policy initiative in identifying and responding to potentially dangerous offenders. Specifically, the profile of 256 flagged male offenders was compared with the profile of 97 known high-risk, violent offenders (i.e., Dangerous Offenders and Detention Failures). In addition, the reconviction rates of the flagged offenders were examined with an emphasis on the effect of the NFS in prompting DO and LTO applications. Results demonstrated that, with a few exceptions, although the flagged offenders showed less serious and persistent criminality characteristics than the known high-risk offenders, both groups were comprised of relatively high-risk cases, compared to general offender populations. Furthermore, the violent/sexual recidivism rates of the flagged offenders were much higher than those reported among typical Canadian male federal offender populations. Even among the violent (including sexual) recidivist offenders, however, the rates of DO and/or LTO applications and successful designations were low. Taken as a whole, despite the fact that the NFS appeared successful in appropriately identifying offenders who pose a risk to the community, this policy initiative's role in facilitating the use of DO and/or LTO provisions was less than expected. Recommendations for the development of guidelines to assist criminal justice professionals in screening, monitoring and processing dangerous offenders are made. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, 2005. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Report No. 205-04: Accessed February 7, 2011 at: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/res/cor/rep/_fl/2005-04-flg-sysm-eng.pdf Year: 2005 Country: Canada URL: http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/res/cor/rep/_fl/2005-04-flg-sysm-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 120704 Keywords: Offender MonitoringRecidivismRisk AssessmentSex OffendersViolent Offenders (Canada) |
Author: Stalans, Loretta J. Title: Assessing the Risk of Sexual and Violent Recidivism and Identifying Differences in Risk Factors: Comparing Probation Supervised and Released Imprisoned Sex Offenders Summary: The management of sex offenders’ risk of committing sex crimes is of paramount importance to the criminal justice system. Criminal justice and treatment professionals assess risk of sexual recidivism using validated risk assessment tools such as the Rapid Risk Assessment for Sex Offender Recidivism (RRASOR), the Structured Anchored Clinical Judgment- Minimum Version (SACJ-min), the STATIC-99, and the STATIC-2002. However, these scales were created using data primarily from sex offenders released from prison or institutions for dangerous sexual predators. Moreover, although these scales are more accurate than clinical or professional judgment, their accuracy still is only modest and needs improvement. The aim of this research was to identify risk factors and how to combine risk factors to improve standardized risk assessment tools. The driving assumption of the current work was that sex offenders sentenced to probation and sex offenders released from prison are very different on important criminal history, offense, mental health, and social characteristics related to risk of sexual recidivism. Therefore if these two populations are different the current assessment scales used may not be appropriate for probation populations or may not predict well certain subgroups of sex offenders such as sex offenders who also commit domestic violence against adult intimate partners. Moreover, prior research has never considered how supervision may modify the behavior of sex offenders and change the risk factors that predict sexual recidivism. Are the risk factors for sexual recidivism the same if sex offenders are under probation or parole supervision or are free in the community without any supervision? Details: Chicago: Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, 2011. 155p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 11, 2011 at: http://www.icjia.state.il.us/public/pdf/ResearchReports/Probation_Supervised_Released_Imprisoned_Sex_Offenders_Report_1210.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.icjia.state.il.us/public/pdf/ResearchReports/Probation_Supervised_Released_Imprisoned_Sex_Offenders_Report_1210.pdf Shelf Number: 120750 Keywords: ParoleProbationRecidivismRisk AssessmentSex OffendersSexual Violence |
Author: Davidson, Julia Title: Current Practice and Research into Internet Sex Offending Summary: This report seeks to explore the current and recent practice of Scottish, English, Welsh and international governments, organisations and agencies in assessing risk and managing and treating internet sex offenders. The research aims were addressed via a literature review, documentary analysis of key legislation, policy and practice documents and semi-structured interviews with a small number of key respondents with expertise in the area and representatives from criminal justice agencies (N=15). Details: Paisley, Scotland: Risk Management Authority, 2007. 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 18, 2011 at: http://www.rmascotland.gov.uk/try/research-papers/ Year: 2007 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.rmascotland.gov.uk/try/research-papers/ Shelf Number: 120822 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseInternet CrimesInternet SafetyOnline VictimizationSex Offenders |
Author: Prentky, Robert Title: A Multi-Prong Approach to Strengthening Internet Child Safety Summary: The Internet is a highly effective vehicle for engaging in a range of sexual crimes, including possession of and trafficking in child pornography, identifying, locating and grooming potential victims; sex-related entrepreneurial crime; and the dissemination of misogynistic material. It would be naïve to assume the Internet has only been used for offense-related purposes by those who have been caught and convicted of Internet-related crimes. It is reasonable to assume the “web” of actual or would-be offenders is substantially greater than the known offenders. Metaphorically, it is an “iceberg” problem, with many hands-on offenders and risk-prone individuals falling below the surface. As part of this three-year project, awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) to Justice Resource Institute, Boston College, Villanova University, and Fairleigh Dickinson University, we attempted to address this highly complex, multifaceted problem with a “multi-pronged” approach. To begin, we created an interdisciplinary Working Group comprised of seasoned professionals covering a range of perspectives about online child sexual victimization. The Working Group initially assisted in providing us with cases to help create and refine an Internet Offender Assessment dictionary, which later led to the development of self-report questionnaires used in data collection. The Working Group convened three times over the course of three years to discuss and brainstorm pertinent issues related to online child sexual victimization. This research project used a three-prong approach: The first prong elicited information from middle school and high school students regarding their Internet knowledge and practices, incidence of risk-taking behaviors while online, and experiences of being solicited or engaging in inappropriate sexual activity via a request from a person first met online. This task was aimed at improving Internet safety programs by better understanding how some children are victimized by Internet Sex Offenders while others are not. The results from this prong will inform and, it is hoped, improve Internet safety programs for school systems We added a large, diverse sample of college students drawn from across the county. We administered a selfreport questionnaire surveying their Internet use, experiences, and knowledge, as well as their exposure to pornographic images. This group of young adults is unique in that it is the first generation to have grown up with widely and readily available access to the Internet. We looked at age-related exposure to Internet pornography and a wide range of “content” of pornography and compared student’s reports to reports by the offender groups. The second prong targeted known offenders. Informing primary prevention and secondary intervention programs requires a much better understanding of the complexity of Internet Sex Offenders, their backgrounds, their criminal offenses, and the motives of Internet Sex Offenders. The objective was to help reduce victimization by identifying risk-relevant characteristics of Internet Sex Offenders, creating more effective safety programs based on the knowledge gleaned from offenders, and adding to the existing literature by differentiating among Internet Sex Offenders in an empirically informed way. To accomplish this we included, in addition to a sample of Internet-only Sex Offenders, a group of known hands-on sex offenders with no known Internet offenses, and a third group consisting of known hands-on sexual offenders with Internet sex offenses. The third prong of this project was intended to more fully understand the role, limitations, and importance of technology. Technology is not only important to law enforcement for apprehending offenders, but also critical in reducing victimization. We assembled a dataset to explore the feasibility of identifying “cyber DNA,” unique (signature) elements revealed in communications between adults and children and/or offenders and undercover law enforcement. The intent of such computer-forensic markers is to detect distinctive patterns distinguishing one offender from another or place an offender within a subset of offenders. The concern expressed by parents/guardians about offensive photographs currently available to children online warranted additional research to examine the effectiveness of filters (commercial programs designed to prevent unwanted materials from being viewed or downloaded). Thus, one of our third-prong-related tasks was a comparison of all widely used filters. By understanding the boundaries of technological sophistication among diverse samples, we can more effectively employ different types of filters. Details: Boston: Justice Resource Institute, 2010. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 28, 2011 at: http://www.missingkids.com/en_US/documents/law-enforcement-bulletin-4.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.missingkids.com/en_US/documents/law-enforcement-bulletin-4.pdf Shelf Number: 120884 Keywords: Children, Crimes AgainstComputer CrimesInternet CrimesInternet SafetySex Offenders |
Author: Loughlin, Jennifer Title: Child Luring Through the Internet Summary: The Internet is a virtual world filled with an abundance of information and endless sources of entertainment. While an extraordinary tool, the Internet comes with risks. For children these risks include the dangers of sexual exploitation, such as luring through the Internet. In 2002, the Canadian Criminal Code was amended to include new offences that would help combat the luring of individuals under the age of 18, by making it "illegal to communicate with children over the Internet for the purpose of committing a sexual offence". Accordingly, police services across Canada began collecting and reporting child luring incidents that come to their attention under this new legislative amendment. Presently, there is little data available on child luring. The information that does exist represents only those incidents that have been reported to the police. Therefore, it is difficult to quantify the full extent and nature of child luring offences in Canada. Nonetheless, using the first available police-reported data on child luring, this article presents a snapshot of the characteristics of this relatively new criminal offence and the people accused of committing it, as well as an examination of court cases and decisions for child luring offences. Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2009. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Juristat, vol. 19, no. 1: Accessed April 1, 2011 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2009001/article/10783-eng.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Canada URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2009001/article/10783-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 121217 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseComputer CrimesCrime StatisticsInternet CrimesSex Crimes (Canada)Sex Offenders |
Author: Mizzi, Pierrette Title: Sentencing Offenders Convicted of Child Pornography and Child Abuse Material Offences Summary: One of the more difficult sentencing tasks is to sentence an offender convicted of a child pornography offence. This applies whether the offence is a Commonwealth or State offence, or the offender is dealt with summarily or on indictment. This monograph examines the practical difficulties faced by NSW judicial officers at sentence relating to the fact-finding process and the problems that can be encountered in assessing the seriousness of a given offence. Most child pornography offenders are prosecuted in the Local Court and a large proportion of these offenders are prosecuted for offences involving the possession of child pornography. Details: Sydney: Judicial Comnmission of New South Wales, 2010. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Monograph NO. 34: Accessed April 4, 2011 at: http://www.judcom.nsw.gov.au/publications/research-monographs-1/research-monograph-34/Monograph34.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://www.judcom.nsw.gov.au/publications/research-monographs-1/research-monograph-34/Monograph34.pdf Shelf Number: 121234 Keywords: Child Pornography (Australia)Child Sexual AbuseSentencingSex Offenders |
Author: Wilson, Doug Title: An Evaluation of the Rhode Island Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) Summary: The Sexual Assault and Trauma Resource Center (SATRC) of Rhode Island contracted with BOTEC Analysis Corporation with funding from the National Institute of Justice1 to undertake an evaluation of the principal legal effects on clients of the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) operated by the Sexual Assault and Trauma Resource Center. Local police, in the United States, have the unique role of determining the pool of defendants in crime investigations, given the ability and willingness of the victim to confirm them. Prosecutors then guided by the informal norms of the courtroom workgroup and their discretion choose from the pool of defendants. Police decisions to arrest and the prosecutor’s decision to file a felony complaint in sexual assaults constitute the primary official screening of these crimes. In the past 25 or more years, the criminal justice system has reformed sexual assault laws and communities have developed programs, such as rape crisis centers, and SART and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) programs, which are designed to provide catalysts to the effects of legal reforms. This evaluation is the first outcome evaluation of a SART program. The evaluation describes the SART process, which is a coordinated effort between the victim, The Sexual Assault and Trauma Resource Center (SATRC), the police department, the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General, the prosecuting agency for felony sexual assaults. It also examines the outcome of this process. The SART program was initiated in January 2002. The evaluation covers assaults for a period, from September 2002 – August 2003 following the initial implementation phase. The cases were followed until July 2004. As should be expected the program is still developing, but nevertheless it has demonstrated positive effects in that there is demand among sexual assault victims for SART services. Victims who seek SART services have significant odds of being assaulted by a friend, acquaintance or relative, have a subsequent forensic exam, and believe that the offense is first degree sexual assault. Also, users of SART services are importantly less likely to have an initial finding of probable cause found by the police. The estimated probability of a victim choosing to be a SART client, whose assault is without these assault characteristics and the police find probable cause is 3 percent, while the probability of a victim seeking SART services with all of these assault characteristics and the police do not initially find probable cause is 89 percent. At this stage in the development of the SART program there is, however, no clear effect on the legal outcome of cases. Contingency analyses examined seven hypotheses about the legal effects of SART. They are: 1. SART increases the pool of defendants. 2. SART cases that are intimate partner sexual assaults are more likely to be charged in Superior Court. 3. Victims with forensic exams are more likely to have defendants charged in Superior Court. 4. SART victims with forensic exams are more likely to be charged in Superior Court. 5. Judicial processes for SART cases move more slowly and thus understate the effect of SART because of a SART case backlog. 6. SART cases after they are filed in Superior Court are less likely to be dismissed. 7. SART cases are more likely than non-SART cases to be charged in Superior Court. The application of Fisher’s exact test to each of these seven hypotheses provided no evidence that the null hypotheses should be questioned. These results, however, should be viewed with circumspection. The statistical power of the contingency analyses was modest, due to small sample sizes. That is, a longer test of SART and a larger sample might produce somewhat different results. Also, it may be that SART efforts have helped to maintain a “level playing field” and that that the consistent null results in the contingency analyses demonstrates SART’s success at maintaining the likelihood that acquaintance assaults will be prosecuted, which is an outcome of rape law reform legislated several years earlier. That is, SART programs may be a lagged social response to social-legislative-judicial change. Finally, SART’s effect may “spillover” to the prosecution of sexual assault cases in which the victim does not use SART services. As a result there is a null difference between the outcome of SART and non-SART cases. The literature review of police and prosecution of sexual assault in other jurisdictions indicates that the reform of sexual assault laws has increased the likelihood of the prosecution of acquaintance rapes relative to stranger rapes. Nevertheless discussions with the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General indicate that SART cases, many of which by their characteristics are acquaintance assaults and are coupled with a lack of an initial finding by the police of probable cause, are more difficult to prosecute. Furthermore, as is discussed in the literature review, informal arrest and prosecution guidelines for sexual assault continue to apply extra-legal standards, such as evidence of resistance. For example, in this study, when the police failed to find probable cause it was strongly related to a lack of injury; that is, a failure to resist. Details: Waltham, MA: BOTEC Analysis Corporation, 2005. 63p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2011 at: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/210584.pdf Year: 2005 Country: United States URL: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/210584.pdf Shelf Number: 121699 Keywords: ProsecutionRapeSex OffendersSexual AssaultVictims of Sexual Assault |
Author: Farrell, Brenda S. Title: Military Justice: Oversight and Better Collaboration Needed for Sexual Assault Investigations and Adjudications Summary: The crime of sexual assault has serious consequences for both the aggrieved and the accused. The severity of these consequences underscores the importance of impartially administering justice in order to promote accountability and confidence that such allegations are taken seriously. GAO was asked to address the extent to which (1) the Department of Defense (DOD) conducts oversight of the military services' investigative organizations and (2) the services provide resources for investigations and adjudications of alleged sexual assault incidents. GAO also identified an issue relating to the military's criminal code during this review. GAO analyzed relevant DOD and service policies and procedures; reviewed applicable laws, including provisions of the Uniform Code of Military Justice; and interviewed senior DOD and service officials, including a total of 48 judge advocates and DOD civilian lawyers, at the headquarters level and at five selected military installations. Pursuant to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005, the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) developed a policy on sexual assault prevention and response. In June 2006, OSD published DOD Instruction 6495.02, which specifies that the DOD Inspector General's Office shall develop policy and oversee sexual assault investigations and related training for the DOD criminal investigative organizations. However, the Inspector General's Office has not performed these responsibilities, primarily because it believes it has other, higher priorities. For example, GAO found no evidence of Inspector General oversight at the service level for any of the 2,594 sexual assault investigations that DOD reported the services completed in fiscal year 2010. Without a policy and plan for conducting oversight, the Inspector General's Office will remain limited in its ability to help ensure consistency and accountability, and that training is being conducted in the most effective manner. Consistent with the Secretary of Defense's priorities for sexual assault prevention and response, each service provides various resources to support investigations and adjudications of alleged sexual assault incidents. Specifically, each service has provided personnel who advise and assist on investigations and adjudications of sexual assault incidents. Each service's investigative and legal organizations also received funding, above their operating budgets, for efforts to enhance investigations and adjudications of sexual assault. For example, in fiscal year 2009, Army investigators received $4.4 million to redesign training on sexual assault investigations. However, the services' investigative and legal organizations are not fully capitalizing on opportunities to leverage each other's expertise and limited resources. For example, the Secretary of Defense, as part of the Base Realignment and Closure process, recommended that the services' investigative organizations co-locate to achieve operational synergies. However, the services currently have no plan for using opportunities such as the co-location--a move that has cost over $426 million and reportedly saved about $53 million for infrastructure support from fiscal years 2006 through 2011--to better leverage expertise and limited resources. Judge advocates also collaborate on some initiatives, but do not have a plan for leveraging resources either. Without a plan, the services cannot help ensure that resources are sustained and efficiencies are maximized. GAO met with judge advocates who consistently expressed concerns, similar to those noted in a 2009 Defense Task Force report, that a 2007 amendment to Article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice complicates sexual assault prosecutions and may be causing unwarranted acquittals. Specifically, judge advocates stated that there is a lack of clarity with regard to the meaning of certain terms in the amended article, which makes it more difficult to prosecute these cases. Further, recent opinions issued by the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces addressed constitutional issues that may arise related to the burden of proof in certain situations. For fiscal year 2012, DOD proposed revisions to Congress intended to remedy some of these issues. GAO is recommending that DOD develop policy and provide oversight for sexual assault investigations and related training, and for the services to develop a plan to better leverage expertise and limited resources. DOD and the Inspector General concurred with the recommendations, although the Inspector General disagreed with the characterization of its performance. GAO believes its findings are accurate, as addressed more fully in the report. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2011. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: GAO-11-579: Accessed July 2, 2011 at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11579.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11579.pdf Shelf Number: 121961 Keywords: Military Justice (U.S.)Sex OffendersSex OffensesSexual Assault |
Author: Peck, Mark Title: Patterns of Reconviction Among Offenders Eligible for Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) Summary: Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) were established in 2001 under the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 and are considered an integral part of the Criminal Justice System in dealing with serious violent and sexual offenders. The Act charged the chief officer of police and the then local probation board for each area to assess and manage the risk posed by these offenders. Home Office guidance (2001) encouraged a widening of this partnership, so that a number of statutory and voluntary agencies would assist in this process. Later, the Prison Service joined the Police and Probation Service as the ‘responsible authority’ for MAPPA under the Criminal Justice Act 2003. The MAPPA process involves an assessment of risk posed by an offender, upon which a risk management plan is subsequently based. This can include, for example, setting appropriate licence conditions, applying for Sexual Offences Prevention Orders (SOPOs), or identifying accommodation within local authority housing. Offenders posing the highest risk are referred to a Multi-Agency Public Protection panel meeting, a forum in which the offender’s risk and management plan can be discussed in detail with the participating agencies. MAPPA evolved from professional practice during the 1990s in dealing with dangerous offenders. The emergence of Public Protection Panels (PPPs) and multi-agency work to manage registered sexual offenders (following the Sex Offenders Act 1997) was central to this evolution and, accordingly, much of the work focused on sexual offenders. The Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 sought to standardise this existing multi-agency work and provided the opportunity to widen the scope to include non-sexual violent offenders. There have been three key process evaluations of MAPPA (Maguire et al, 2001 Kemshall et al, 2005; and Wood and Kemshall, 2007). These illustrated improving standards and greater consistency of MAPPA during its early implementation. Data on Serious Further Offences, breaches and recall are provided in the MAPPA annual reports (see Ministry of Justice 2010b) but are difficult to compare over time, and date back only to 2005/6. This piece of research aimed to address this knowledge gap. It has explored whether reconviction rates of ‘MAPPA-eligible’ offenders released from custody into the community changed in England and Wales since the introduction of MAPPA in 2001. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2011. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Ministry of Justice Research Series 6/11: Accessed July 6, 2011 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/research-and-analysis/moj-research/patterns-reconviction-mappa.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/research-and-analysis/moj-research/patterns-reconviction-mappa.pdf Shelf Number: 121980 Keywords: Interagency CollaborationRecidivism (U.K.)ReconvictionRehabilitationRisk AssessmentSex OffendersViolent Offenders |
Author: Lanning, Kenneth V. Title: Child Molesters: A Behavioral Analysis For Professionals Investigating the Sexual Exploitation of Children. 5th ed. Summary: The sexual victimization of children involves varied and diverse dynamics. It can range from one-on-one intrafamilial abuse to multioffender/multivictim extrafamilial sex rings and from nonfamily abduction of toddlers to prostitution of teenagers. Sexual victimization of children can run the gamut of “normal” sexual acts from fondling to intercourse. The victimization can also include deviant sexual behavior involving more unusual conduct (e.g., urination, defecation, playing dead) that often goes unrecognized, including by statutes, as possibly being sexual in nature. There are, therefore, no step-by-step, rigid investigative standards that are applicable to every case or circumstance. Investigative approaches and procedures have to be adjusted based on the dynamics of the case. Larger law-enforcement agencies tend to have more specialized investigative units that investigate the different types of cases. One unit might investigate intrafamilial, child-abuse cases; another might investigate missing-, abducted-, or murdered-children cases; and another might investigate extrafamilial, sexual-exploitation cases. Offenders, however, sometimes cross these investigative categories. For example a father might produce and distribute child pornography images of his own child or might molest other children in addition to his own. Investigators have to be trained and prepared to address these diverse realities. This discussion will focus primarily on the behavioral aspects of the sexual exploitation of children perpetrated by adult offenders who have an acquaintance relationship (i.e., not strangers or family members) with their child victims. Some of the information, however, could have application to acquaintance juvenile offenders and other types of child-molestation cases. Although some legal and technical aspects involved in these cases will be discussed, those are not my areas of expertise. The law and emerging technology can change rapidly and significantly in a short time. Experts in those areas should be consulted before applying this information, but underlying human behavior tends to remain the same. The concept of the acquaintance molester and other related terms will be defined and insight will be provided into the behavioral patterns of offenders and victims in such cases. For purposes of this publication, investigation is defined as any objective, fact-finding process. This certainly includes the work of law enforcement and prosecutors, but may also sometimes include the work of other professionals such as social workers, forensic mental-health or medical personnel, and youth-serving organizations. One major goal of this publication is to increase objectivity and professionalism in these investigations. This is the fifth edition of this publication. Details: Alexandria, VA: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, 2010. 212p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed July 28, 2011 at: http://www.missingkids.com/en_US/publications/NC70.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.missingkids.com/en_US/publications/NC70.pdf Shelf Number: 122223 Keywords: Child MolestationChild PornographyChild Sexual AbuseCriminal InvestigationMissing ChildrenMissing Persons (U.S.)Sex OffendersSex Offenses |
Author: Richards, Kelly Title: Misperceptions About Child Sex Offenders Summary: Sexual offending against children is a highly emotive issue. It is nonetheless important that public policy initiatives to prevent and/or respond to child sexual abuse are based on the available evidence about child sex offenders. This paper addresses five common misperceptions about the perpetrators of sexual offences against children. Specifically, the issues addressed include whether all child sex offenders are ‘paedophiles’, who sexually abuse children, whether most child sex offenders were victims of sexual abuse themselves, rates of recidivism among child sex offenders and the number of children sex offenders typically abuse before they are detected by police. The evidence outlined in this paper highlights that there are few black and white answers to these questions. Perpetrators of sexual crimes against children are not, contrary to widespread opinion, a homogenous group. Rather, there are a number of varied offending profiles that characterise child sex offenders. Gaining an understanding of the nuances of this offender population is critical if children are to be protected from sexual abuse. Details: Sydney: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2011. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice no.429: Accessed September 30, 2011 at: http://aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/tandi/421-440/tandi429.aspx Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/tandi/421-440/tandi429.aspx Shelf Number: 122953 Keywords: Child Sexual AbusePedophiliaSex Offenders |
Author: Loots, Lizle Title: Global Review of National Prevention Policies Summary: This review involves an analysis of literature on risk factors and social dynamics underpinning rape and critique of best practice in rape prevention policy internationally. Over 140 National policies and action plans from 110 different countries are currently being reviewed to identify gaps in government prevention efforts. This review is being undertaken internally by the SVRI secretariat. This review will be used to identify and address the critical areas that need to be a focus of attention in developing evidence-based strategies and national policies. On completion of this review, a workshop will be convened with multi-sectoral invitees from Government, as well as researchers and representatives from non-governmental organisations. The review will be presented at the workshop and at least two other stakeholders in the field will be asked to present, including responding to the review and to discuss its policy implications. This review will ultimately contribute towards shifting the policy arena in the area and honing of the research agenda on preventing rape. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Sexual Violence Research Initiative; South African Medical Research Council, 2011. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed Ocboer 6, 2011 at: http://www.svri.org/GlobalReview.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.svri.org/GlobalReview.pdf Shelf Number: 122997 Keywords: RapeSex CrimesSex OffendersSexual AssaultSexual Violence |
Author: Ricardo, Christine Title: Men, Masculinities, Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Violence: A Literature Review and Call for Action Summary: This paper explores possible linkages between masculinities and different forms of sexual exploitation and sexual violence. Specifically, it seeks to answer the question: How do prevailing norms and views of manhood, or masculinities, contribute to some men’s use of sexual violence, and the “demand-side” of sexual exploitation? We critically review existing literature on the topic, with a particular focus on recommendations for action. From what we know about how prevailing gender norms contribute to some men’s use of sexual violence and sexually exploitative practices, what can we propose to reduce sexual exploitation by working with men and boys to question salient gender norms that drive the demand? In terms of programs to reach men and boys on this issue there are a few examples – some which address sexual exploitation specifically, others which address questions of masculinities and gender equality more broadly. However, most of these projects have been small-scale, and with little impact evaluation to date. There are also examples of policies that have incorporated an understanding of the demand side of sexual exploitation and the need to move beyond a mostly punitive model toward a more comprehensive one that includes sanctions as well as preventive approaches, such as engaging men and boys with messages that question sexual exploitation and the “commodification” of women and girls (and boys and men). Overall, we affirm the need to increase attention and action to engage men and boys in questioning and overcoming gender norms that contribute to sexual violence and exploitation. Details: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Promunda and MenEngage, 2008. 55p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 6, 2011 at: http://www.promundo.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Homens-Masculinidades-Explora%C3%A7%C3%A3o-Sexual-e-Viol%C3%AAncia-Sexual-ING.pdf Year: 2008 Country: International URL: http://www.promundo.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Homens-Masculinidades-Explora%C3%A7%C3%A3o-Sexual-e-Viol%C3%AAncia-Sexual-ING.pdf Shelf Number: 122999 Keywords: GenderMasculinityRapeSex OffendersSexual AssaultsSexual ExploitationSexual Violence |
Author: Jago, Sue Title: What’s going on to Safeguard Children and Young People from Sexual Exploitation? How local partnerships respond to child sexual exploitation Summary: This research project has explored the extent and nature of the response of LSCBs to the 2009 government guidance on safeguarding children and young people from sexual exploitation. Where the guidance is followed, there are examples of developing and innovative practice to protect and support young people and their families and to investigate and prosecute their abusers. However, the research has found that the delivery of that dual approach to child sexual exploitation is far from the norm. There are three areas that cause particular concern: • only a quarter of LSCBs in England are implementing the guidance • young people, their families and carers receive awareness raising in less than half of the country • the prosecution of abusers is rare and, where criminal proceedings take place, young people’s experience of court is intolerable. These and related findings are set out below together with recommendations on how to ensure that action is taken, locally and nationally, to address this form of child abuse. Details: Bedford, UK: University of Bedfordshire, 2011. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 18, 2011 at: http://www.beds.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/121873/wgoreport2011-121011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.beds.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/121873/wgoreport2011-121011.pdf Shelf Number: 123047 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild Sexual Abuse (U.K.)Child Sexual ExploitationSex Offenders |
Author: South Carolina Department of Public Safety, Office of Justice Programs, Statistical Analysis Center Title: By Force and Without Consent: A Five Year Overview of Sexual Violence in South Carolina: 2005 - 2009 Summary: By Force and Without Consent: A Five Year Overview of Sexual Violence in South Carolina 2005 – 2009 is the second in a series of ongoing reports, designed to provide basic information about victims of sexual violence over a five year period. The information presented in the tables, graphs and charts in this publication is based on incident reports submitted to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) by state and local law enforcement agencies. These reports are edited and reviewed, corrected as needed and compiled to form the basis of the information presented in this report. It is important to note that the information in this report is only as complete and accurate as the information reported to local law enforcement and subsequently submitted to SLED. By their very nature, unreported crimes cannot be included in the report. While there are a variety of legal and social definitions of sexual violence, this report uses a broad definition of sexual violence, parsed into meaningful sub-categories, in order to provide as much useful information as possible. This report seeks to provide information concerning the scope and nature of sexual violence at the state level; however the overall emphasis of the report is to provide information concerning short term trends and county level information. The study found that nearly all the statewide indicators of sexual violence victimization trends demonstrated a decline from 2004 through 2008. Overall, the number of sexual violence victims decreased 10.7%, while the sexual violence victimization rate per 10,000 decreased 16.1% over the five year period. The invasive sexual violence victimization rate decreased (17.2%), the rape victimization rate decreased (11.9%), the forcible sodomy victimization rate decreased (37.5%); the sexual assault with an object victimization rate decreased (19.6%) as did the forcible fondling victimization rate (14.3%). Similarly, sexual violence victimization rates against children and adults decreased 19.1% and 6.8% respectively from 2004 through 2008. Following the same pattern over the five year time period, sexual violence victimization rates involving family victim/offender relationships decreased (6.8%), as did the sexual violence victimization rates involving marital victim/offender relationships (23.8%), sexual violence victimization involving victim/offender relationships where the victim and offender knew but did not have a family, marital or romantic relationship (17%), and sexual violence victimization involving strangers (18.1%). The lone exception to this pattern of decreasing sexual victimization rates was the sexual victimization rate involving romantic victim/offender relationships, which increased 5.6% from 2004 through 2008. It is important to note that romantic victim/offender relationships accounted for less than 4% of sexual violence victimization. Details: Blythewood, SC: South Carolina Department of Public Safety, Office of Justice Programs, 2011. 244p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20, 2011 at: http://www.scdps.org/ojp/stats/SexualViolence/By%20Force%20and%20Without%20Consent%202005%20-%202009%20Final%20Version.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.scdps.org/ojp/stats/SexualViolence/By%20Force%20and%20Without%20Consent%202005%20-%202009%20Final%20Version.pdf Shelf Number: 123071 Keywords: Crime StatisticsSex CrimesSex OffendersSexual Assault (South Carolina)Sexual ViolenceVictimization |
Author: Lovett, Jo Title: Rape in the 21st Century: Old Behaviours, New Contexts and Emerging Patterns Summary: Home Office statistics show a continuing decline in the conviction rate for rape over the last three decades, which reached a low of 5.27 per cent in 2003. Building on an existing data set, this project seeks to explore how far the construction of ‘real rape’ – committed by strangers, occurring in outdoor locations and involving weapons and injury – operates as a template from which all other types of reported cases are judged. This stereotype serves to disguise the social realities of rape – that perpetrators are invariably known and that it takes place in the complexity of daily life and everyday routines. Drawing on a dataset of 3,500 cases and linked qualitative data, the project will involve developing analytical frames to assess the extent to which decision-making by complainants, police, prosecutors and judges at all stages of the process can be predicted through the elements of real rape, and whether the concept needs adapting for the 21st century. The findings will add to our understanding of the attrition process and the justice gap. Details: Swindon, UK: Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), 2007. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 25, 2011 at: http://www.esrc.ac.uk/my-esrc/grants/RES-000-22-1679/read Year: 2007 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.esrc.ac.uk/my-esrc/grants/RES-000-22-1679/read Shelf Number: 123145 Keywords: Rape (U.K.)Sex OffendersSex OffensesSexual Violence |
Author: Socia, Kelly M. Title: Residence Restriction Legislation, Sex Crime Rates, and the Spatial Distribution of Sex Offender Residences Summary: Residence restrictions are one of the most recent, and most controversial, public policies seeking to protect community members from registered sex offenders (RSOs) reentering society following incarceration. Residence restriction policies prohibit RSOs from living within a given distance of certain places where children might gather (e.g., schools, daycares, parks, and playgrounds). In doing so, the expectation is that RSOs will have a harder time finding and approaching young children whom they can sexually assault, thus driving sexual recidivism rates down. These policies, first passed in 1995 at the state level and in 2005 at the county and local level, have become extremely popular throughout the United States, but without proof that they are effective. To date, the research on these policies has been extremely limited, and has largely focused on the unintended consequences that these policies cause for RSOs, typically as a result of reduced housing options. This study addresses this lack of research by examining four issues: 1) the characteristics of counties passing these policies, 2) the efficacy of county residence restrictions to reduce sex crime rates in New York State, 3) whether these policies are associated with the spatial distribution (i.e., clustering or dispersion) of RSO residences in upstate New York neighborhoods, and 4) whether this spatial distribution is in turn associated with differences in county-level recidivistic sex crime rates. In doing so, this study draws on a number of diverse literatures, including the diffusion of policy innovations, incapacitation and deterrence theories, reentry and rehabilitation research, and the conceptualization and measurement of the spatial distribution of ex-offender residences. Results indicate that political competition is very influential in passing a county residence restriction and that a nearby residence restriction may dissuade others from passing their own policies. Further, while these restrictions do not reduce recidivistic sex crimes, they may generally deter some individuals who are not yet RSOs from sexually victimizing adults. Finally, results indicate that while a residence restriction is in some cases associated with the within and between-neighborhood spatial distribution of RSOs, there is no indirect effect on recidivistic sex crime rates. Details: Albany, NY: School of Criminal Justice, University at Albany, 2011. 190p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 29, 2011 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/235979.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/235979.pdf Shelf Number: 123174 Keywords: Residency RestrictionsSex Crimes, PreventionSex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: Hollist, Dusten R. Title: Montana State Prison: Analysis of the Impact of Treatment Programs on Inmate Misconduct and Recidivism Summary: The purpose of this research is to examine the effectiveness of two therapeutic treatment programs currently available at the Montana State Prison (MSP): Intensive Treatment Unit Chemical Dependency (ITU CD) and Intensive Treatment Unit Sex Offender Programming (ITU SOP). Program effectiveness is measured using the rate of inmate misconduct while in MSP and the three-year recidivism rate of released inmates. The study was designed to allow for the comparison of misconduct rates before and after treatment and the comparison of after-treatment misconduct rates of those receiving treatment and those not receiving treatment. The study design also allows for the comparison of the recidivism rates of those who did or did not receive treatment. Major findings: Intensive Treatment Unit – Chemical Dependency (ITU CD) • The vast majority of the inmates (97.3%) had a prior arrest. Most (79.6%) had served time in jail or prison as a result of a prior arrest • Although in most cases the difference is not statistically significant, misconduct rates decline after completion of ITU CD treatment. • Of those completing ITU CD treatment, about twice as many showed a reduction in their misconduct rate rather than an increase after treatment. • In general, inmates who do not complete ITU CD treatment have misconduct rates that are higher than the after-treatment rates of inmates who complete ITU CD treatment. • Those who did not complete ITU CD treatment have higher recidivism rates than those who completed treatment and were compliant with the treatment at the time of release. • For those in the ITU CD sample, the longer the sentence served, the higher the likelihood of recidivism. • In terms of reducing recidivism, ITU CD treatment has the greatest impact on White inmates and those who are under age 40 at the time of release. • Treatment compliant ITU CD inmates have lower recidivism rates. But, if a treatment compliant inmate is going to return to prison, he is more likely than a non-treatment inmate to return in the first year after release. Intensive Treatment Unit – Sex Offender Programming (ITU SOP) • The vast majority of inmates (97.3%) had a prior arrest. Most (80.5%) had served time in jail or prison as a result of a prior arrest. • With some exceptions, misconduct rates decline after completion of ITU SOP treatment. • Of those treatment-compliant inmates completing ITU SOP treatment, almost three times as many showed a reduction in their misconduct rate rather than an increase after treatment. Details: Helena, MT: Montana Department of Corrections, 2004. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 26, 2011 at: http://www.cor.mt.gov/content/Resources/Reports/MSP_AITPIMR.pdf Year: 2004 Country: United States URL: http://www.cor.mt.gov/content/Resources/Reports/MSP_AITPIMR.pdf Shelf Number: 123456 Keywords: Correctional TreatmentPrison AdministrationPrisoner Misconduct (Montana) Inmate MisconductPrisoner RehabilitationProgramsRecidivismSex OffendersSubstance Abuse Treatment Programs |
Author: Kuzyk, Ivan Title: Recidivism among sex offenders in Connecticut Summary: Once sex offenders in Connecticut are released from prison, they are unlikely to be sent back for another sex crime, according to a report released Wednesday by the state Office of Policy and Management. Of 746 sex offenders released in Connecticut in 2005, five years later, less than 4 percent had been re-arrested and charged with a new sex crime. "What's really relevant here is that the population is really small," said Ivan Kuzyk, author of the report and director of the CT Statistical Analysis Center at OPM. "It's kind of remarkable to me. I hadn't expected the rates to be so low." After arrest, 2.7 percent of those 746 men were convicted of another sex offense; 1.7 percent went back to prison to serve time for that new sex crime. The data, Kuzyk writes, flies in the face of conventional wisdom that says all sex offenders are likely to re-commit a sex crime, and then head straight back to prison. "There hasn't been a rational and reasonable discussion about sex offenders," Kuzyk said. "But now we know that not every single one of them is going to reoffend. And we can get a better understanding of who these people are." Michael Lawlor, undersecretary for criminal justice at OPM, pointed to the potential for reaching this small, high-risk group through an existing criminal justice system and social services intervention. "As it turns out, there are things that can be done with this population with very significant results," he said, while previewing the report last week. With this kind of data, Lawlor said, the state might be able to single out those at highest risk of returning to prison for a sex specific crime, prioritize them and target them with special services. "The idea is you can actually do things to them while you've got them to reduce the chance of them getting re-arrested," he said. What those compiling data for the report weren't able to do, Kuzyk said, was pore through the detailed files of each of the offenders. "You can't go through more than 700 records -- that's just cost-prohibitive," Kuzyk said. But with this data, the state can now go back and determine whether the small population of reoffenders was, for example, under supervision by the state when they committed another sex crime. Or what specific type of sex crime they committed. "If you've got less than 20 guys, you can move forward and do a qualitative analysis of their commonalities," Kuzyk said. And that should make it easier to identify high-risk offenders. In treating and supervising sex offenders, the state's criminal justice system relies on the Department of Correction, a web of parol and probation officers, victim advocates and nonprofit service providers. According to the report, which pulled data from each of these groups, a specialized treatment plan is developed for each offender. But until three weeks ago, there was no place for released sex offenders to go. "There were no secure sex offender beds for high riskers getting out of prison," Lawlor said in his comments last week. "They were often just being dropped off by bus in Hartford or New Haven, ending up in homeless shelters. And that's the worst place for a sex offender to be." Then, a 2008 provision of Public Act 08-01 required the state to build a residential facility for sex offenders released from prison. Despite objections from the town of Montville, a 24-bed facility for sex offenders opened last month on the grounds of the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center. "Housing and supports are really important to keep them from re-committing," Lawlor said. A larger report analyzes the arrests, convictions and imprisonment of 14,398 men for five years after their release from prison in Connecticut in 2005. A majority -- 78.6 percent -- were re-arrested within five years. And 49.8 percent of those re-arrested were convicted and sent back to prison. The recidivism rate among the 746 sex offenders for non-sex crimes was slightly lower at 40.2 percent. The report's appendices go deeper, looking at five separate sex offender categories based on offenders' prior arrests, convictions, sentence histories and identification by the Department of Correction as sex offenders. Looking at histories, prior convictions and arrests is crucial, Kuzyk said. As the report notes, offenders often commit sex crimes but are able to avoid sex charge convictions through a plea bargain. There are also cases where victims are unwilling or unable to come forward with testimony. "Sometimes, these guys will end up pleading guilty to a related, nonsexual crime. But who's a greater risk to public safety? Someone who was just convicted, or someone who was able to avoid conviction but remains high risk?" Among the 1,712 men identified in at least one of the five subgroups, arrest on a prior sex charge was the best predictor for being sent back to prison for a new sex crime. "This is all about trying to assess future risk based on who you were in the system," Kuzyk said. Recidivism rates don't change much year to year, Kuzyk said. So he's hoping to move the department to looking at smaller subgroups, like this one, on a yearly basis. Lawlor called the report the first of its kind in Connecticut. "And as I understand it, this may have been a virtually unique analysis in the country," he said. Details: Hartford, CT: Criminal Justice Policy & Planning Division, Office of Policy and Management, State of Connecticut, 2012. 50p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 19, 2012 at http://www.ct.gov/opm/lib/opm/cjppd/cjresearch/recidivismstudy/sex_offender_recidivism_2012_final.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.ct.gov/opm/lib/opm/cjppd/cjresearch/recidivismstudy/sex_offender_recidivism_2012_final.pdf Shelf Number: 124190 Keywords: ConnecticutEvaluative StudiesRecidivismSex Offenders |
Author: Great Britain. Home Office Title: Providing Anonymity to Those Accused of Rape: An Assessment of Evidence Summary: This report brings together findings from previous reviews and primary research studies as well as Home Office and Ministry of Justice statistics to present a summary of evidence relevant to the issue of whether or not to provide anonymity to those accused of rape. A number of areas have been examined to determine whether the likely impact of anonymity can be identified. These include: the legal position on anonymity; reporting and investigation of rape; false allegations; convictions and offending histories, and media coverage of criminal cases. Overall, the report found insufficient reliable empirical findings on which to base an informed decision on the issue of whether or not to provide anonymity to those accused of rape. Details: London: Home Office, 2010. 55p. Source: Internet Resource: Ministry of Justice Research Series 20/10: Accessed April 3, 2012 at: http://www.engender.org.uk/UserFiles/File/VAW/Rape%20anonimity%20report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.engender.org.uk/UserFiles/File/VAW/Rape%20anonimity%20report.pdf Shelf Number: 124803 Keywords: False AllegationsRape (U.S.)Sex OffendersSex Offenses |
Author: Fleck, Angela Marie Title: Is Institutional Sexual Misconduct Predictive of Sexual Recidivism Amongst Male Sex Offenders? Summary: There has been a large body of research conducted on establishing a valid set of predictors of sexual offender recidivism in the past 20 years. However, despite findings that indicate that prior history of sexual offenses serves as a primary predictor of sexual offense recidivism, there has been little focus on the impact of institutional sexual misconduct on sexual offense recidivism rates. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between institutional sexual behavior and sexual offense recidivism rates amongst a sample of male offenders who received a sexual misconduct report while incarcerated and/or was convicted of a sexual offense. Additionally, this study explored whether instances of institutional sexual misconduct added to the variance accounted for by actuarial measures commonly used in Sexually Violent Predator Civil Commitment evaluation procedures. Results revealed that there is little association between sexual offense recidivism rates and receipt of institutional sexual conduct reports unless an offender is issued multiple sexual conduct reports during the same period of incarceration. Additionally, the actuarial measures used in the study were not found to be predictive of sexual offense recidivism. Implications for conducting Sexually Violent Predator Civil Commitment evaluations, identifying institutional sexual offender treatment needs, and identifying community supervision practices are discussed, and future research directions are proposed. Details: Milwaukee, WI: Marquette University, 2011. 123p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed April 3, 2012 at: http://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1128&context=dissertations_mu Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1128&context=dissertations_mu Shelf Number: 124806 Keywords: PredictionPrisoner MisconductRecidivismSex Offenders |
Author: Kester, Kyra Title: Housing Sex Offenders in the Community; Results of a Literature Search Conducted for the Washington State Sex Offender Policy Board Summary: The primary issue in investigating housing for sex offenders returning to the community is that little research exists that demonstrates the specific effect of housing on sex offender transition. This is not to say that there is no evidence at all regarding sex offender housing, rather that it is too indiscrete (housing is one of many social support or environmental issues linked together) and there is simply too little altogether to be a compelling body of evidence. Research on sex offender housing does little to depict the availability of housing generally in a community nor to demonstrate a relationship between homelessness and sex offense recidivism. Analysis also suffers from the heterogeneity of sex offenders and the scarcity of longitudinal study. Lacking a compelling body of empirical data addressing the topic, policy makers rely on “evidence” regarding the importance of housing in sex offender transition from: • General correlations between housing and crime or housing and offender transitions. According to the Justice Policy Institute, of the ten states that spent the largest proportion of their total expenditures on housing, all ten had re‐incarceration rates lower than the national average. A study of offenders leaving an Illinois correctional institution for structured housing found a 30 percent reduction in recidivism compared to offenders not in the program. And California’s efforts to provide housing for the mentally ill observed a reduction in days of incarceration (and increase in days of full employment.) • The testimony provided by sex offenders themselves, who regularly cite a lack of housing as one of the difficulties they face on release from prison. How severe this problem appears to be relative to other problems reported by transitioning sex offenders varies, particularly among regions. This is not surprising given considerable differences in social‐political attitudes that would affect the likely reception and support of sex offenders in American communities. Economic stresses, climate, transit and housing availability will be significantly different among regions as well. • Theories such as social disintegration, which profiles environmental conditions that are conducive to crime and therefore to recidivism. When sex offenders are faced with housing limitations they may be more likely to find themselves in socially disrupted neighborhoods, heightening the risk of reoffending. How well social disintegration pertains to sex offenses, however, is not well documented. The theory began as an analysis of juvenile delinquency and remains most often applied to general lawlessness. No psychological information yet connects to the specific crimes of the sex offender. Initial studies are intriguing, and further inquiry may clarify the community characteristics that correlate with high or low sex offender recidivism. Still, the conditions of release that now exist for sex offenders in the community are such that housing dilemmas must result. Whether or not the suspect conditions prove to be critical to recidivism, sex offenders certainly do face obstacles to finding accommodation, which is a logical component of reintegration into a community. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State University, Social & Economic Sciences Research Center-Puget Sound Division, 2009. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed April 6, 2012 at: http://www.ilvoices.com/media//DIR_109112/e8cdcb74bf2b54beffff8825ffffe415.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.ilvoices.com/media//DIR_109112/e8cdcb74bf2b54beffff8825ffffe415.pdf Shelf Number: 124880 Keywords: HousingPrisoner ReentrySex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: Axford, Marsha Title: Homicide, Sex, Robbery and Drug Offenders in Federal Corrections: An End-of-2008 Review Summary: One of the challenges confronting all Correctional Services in recent years is the effective management of offender populations. It has long been recognized that the demographic and offence-related characteristics of these populations influence institutional conduct as well as the safe transition of offenders to the community. As the characteristics of offenders and populations change, it creates the need to develop or refine correctional interventions to best respond to the needs and risks of these offenders. For example, an increase in the number of offenders admitted to prison with drug-related offences may indicate the need to develop and offer more addictions or substance-abuse programs. Moreover, an increase in the number of offenders sentenced with violent offences is typically associated with higher levels of institutional misconduct. As a result, it is important to monitor changes in the offender population. This study provides an overview of offenders convicted of homicide, sexual, robbery and drug-related offences on December 31, 2008. Of the 22,445 offenders under the supervision of the Service on that date, 5,540 had been convicted of a homicide offence, 3,154 were sexual offenders, 6,276 had a conviction for robbery, and 6,433 offenders had been convicted of a drug-related offence. In terms of population trends, the number of offenders sentenced on a homicide offence increased by 18% in the ten years prior to December 31, 2008. Part of this increase is because offenders convicted of first- and second-degree murder will remain under correctional supervision for the remainder of their lives. The number of sexual offenders, by contrast, decreased 14% during that same era, and this may be due to a decrease in the number of these offences reported to the police in the past decade (Dauvergne & Turner, 2010). The number of CSC offenders convicted of a robbery offence followed a similar trend, having decreased 8% from 1998 to 2008. However, during the same time period, the number of offenders who had been sentenced on a drug-related offence increased by 18%. Over the past ten years for which data are reported, there were a number of noteworthy changes in the management of these offenders. First, the number of homicide and drug offenders supervised in the community increased by 431 (+25%) and 117 (4%) respectively, while there were fewer offenders from the other groups who had been conditionally released: sex offenders (-268; -22%) and those convicted of robbery (-490; -18%), In addition, more offenders were placed in maximum security units in 2008 compared to 1998. In 2008, homicide (31%) and robbery (29%) offenders were more often housed in maximum security units than drug and sexual offenders (23% each). Last, the proportion of offenders released at their statutory release date (SR) had increased for all offence types, particularly for robbery offenders (50% in 1998 versus 63.1% in 2008). Altogether, there have been some significant changes in the characteristics of the federal offender population. These changes have resulted in a number of operational changes to better manage the risks that these offenders might pose in either institutions or the community. Basing these operational changes on the latest information about the offender population will enable the Service to focus on the safe transition of these offenders to the community. Details: Ottawa: Correctional Service of Canada, 2011. 53p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report 2011 No R-234: Accessed April 16, 2012 at: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/rsrch/reports/r234/r234-eng.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Canada URL: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/text/rsrch/reports/r234/r234-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 124982 Keywords: Drug OffendersInmates (Canada)PrisonersRobbersSex OffendersViolent Offenders |
Author: Cale, Jesse Lee Title: The Antisocial Trajectories in Youth of Adult Sexual Aggressors of Women: A Developmental Framework for Examining Offending, Motivation, and Risk of Recidivism in Adulthood Summary: Distinct typologies of sexual aggressors of women have been established over the years to explain their heterogeneity. To date, typologies have distinguished these offenders based on differences in victim and offence characteristics, motivation, and, the level of risk of reoffending posed by the offender. These distinct typologies have often emerged parallel to policies changing the way these offenders are dealt with in the criminal justice system. The current dissertation departs from previous classification strategies by exploring the utility of a developmental framework for classifying sexual aggressors of women. To this end, it is organized into three separate but related empirical studies. The first study examined the presence of antisocial trajectories in youth using a dynamic classification procedure and uncovered, contrary to current theoretical propositions, that the antisocial development of sexual aggressors of women in youth was characterized by much heterogeneity. More specifically, two meta-trajectories were uncovered, an early- and a late-onset trajectory, the former composed of three pathways, and the latter composed of two. Furthermore, the trajectories discovered were differentially related to several dimensions of general, violent, and sexual offending in adulthood. In the second study, the two meta-trajectories were examined in terms of mating effort and sexual drive, and while a high level of mating effort characterized the late-onset trajectory, the early-onset trajectory was characterized by both high mating effort and high sexual drive. In addition, sexual drive and mating effort were also related to an early-onset and higher frequency of sexual offending in adulthood suggesting that these measures may be associated with the motivation to sexually offend. In the third study, the two meta-trajectories were assessed in terms of their association with violent/sexual reoffending in adulthood. The results indicated that an early-onset antisocial trajectory, characterized by a pattern of escalation in youth, predicted violent/sexual reoffending in adulthood. In addition, the predictive aspect of these measures was demonstrated independently, and in conjunction with current measures that are typically included in many current actuarial risk assessment instruments. Taken together, the results of these three studies challenge current classification strategies, and, developmental conceptualizations, of sexual aggressors of women. Details: Burnaby, BC: Simon Fraser University, 2012. 231p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed May 14, 2012 at: https://theses.lib.sfu.ca/thesis/etd6083 Year: 2012 Country: Canada URL: https://theses.lib.sfu.ca/thesis/etd6083 Shelf Number: 125258 Keywords: Criminal CareerRapeRapistsRecidivismSex OffendersSexual AggressionSexual Assault |
Author: California. Department of Corrections. Office of the Inspector General Title: Special Report: The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's Supervision of Parolee Phillip Garrido Summary: On June 10, 1991, federal parolee Phillip Garrido and his wife Nancy allegedly kidnapped 11-year-old Jaycee Dugard from South Lake Tahoe, California. Over the course of the following 18 years, Garrido reportedly sexually assaulted Jaycee–fathering two children–while holding her captive on the grounds of his residence in Antioch, California. For many of those years, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s (department) parole division supervised Garrido. Despite numerous clues and opportunities, the department, as well as federal and local law enforcement, failed to detect Garrido’s criminal conduct, and victimization of Jaycee and her two daughters. On August 26, 2009, Garrido heinous crimes, and Jaycee was reunited with her family. In 1977, Garrido was convicted in state and federal court for kidnapping and repeatedly raping a 25-year-old female victim. The federal court sentenced him to 50 years for kidnapping while Nevada imposed a five years to life term for forcible rape. In January 1988, after serving 11 years of his federal sentence, the federal government paroled Garrido and released him to Nevada authorities to serve his state sentence. Seven months later, Nevada paroled Garrido, returning him to the jurisdiction of federal parole authorities to serve the remainder of his federal parole term. He resided at his mother’s house in Antioch, California throughout the terms of his federal and state paroles. In March 1999, the federal government discharged Garrido from federal parole, returning him to the jurisdiction of Nevada parole authorities. In June 1999, under the terms of an interstate parole compact, the department assumed parole supervision of Garrido on Nevada’s behalf because Garrido resided in California. On August 27, 2009, the day after the arrest of Garrido and his wife, the department held a press conference in which an official hailed the diligence of parole agents who had supervised Garrido. The official also proclaimed that Garrido had complied with his parole conditions, never receiving a violation. Other department officials have made similar public statements. While it is true that Garrido’s California parole was never officially violated, our review shows that Garrido committed numerous parole violations and that the department failed to properly supervise Garrido and missed numerous opportunities to discover his victims. The focus of this special report is limited to the department’s parole supervision of Garrido. However, it should be noted that Garrido was on parole under the jurisdiction of federal parole authorities from August 1988 to January 1999. During that time, Garrido allegedly kidnapped Jaycee Dugard and sexually assaulted her, fathering two children. Federal parole authorities also failed to detect Garrido’s criminal conduct and his victims. Details: Sacramento: Office of the Inspector General, 2009. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 17, 2012 at: http://www.oig.ca.gov/media/reports/BOI/Special%20Report%20on%20CDCRs%20Supervision%20of%20Parolee%20Phillip%20Garrido.pdf Year: 2009 Country: United States URL: http://www.oig.ca.gov/media/reports/BOI/Special%20Report%20on%20CDCRs%20Supervision%20of%20Parolee%20Phillip%20Garrido.pdf Shelf Number: 125318 Keywords: Offender SupervisionParolees (California)Sex Offenders |
Author: Erooga, Marcus Title: Towards Safer Organisations II: Using the Perspectives of Convicted Sex Offenders to Inform Organisational Safeguarding of Children Summary: This research presents the findings of research undertaken by an NSPCC Research Team from 2008– 2010 with 27 adults convicted of sexual offences against children committed whilst in organisational positions of trust. Developed from an earlier review of the literature (Erooga, 2009) which identified the absence of the perspective of offenders themselves in how children could be better protected from such abuse it is a qualitative investigation of organisational processes, unique in its focus on using the offender’s perspective. The primary aims of the research were to identify organisational risk factors and the way in which convicted sex offenders accessed organisations, in order to propose good practice in recruitment and within work settings with children and young people so that they can be better safeguarded against abuse and exploitation. Details: London: NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children), 2012. 96p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed June 29, 2012 at: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/resourcesforprofessionals/sexualabuse/safer-organisations-report_wdf89440.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/resourcesforprofessionals/sexualabuse/safer-organisations-report_wdf89440.pdf Shelf Number: 125433 Keywords: Child ProtectionChild Sexual Abuse (U.K.)Sex OffendersSexual Exploitation, Children |
Author: Ogloff, James R.P. Title: Child Sexual Abuse and Subsequent Offending and Victimisation: A 45 Year Follow-up Study Summary: Up to 30 percent of children experience childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and whether this impacts re-victimisation or offending as an adult has been the subject of numerous studies. This study investigates whether a disproportionate number of CSA victims subsequently perpetrate offences and experience future victimisation compared with people who have not been sexually abused. In a sample of 2,759 CSA victims who were abused between 1964 and 1995, it was found CSA victims were almost five times more likely than the general population to be charged with any offence than their non-abused counterparts, with strongest associations found for sexual and violent offences. CSA victims were also more likely to have been victims of crime, particularly crimes of a sexual or violent nature. This research highlights the need for therapeutic interventions targeted at adolescent male CSA victims, particularly with regard to offender treatment programs, where many programs currently do not allow for exploration of offenders’ own sexual victimisation. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2012. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice No. 440: Accessed July 9, 2012 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/4/3/F/%7B43F84BC9-770B-41AC-A2AA-8F4B5AFFC1EB%7Dtandi440.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/4/3/F/%7B43F84BC9-770B-41AC-A2AA-8F4B5AFFC1EB%7Dtandi440.pdf Shelf Number: 125508 Keywords: Child Sex OffendersChild Sexual Abuse (Australia)Cycle of ViolenceSex OffendersSexual Victimization |
Author: Gannon, Theresa A. Title: The Evaluation of the Mandatory Polygraph Pilot Summary: This report presents findings of research commissioned to examine the impact of mandatory polygraph testing for adult sexual offenders. The research sample of offenders were released on probation licence, having served a prison sentence of 12 months or more for a sexual offence. The evaluation compared polygraph sample offenders with a matched control group, and combined quantitative and qualitative methods alongside a preliminary cost-effectiveness analysis. The findings from the research indicated that mandatory polygraph testing can be an effective tool in the management of adult sexual offenders and may help to elicit more clinically significant disclosures. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2012. 69p. Source: Internet Resource: Ministry of Justice Research Report 14/12. Accessed July 25, 2012 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/research-and-analysis/moj-research/evaluation-of-mandatory-polygraph-pilot.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/research-and-analysis/moj-research/evaluation-of-mandatory-polygraph-pilot.pdf Shelf Number: 125778 Keywords: Lie DetectionPolygraph (U.K.)Sex Offenders |
Author: Connor, David Patrick Title: Prison Wardens' Perceptions of Sex Offenders, Sex Offender Registration, Community Notification, and Residency Restrictions Summary: There is relatively little known about how criminal justice system actors perceive sex offenders and the fairness, efficacy, and scope of policies aimed at sex offenders. Similarly, there is sparse research that specifically examines the attitudes, beliefs, and experiences of prison wardens. Following in the footsteps of earlier research (Tewksbury & Mustaine, 2011; Tewksbury, Mustaine, & Payne, 2011, in press), the present study addresses these gaps by considering the attitudes and beliefs toward sex offenders held by wardens. This examination includes perceptions about sex offenders as prison inmates, sex offender registration, community notification, and residency restrictions. Further, this research assesses the utility of the 18-item Community Attitudes Toward Sex Offenders (CATSO) scale (Church, Wakeman, Miller, Clements, & Sun, 2008), which was advocated for use with criminal justice system actors, to determine whether or not the instrument can be effectively utilized with wardens. Findings and policy implications are discussed. Details: Louisville, KY: University of Louisville, Department of Justice Administration, 2012. 98p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed September 25, 2012 at: http://digital.library.louisville.edu/utils/getfile/collection/etd/id/2363/filename/5160.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://digital.library.louisville.edu/utils/getfile/collection/etd/id/2363/filename/5160.pdf Shelf Number: 126442 Keywords: Sex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: U.S. Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs. Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) Title: Sex Offender Registration and Notification in the United States: Current Case Law and Issues Summary: The SMART Office has compiled this new resource which summarizes the sex offender registration and notification system within the United States, as well as pertinent case law. Details: Washington, DC: Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART); Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, 2012. 17p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 30, 2012 at http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/smart/caselaw/handbook_july2012.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/smart/caselaw/handbook_july2012.pdf Shelf Number: 126523 Keywords: Sex Offender NotificationSex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: Klima, Tali Title: Risk Assessment Instruments to Predict Recidivism of Sex Offenders: Practices in Washington State Summary: This paper reviews policies and practices regarding assessment of sex offenders for risk of reoffense among public agencies and private treatment providers in Washington State. Specifically, we reviewed the use of risk assessment instruments, which gauge the likelihood that individual sex offenders will reoffend. We found that a diverse set of instruments are employed by public and private entities in making decisions about sex offenders. These decisions include sentencing, facility assignment, treatment, release, public notification, and community supervision. As expected, there was greater variability in risk assessment practices among private treatment providers than public agencies. Three policies related to risk assessment were identified as topics of concern. One is the lack of appropriate instruments for juvenile sex offenders. The second is the validity of the primary instrument used to determine risk levels for registration purposes, the WSSORLCT (soon to be replaced). Third, some informants discussed the static nature of risk level assignment and suggested provisions to reassess offenders’ levels during extended registration periods. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Institute for Public Policy, 2008. 12p. Source: Document No. 08-06-1101: Internet Resource: Accessed October 1, 2012 at http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/08-06-1101.pdf Year: 2008 Country: United States URL: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/rptfiles/08-06-1101.pdf Shelf Number: 126541 Keywords: Re-OffendingRecidivismRecidivism, Sex Offenders (Washington)Risk AssessmentSex Offenders |
Author: Tabachnick, Joan Title: A Reasoned Approach: Reshaping Sex Offender Policy to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse Summary: It is only in the last 30 years that society has begun to fully recognize child sexual abuse as the devastating problem that it is, to portray the trauma of sexual abuse in the media, and to seek ways to prevent and eliminate sexual violence. As communities have begun to demand a response to sexual abuse, legislators have passed an increasing number of policies directed at the people who sexually abuse. In 2007 and 2008 alone, more than 1500 sex offender-related bills were proposed in state legislatures and over 275 new laws were enacted. Nearly all of these laws and policies follow two key trends: 1) they increase the length of sex offender incarceration and 2) they monitor, track, and restrict individuals convicted of sexual offenses upon their return to communities. While the intent of these laws is to protect communities from those who abuse, to improve responses to allegations of abuse, and to prevent child sexual abuse, the broad application of these laws has unintended consequences which may make our children and communities less safe. Research from the last decade has highlighted some of the unintended negative impacts these laws may be having on our ability to prevent sexual abuse before it is perpetrated and to prevent re-offense by individuals returning to communities. When a convicted abuser returns to a community, current sex offender management policy may cause the offender to face housing, employment, and financial instability, as well as social isolation and despair — all risk factors for re-offense. The resulting instability may also reduce the ability of law enforcement and probation and parole systems to supervise the offender and ensure that s/he has access to the specialized treatment and services necessary for full accountability. In creating a legislative policy environment that may inhibit the willingness of individuals, families, and communities to face, prevent, and respond to child sexual abuse, our society does a disservice to its children. If no hopeful, rehabilitative solutions are available and made publicly known, people who witness signs of risk for victimization and/or perpetration may be less motivated to take the steps necessary to prevent child sexual abuse, intervene in situations of risk, and come forward when a child is sexually abused. Experts agree that a criminal justice response alone cannot prevent sexual abuse or keep communities safe. Yet, tougher sentencing and increased monitoring of sex offenders are fully funded in many states, while victim services and prevention programs are woefully underfunded. Furthermore, with the majority of child sexual abuse unreported (report rates are as low as 12 percent), laws and policies are unable to ensure accountability for those who abuse or to address the needs of victims. Even with these concerns there is reason for hope. Emerging research about people who sexually abuse has begun to inform new policies. Innovative state-based policies, and policies and programs within organizations and communities, are taking a comprehensive approach toward safety by focusing on the prevention of the perpetration of child sexual abuse, encouraging a range of options for holding abusers accountable, and offering incentives for abusers and families to reach out for help. And new collaborative models encourage cross-disciplinary professional partners to work together to craft new policies that prevent abuse before it is perpetrated and re-offense. Details: Beaverton, OR: Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, 2011. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 7, 2012 at http://www.atsa.com/sites/default/files/ppReasonedApproach.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.atsa.com/sites/default/files/ppReasonedApproach.pdf Shelf Number: 126572 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseCrime PreventionCriminal Justice PolicyLegislationOffender ManagementSex Offenders |
Author: Von Gyer, Judith Title: Situation Analysis of Paedophilia in Sihanouk Ville: Study of Perceived Demand for Child Sex in Sihanouk Ville Summary: This research had a perception based focus. It was initiated to establish the perceived demand for child sex in Sihanouk Ville. These insights were sought from tourists, sex tourists and business owners in the area. This was to include; budget travellers, mid-range and higher range tourists and a variety of businesses, both locally and foreign owned. A lacuna was found in existing research as no previous study had been instigated with this aim. Only one prior research was found and this was directed at ascertaining community attitudes on paedophilia, definitions of paedophilia and risk factors involved for potential child sex offenders. Cambodia has an international reputation for attracting child sex tourists and it was anticipated that this study would contribute to understanding the reasons behind this perception. It was concluded that they were primarily lax law enforcement, secondly the availability of and ease of access to children and thirdly, poverty. The aim of the research was to make recommendations for further action if it was felt to be necessary. The qualitative aspect of the research proved more persuasive than the quantitative content of the study and revealed that most of the respondents did not hold the view of paedophilia being a large and present problem in Sihanouk Ville but that instances of it have taken place. Most business owners had experiences of witnessing it in some form or another but still did not view it as a problem. A small minority believed that not only did the problem exist, it was extremely prevalent in the area. A ubiquitous response among the respondents was the presence of a large domestic and inter-Asian paedophile consumer base. The view was held that this group of people were responsible for a much more significant part of the offences committed and were operating largely in an environment of impunity whilst not being targeted in campaigns. It was felt that the poster campaigns whilst effective in drawing attention to the issue, were not effective in deterring potential paedophiles and served also to create an image of Cambodia and Sihanouk Ville that was not entirely accurate. Additionally, there was a distinct feeling of a lack of confidence in authority and a lack of clear options to pursue if someone suspected or witnessed paedophilia. As part of the qualitative stage, two male Italian researchers disguised as paedophiles visited several bars and brothels enquiring about the availability of chid sex. Young girls were offered to them with one presumed to be as young as 10 or 11 years old. There was a widespread belief in the role of motodup drivers as facilitators in accessing children for foreign paedophiles and this was corroborated during the research conducted by the two Italians. Young boys, on the other hand, were acquired directly from the beach or in town and were drug reliant (gluesniffers). Views from travel agents in Hong Kong were gathered with the conclusion that Sihanouk Ville is not generally a destination that is marketed by them but that a perception of Cambodia as a whole attracting child sex tourists does exist. There would however be an interest in marketing Sihanouk Ville if infrastructures were put in place and if the Cambodian government were willing to invest in cleaning up its image. The quantitative aspect of the research was not as compelling, largely due to the small sample sizes. This was particularly true for several questions which required responses only from those who believed paedophilia to be a problem in the area. 25% of the 48 respondents believed this to be the case. Whilst not a convincing majority, it nevertheless highlighted the fact that a problem does exist in the area but that there is no real urgency in taking further action at present. The situation should however be monitored closely, especially with the large scale developments that are currently underway in Sihanouk Ville. It was also concluded that most tourists would not return to Sihanouk Ville were it to gain a reputation for attracting child sex tourists. Most businesses would accept some level of responsibility in tackling this issue but the exact parameters and content of such were not discussed. They felt that the main responsibility lay with the Cambodian government as the entity which could tackle the issue of nonenforceability most effectively. This research was carried out in the low season which may have served to hinder results. It is suggested that this survey be repeated during the peak months to engage a larger sample of tourists and also to survey the area when it is busier and possibly easier for potential paedophiles to remain anonymous. Children should also be consulted in the survey process as the ones who are the best source of information on this issue. Additionally, it would be interesting and useful to find out if there is any correlation between drug use among young children and paedophilia as it has been noted that children will themselves seek alternative methods of acquiring income by approaching potential paedophiles. This is particularly true as they move onto more expensive drugs. No access was granted to the only high end tourist resort in Sihanouk Ville which could have proven useful in terms of determining how the area was marketed to them and what perceptions this group of more economically buoyant tourists held both before and during their visit to the area. The willingness of businesses to get involved should be utilised and built upon. A coherent course of action is needed if there are suspicions about a certain individual. As things stand now, there is little confidence in the options currently available. The lack of enforcement needs to be addressed as this is perhaps the most important tool in reducing this image of impunity and, in turn, the number of child sex tourists. Details: Phnom Penh, Cambodia: Village Focus International, 2005. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 1, 2012 at: http://www.cosecam.org/publications/situation_analysis_of_paedophilia_in_sihanouk_ville_eng.pdf Year: 2005 Country: Cambodia URL: http://www.cosecam.org/publications/situation_analysis_of_paedophilia_in_sihanouk_ville_eng.pdf Shelf Number: 127084 Keywords: Child ProstitutionChild Sex Tourism (Cambodia)Child Sexual ExploitationPedophiliaSex Offenders |
Author: Great Britain. Ministry of Justice Title: An Overview of Sexual Offending in England and Wales Summary: This report brings together, for the first time, a range of official statistics from across the crime and criminal justice system, providing an overview of sexual offending in England and Wales. Most of the information presented in this report has been previously published in other official statistics bulletins. The report is structured to highlight: the victim experience; the police role in recording and detecting the crimes; how the various criminal justice agencies deal with an offender once identified; and the criminal histories of sex offenders. Providing such an overview presents a number of challenges, not least that the available information comes from different sources that do not necessarily cover the same period, the same people (victims or offenders) or the same offences. For example, the results from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) are based on self completed questions from a representative sample of adults (aged 16 to 59), asking about an individual’s experiences of sexual offences in the last 12 months. The police recorded and court information cover all sexual offences, as legislated for in law, committed against any individual irrespective of age or when the crime took place, but exclude the large volume of crimes not reported to the police.. O ther issues that prevent direct comparisons include: the CSEW focusing on the most recent experience of adults as a victim of sexual offence in the previous 12 months (thus, for example, does not include sexual offences experienced by children or those aged 60 or over); police recorded crime figures being based on offences per victim (i.e. for each victim in a given incident, a crime is recorded) in the year the crime was reported, irrespective of when the offence took place; the criminal justice outcome information (e.g. cautions and convictions) being on an offender basis at the date of the final outcome, again irrespective of when the crime took place. The latter two points mean that figures between the police and court sources will differ, as there will be crimes involving more than one victim or more than one offender, or possibly multiple victims and offenders relating to a single crime. It is not currently feasible to track individual cases from initial recording by the police through the CJS. When interpreting the flows of offences and offenders through the CJS, it is important to note the various stages of attrition and the inherent challenges associated with detection and prosecution of crime, in particular with sexual offences. Second, the issue of ‘downgrading’ of offences (when a decision is made by the Crown Prosecution Service, between the initial hearing at the magistrates’ court and the first hearing at the Crown Court, that the initial charge is incorrect and should be changed to another offence) as they move through the system presents analytical challenges and requires careful consideration when interpreting the statistics. For example, one method of calculating rape conviction rates often used by commentators shows the number of people convicted of rape as a proportion of all rape crimes recorded. Given the different currencies of the two number and the effect of downgrading of offences through the CJS mentioned above, this method is incorrect and misleading in terms of presenting evidence on convictions for rape. For the purposes of this report, the results from the last three years’ CSEW have been combined to provide a large enough sample to enable more reliable findings to be presented. Elsewhere, the report mainly covers the period 2005 to 2011(for police recoded crime 2005/06 to 2011/12), as 2005 was the first full year following the introduction of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Where readily available, longer time series have been provided. Detailed statistical tables are provided in the spreadsheets alongside this bulletin. Tables referenced in the text are included within the bulletin, whereas others referenced are found only within the spreadsheets. I t is acknowledged that any sexual offence will be a traumatic experience for the victim. For ease of reference however, throughout the report, sexual offences have been referred to as falling into two groups: “Most serious sexual offences”, covering all rape, attempted rape and sexual assault offences; and “Other sexual offences”, which includes sexual activity with minors (excluding rape and sexual assaults), exposure, voyeurism etc. A full description of the offence types included, with reference to the relevant legislation, is included in the glossary in the spreadsheet tables accompanying Chapters 3 and 4. A number of summary sexual offences, such as kerb crawling and letting premises for use as a brothel, have been considered outside the scope of the publication. Within each chapter, introductory information is provided (in italics) to give a overview of the chapter content, the basis of the statistics included, and the relevant data sources. Further background information can be found in the ‘Background to the criminal justice system’ and ‘Data sources and quality’ sections of this bulletin. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2013. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Statistics Bulletin: Accessed January 17, 2013 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/sexual-offending/sexual-offending-overview-jan-2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/sexual-offending/sexual-offending-overview-jan-2013.pdf Shelf Number: 127286 Keywords: Crime StatisticsRapeSex OffendersSex Offenses (U.K.)Sexual AssaultSexual Violence |
Author: Gray, David Title: 'Giving Victims a Voice' A joint MPS and NSPCC report into allegations of sexual abuse made against Jimmy Savile under Operation Yewtree Summary: The report, 'Giving Victims a Voice', details the work of Operation Yewtree based on the accounts of the hundreds of victims who have come forward since Jimmy Savile was exposed as a sex offender in October 2012. Police and the NSPCC have concluded that Savile was a prolific, predatory sex offender and the scale of his abuse is believed to be unprecedented in the UK. It is believed Savile was able, through his celebrity status, to 'hide in plain sight' while abusing children and adults over six decades. Details: London: NSPCC and Metropolitan Police, 2013. 39p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 24, 2013 at: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/news-and-views/our-news/child-protection-news/13-01-11-yewtree-report/yewtree-report-pdf_wdf93652.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/news-and-views/our-news/child-protection-news/13-01-11-yewtree-report/yewtree-report-pdf_wdf93652.pdf Shelf Number: 127389 Keywords: Child Sexual Abuse U.K.)Sex OffendersSex Offenses |
Author: Darehshori, Sara Title: Capitol Offense: Police Mishandling of Sexual Assault Cases in the District of Columbia Summary: Sexual assault is the most underreported serious crime in the United States. Victims fear authorities will not believe them and that reporting will only cause them more pain. This fear may be well-grounded. Police are often skeptical of victims and sometimes respond to reports of assaults in ways that are re-traumatizing. Based on extensive data analysis, documents from four government agencies, and more than 150 interviews, Capitol Offense examines the handling of sexual assault cases by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) of the District of Columbia. The report provides strong evidence that between 2008 and September 2011 the MPD mishandled many complaints of sexual assault in D.C. In several cases, victims who reported sexual assaults to the police never had their case documented, or saw it languish when officers apparently determined without effective investigation that their claims were not credible. Human Rights Watch also documented inappropriate and harmful treatment of victims by MPD, such as questioning victims’ credibility; actively discouraging victims from reporting or providing forensic evidence; or asking victim-blaming questions. Not documenting or investigating reports of sexual assault denies justice to the victims, is a public safety issue, and misrepresents to the public the incidence of sexual assault in D.C. Victims who are not treated appropriately are less likely to cooperate with investigations, further reducing chances that perpetrators will be brought to justice. These problems do not appear to stem from official MPD policy, but rather from practices followed within the MPD that, during the period examined, were inconsistent with departmental policy and post-2008 reforms. Since learning of this report’s findings in May 2012, the MPD has adopted a number of our recommendations and made some policy changes. However, ensuring meaningful and sustained change requires more: it needs a commitment by leadership to change departmental practices, increase accountability and responsiveness, and extend external oversight of reforms to ensure transparency. Details: New York: Human Rights Watch, 2013. 210p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 31, 2013 at: http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/us0113ForUpload_0.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/us0113ForUpload_0.pdf Shelf Number: 127464 Keywords: Police BehaviorPolice InvestigationsRapeSex OffendersSex OffensesSexual Assaults (Washington, DC)Sexual Violence |
Author: Young-Hauser, Amanda M. Title: Conversing with ‘Monsters’? Narratives about men who sexually abuse(d) children Summary: This research has examined multiperspectival narratives told about and by men who sexually abuse(d) children. Drawing on institutional, public and private narratives, I have explored how men who sexually abuse(d) children are characterised, how meanings about these men are created, and how their reintegrative prospects are understood. The project has encompassed five research elements: historical narratives evident in archival materials; media narratives evident in news articles; public discourse reflected in five focus groups; the accounts of support people of men who sexually abused reflected in one focus group; and the stories of ten men imprisoned for sexually abusing children elicited through pre-release and post-release conversations. These multiple levels of narration have allowed me to look within and across these settings to establish links and to demarcate points of convergence and departure of these diverse narratives. Results have suggested a mismatch between narratives about men who offend(ed) with those evident in the stories of support persons and the men themselves. The latter are anchored in, but contest the former; in particular the narrow representations of these men as inherently evil and not rehabilitatable. Subtle disruptions that question commonly held assumptions about men who sexually abuse(d) children and tell of alternative possibilities are evident in some narratives. My research shows that narratives can accumulate and reinforce assumptions over time and in many respects be discriminatory and exclusionary as well as being liberatory, enveloped in healing and open to change. By locating these men in their social environment and contextualising the crime, I examine the issues of child sex abuse from various angles. This research offers a more inclusive perspective on men who offend(ed) against children that can contribute to broadening public dialogue regarding the characterizations of these men, issues of community reintegration and repairing people’s lives. Details: Hamilton, New Zealand: University of Waikato, 2010. 414p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 15, 2013 at: http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/handle/10289/4450 Year: 2010 Country: New Zealand URL: http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/handle/10289/4450 Shelf Number: 128744 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseSex OffendersSexual Abuse |
Author: Jones, Lisa M. Title: Evaluation of Internet Child Safety Materials Used by ICAC Task Forces in School and Community Settings, Final Report Summary: Research Goals and Objectives: This project involves content and process evaluations of current internet safety education (ISE) program materials and their use by law enforcement presenters and schools. Despite a proliferation of internet safety programs over the last decade, there is little information that can guide law enforcement, policy makers or the public in determining which materials or delivery methods are most likely to increase children’s online safety. The design of the proposed content and process evaluation is based on the perspective that, despite widespread dissemination, internet safety education is still in a formative stage. It is not clear that ISE messages have been formulated around a careful analysis of the risk and the ways that youth experience problems online, or that they have applied research-based prevention strategies. While outcome evaluation will be critical to determining the effectiveness of internet safety programs in the future, it is important to identify problems in ISE delivery and create guidelines for developing more promising programs. Research Design and Methodology: The study was divided into four subprojects. First, a systematic review or “meta-synthesis” was conducted to identify effective elements of prevention identified by the research across different youth problem areas such as drug abuse, sex education, smoking prevention, suicide, youth violence, and school failure. The process resulted in the development of a KEEP (Known Elements of Effective Prevention) Checklist. Second, a content analysis was conducted on four of the most well-developed and long-standing youth internet safety curricula: i-SAFE, iKeepSafe, Netsmartz, and Web Wise Kids. Third, we conducted a process evaluation to better understand how internet safety education programs are being implemented. The process evaluation was conducted via national surveys with three different groups of respondents: Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force commanders (N=43), ICAC Task Force presenters (N=91), and a sample of school professionals (N=139). Finally, we developed an internet safety education outcome survey focused on online harassment and digital citizenship. The intention for creating and piloting this survey was to provide the field with a research-based tool that can be used in future evaluation and program monitoring efforts. This tool, along with other research and evaluation information on internet safety will be placed in an Internet Safety Education Resource Center on the ICAC Task Force website. Research Results and Conclusions: The internet safety education (ISE) content and process evaluation results indicated that the educational approach and messages of current ISE fail to incorporate critical elements of effective prevention education, including: 1) research-based messages; 2) skill-based learning objectives; 3) opportunities for youth to practice new skills; and 4) sufficient time for learning. Our analyses indicate that the ISE field has been slow to include research-based information on internet predators and online harassment and there is no research to support the assumption that many of the popular educational slogans messages around privacy and digital reputation concerns (e.g., “Think Before You Click”) will lead to improved youth online behavior. The failure to define research-supported program logic means that most ISE is a highly speculative and experimental undertaking, whose success cannot be assumed. Recommendations are made for re-conceptualizing ISE and developing a more effective approach to helping protect youth. Details: Durham, NH: Crimes Against Children Research Center (CCRC), University of New Hampshire, 2012. 115p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 1, 2013 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/242016.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/242016.pdf Shelf Number: 128899 Keywords: Computer CrimesInternet CrimesInternet SafetySex Offenders |
Author: Butner, Julie Title: Child Sexual Victimisation in Queensland: An overview of legal and administrative developments since 2000 Summary: In 2000, the Queensland Crime Commission (QCC) and the Queensland Police Service (QPS) produced a series of reports that were collectively called ‘Project Axis’. The aim was to provide the community, particularly stakeholders in the criminal justice system, with insight into the past, present and likely future impact of criminal paedophilia and child sexual victimisation (CSV) in Queensland. The Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) now performs the functions of the QCC, and has legislative responsibilities to conduct research into major crime, including criminal paedophilia (ss. 23, 25, 52 and Schedule 2 Dictionary Crime and Misconduct Act 2001). This paper, written by the CMC’s Applied Research and Evaluation Unit, traces the legal and administrative developments that have shaped the current landscape of criminal paedophilia and child protection in Queensland over the 10 years since Project Axis. It also summarises the main CSV offences under the Queensland and Commonwealth criminal law. Details: Brisbane: Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission, 2013. 31p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 9, 2013 at: Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 129280 Keywords: Child Sexual Abuse (Australia)PedophiliaSex Offenders |
Author: Knopwood, David Title: Operation Newgreen - West Yorkshire Police Summary: On 5th October 2012 Operation Yewtree was established by the Metropolitan Police Service to investigate allegations of sexual abuse committed by the late Sir James Savile. Since that date, West Yorkshire Police (WYP) has worked with Operation Yewtree to investigate these allegations and support the victims of Savile’s abuse. On 7th November 2012 the Home Secretary commissioned Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) to conduct a review to assess the police knowledge of and response to the historical allegations made against Savile and related individuals between 1964 and 2012. West Yorkshire Police fully cooperated with that review, which resulted in the publication of the HMIC report “Mistakes were made”. In line with that report and comments from the Crown Prosecution Service, WYP has considered how best to consider the status of the allegations of those who have reported them. On the basis of recent assessments, there appears to be a general acceptance that Savile was a prolific sex offender and a paedophile, but he was never convicted of any offence during his lifetime. Although mindful of that fact, we have nevertheless taken the decision to refer to his “crimes” and “offending” rather than his “alleged allegations made against Savile have not been and never will be tested in a criminal law court. However, the substantial number of victims who have come forward, apparently unknown to one another for the most part, is an indication of a pattern of criminal behaviour by Savile that overwhelmingly suggests, if alive, he would have many cases to answer. There are currently 76 crimes involving 68 victims committed in the West Yorkshire area relating to Savile. None of these cases were previously reported to WYP prior to Savile's death. It is a stark and shocking fact that there are over 214 crimes nationally relating to Savile with only five coming to light during Savile's lifetime. There is no doubt that police forces made mistakes in relation to sharing and keeping information relating to Savile so no single clear picture of his offending could be made. As Savile’s home police force, WYP would have been the obvious place to collect all such information, but investigation has shown that much of the available information during Savile’s lifetime was never shared with WYP and when it was WYP, did not connect the events to recognise a potential pattern of offending. We must do everything we can to understand why that was, to ensure it does not happen again. Whilst victim care remains the focus, the investigation and review by West Yorkshire Police has also examined in detail the relationship WYP had with Savile. To conduct this investigation, Operation Newgreen was established comprising of a dedicated investigation team, to review all past contact between WYP and Savile. Each matter identified through this process has been investigated in detail to provide a thorough understanding of each. Details: Wakefield, UK: West Yorkshire Police, 2013. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 13, 2013 at: http://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/sites/default/files/files/reports/savilereportfinalwyp.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/sites/default/files/files/reports/savilereportfinalwyp.pdf Shelf Number: 129385 Keywords: Jimmy SavileSex OffendersSexual Abuse (U.K.)Victims of Sexual Abuse |
Author: Hester, Marianne Title: From Report to Court: Rape cases and the criminal justice system in the North East Summary: This research was commissioned by the Northern Rock Foundation to examine progression of individual cases relating to rape through the criminal justice system, from reporting to conviction, across three police force areas in the North East of England. The study came about due to concerns within the criminal justice sector in the region that little is known about the detailed pattern of progression, attrition or related criminal justice system practice in rape cases. Nationally the data on rape cases progressing through the criminal justice system is unable to provide a clear picture of what happens to individual cases from policing through to court outcomes (MoJ et al. 2013). A few previous studies have examined progression of individual cases, however one of these was prior to the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (which came into force in 2004) (Kelly et al. 2005), and none were concerned with the North East (Metropolitan Police 2007; McMillan 2010). The current research thus provides a unique picture of the nature of rape cases reported to the police in the early 2010s in the North East of England and adds considerably to our understanding of the progression of individual cases through the criminal justice system. Details: Bristol, UK: Bristol: University of Bristol in association with the Northern Rock Foundation, 2013. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 8, 2013 at: http://www.nr-foundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/From-Report-to-Court-final-5-july-13.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.nr-foundation.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/From-Report-to-Court-final-5-july-13.pdf Shelf Number: 129579 Keywords: Gender-Related ViolenceRape (U.K.)Sex OffendersSexual Violence |
Author: Wall, Liz Title: Issues in Evaluation of Complex Social Change Programs for Sexual Assault Prevention Summary: Preventing sexual violence before it occurs is known as primary prevention. Such prevention programs that aim for social change, as in sexual assault prevention, can challenge more traditional perceptions of program success and require consideration as to how success or failure is measured. Broader thinking is required to provide creative, solution-focused evaluation that can be incorporated into program design to enhance sexual assault prevention efforts. Key Messages: ◾The most valid, rigorous and reliable information for any evaluation is that which informs the stakeholders about what they need to know for prevention effectiveness. ◾The complexity of multi-level interventions for sexual assault primary prevention may require consideration of new techniques for evaluating. ◾Acceptance of innovative methods of evaluation is required at the policy and funding level to ensure progress towards effective assessment of primary prevention in sexual assault. ◾Evaluators should utilise an approach that best suits the evaluation question they are considering even if that requires innovative techniques. Details: Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies, May 2013. 20 p. Source: Internet Resource: ACSSA Issues No. 14: Accessed August 19, 2013 at: http://www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/pubs/issue/i14/ Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/pubs/issue/i14/ Shelf Number: 129658 Keywords: Sex CrimesSex OffendersSexual Assault Prevention (Australia)Sexual Violence |
Author: Victoria (Australia). Department of Justice Title: Review of Sexual Offences: Consultation Paper Summary: Many of Victoria's sexual offence laws are complex, inconsistent and unclear. Nowhere is this problem worse than with the offence of rape. These problems make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a judge to explain the law to a jury in a clear and intelligible manner and for the jury to understand and apply the law to the facts in the case. These problems have resulted in numerous appeals, convictions being set aside and retrials being ordered, most notably in Worsnop v The Queen (2010) 28 VR 187 and Getachew v The Queen [2011] VSCA 164. There have been many calls for significant reform of Victoria's rape laws since these decisions. These calls have emanated from the judiciary, lawyers, academics, victim/survivor support groups and the media. The Attorney-General has publicly committed to reforming sexual offence laws and jury directions in order to address the current complexity, inconsistency and uncertainty. Victoria's sexual offence laws are also failing to respond adequately to the problem of persistent sexual abuse of a child. The current approach does not work effectively for child victims/survivors who, because of the repeated and systematic nature of the offending against them, are unable to distinguish between the different instances of abuse. A fresh approach to this problem is needed. While rape laws have been frequently amended in the last 20 years, other sexual offences have not received the same attention. As a consequence, some have become outdated, inconsistent and unclear in their scope, structure and terminology. Other offences fail to recognise that sexual offences can be committed in new ways through advances in technology. This review examines rape and other sexual offences in the Crimes Act 1958, focussing not only on policy issues, but also on the structure and components of each offence. This practical focus is essential for effective reform. Our aim is to make sexual offences as clear, simple, consistent and effective as possible. Simpler and clearer offences will assist judges to direct juries, and juries to understand and apply the law. This will help to reduce successful appeals against conviction for a sexual offence. A better functioning criminal justice system will help to improve the experience of victims/survivors who report a sexual offence to the police. The County Court is Victoria's principal trial court. Almost 50% of all trials that go to verdict in the County Court are sexual offence trials. In 2002/03 only 36% of all trials were sexual offence trials. Over the last 10 years there has been an 81% increase in the number of sexual offence trials. This reflects an increase in the proportion of sexual offence cases as well as an increase in the overall number of trials conducted. Better laws will deliver substantive justice in individual cases and, in combination with other proposed reforms to jury directions, will assist in reducing delay. This paper contains 49 proposals for, and 10 questions about, reform of Victoria's most important sexual offences and procedure. The paper also contains a number of options and questions about possible reforms. The Department of Justice seeks feedback on each of the proposals, options and questions in this paper in order to provide advice to the government on how best to reform sexual offences. Details: Melbourne: Victoria Department of Justice, Criminal Law Review, 2013. 225p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 30, 2013 at: https://assets.justice.vic.gov.au/justice/resources/2b77afcd-3c35-4a89-913a-54ced67529c3/reviewofsexualoffencesconsultationpaper2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: https://assets.justice.vic.gov.au/justice/resources/2b77afcd-3c35-4a89-913a-54ced67529c3/reviewofsexualoffencesconsultationpaper2013.pdf Shelf Number: 131509 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseRapeSex OffendersSex Offenses (Australia |
Author: Elliott, Ian A. Title: Evaluability Assessments of the Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) Model: Cross-Site Report Summary: According to the U.S. National Reentry Resource Center (NRRC) at least 95% of state prisoners are released back to their communities after a period of incarceration. Both criminal justice agencies and the general public are conscious of the issue of sex offenders returning to the community because of the potentially negative biological and psychiatric outcomes for victims (e.g., Andersen et al., 2008; Chen et al., 2010). Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) is a restorative justice-based reentry program for high-risk sex offenders with little or no pro-social support. There have been no rigorous large-scale outcome evaluations of COSA conducted to date. A weighted average of three significant estimated reductions attributable to COSA from smaller evaluations suggest a reduction of 77% in sexual recidivism. However, because of the varying quality of these studies it could be argued that this figure should be considered only an estimate of effectiveness. Therefore, at this time there is not enough evidence to confidently state that COSA is proven to be effective in reducing sexual recidivism. This report outlines an evaluability assessment of COSA across five sites with the goal of assessing the readiness of COSA provision in the U.S. for rigorous evaluation. The assessment aimed to clarify program intent, explore program reality, examine program data capacity, analyze program fidelity, and propose potential evaluation designs for future evaluation. An 'intended model' was developed, adapted from the Correctional Services Canada model (CSC, 2002; 2003) that sought to illustrate the espoused theory of COSA. COSA program reality was established via site visits to five locations delivering, or intending to deliver, COSA programs in the U.S.: Fresno, CA; Denver, CO; Durham, NC; Lancaster, PA; and Burlington, VT. During these site visits in-person interviews were conducted with key program personnel, other stakeholders, and any documented materials related to COSA policies and procedures were collected. All of the sites have implemented versions of the CSC model, adapted to suit their needs. The site reports suggest that VT-COSA alone could be considered to have high program fidelity, with COSA Fresno and COSA Lancaster demonstrating adequate fidelity, and Colorado COSA and COSA Durham demonstrating low fidelity. It is concluded that there are five potential obstacles that need to be addressed in order to conduct a successful experimental evaluation of COSA: (1) choice of outcomes; (2) significant differences in program implementation; (3) core member selection issues; (4) sample size, site capacity, and low baselines of recidivism; and (5) ownership of data. It is concluded that there is no methodological or ethical reason why a randomized control trial of COSA provision in the U.S. could not be conducted. The obstacles to an RCT are all such that they can be addressed with a combination of realistic tightening of program implementation, rigorous experimental control, and an increase in real-world resources. Finally, three action recommendations for future evaluative activity are presented: (1) conduct an experimental evaluation of the Vermont COSA program alone; (2) conduct an experimental evaluation that combines the Vermont COSA and COSA Fresno programs; or (3) allow the fledgling sites to develop and conduct a multi-site evaluation of COSA in the future. Details: State College, PA: Pennsylvania State University, 2013. 93p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 23, 2013 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/243832.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/243832.pdf Shelf Number: 131686 Keywords: Prisoner ReentryReintegrationRestorative JusticeSex Offenders |
Author: Dennis, J.A. Title: Psychological Interventions for Adults Who Have Sexually Offended Or Are At Risk of Offending (Review) Summary: Sexual offending is a legal construct that overlaps, but is not entirely congruent with, clinical constructs of disorders of sexual preference. Sexual offending is both a social and a public health issue. Victim surveys illustrate high incidence and prevalence levels, and it is commonly accepted that there is considerable hidden sexual victimisation. There are significant levels of psychiatric morbidity in survivors of sexual offences. Psychological interventions are generally based on behavioural or psychodynamic theories. Behavioural interventions fall into two main groups: those based on traditional classical conditioning and/or operant learning theory and those based on cognitive behavioural approaches. Approaches may overlap. Interventions associated with traditional classical and operant learning theory are referred to as behaviour modification or behaviour therapy, and focus explicitly on changing behavior by administering a stimulus and measuring its effect on overt behaviour. Within sex offender treatment, examples include aversion therapy, covert sensitisation or olfactory conditioning. Cognitive behavioural therapies are intended to change internal processes - thoughts, beliefs, emotions, physiological arousal - alongside changing overt behaviour, such as social skills or coping behaviours. They may involve establishing links between offenders' thoughts, feelings and actions about offending behaviour; correction of offenders' misperceptions, irrational beliefs and reasoning biases associated with their offending; teaching offenders tomonitor their own thoughts, feelings and behaviours associated with offending; and promoting alternative ways of coping with deviant sexual thoughts and desires. Psychodynamic interventions share a common root in psychoanalytic theory. This posits that sexual offending arises through an imbalance of the three components of mind: the id, the ego and the superego, with sexual offenders having temperamental imbalance of a powerful id (increased sexual impulses and libido) and a weak superego (a low level of moral probation), which are also impacted by early environment. Details: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2012, Issue 12. 97p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 19, 2014 at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007507.pub2/pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007507.pub2/pdf Shelf Number: 131963 Keywords: Psychological InterventionsSex Offender TreatmentSex Offenders |
Author: Allenby, Kim Title: A Profile of Women Who Sexually Offend Summary: Women who have committed sexual offences are an understudied offender population that only relatively recently has become a growing area of interest in research. More recently, research has focused on exploring pathways to offending and developing a descriptive model of the process of female-perpetrated sexual offending (e.g., Gannon & Cortoni, 2010). In collaboration with Theresa Gannon, the Research Branch will seek to reproduce her work using a sample of Canadian women sexual offenders (WSOs). As an initial phase, the goal of the current study was to provide a descriptive profile of WSOs under CSC jurisdiction and contribute to our general knowledge and understanding of this population. What we did All Canadian federal women offenders identified as sexual offenders between January 2001 and March 2010 were included in the sample (N = 58). Using the Offender Management System, data were collected concerning offender demographics, risk, and needs; offence, accomplice and victim characteristics; social history; and typology. Data were gathered via automated extraction and manual file review. What we found WSOs were most likely to be Caucasian, in their thirties at intake into federal institutions, and under-educated. They presented with high risk and high needs, particularly in the areas of personal/emotional and family/marital needs. Most women had experienced some type of abuse in childhood (70%; most frequently sexual abuse) and/or adulthood (84%; most frequently physical abuse). 72% of WSOs committed their offence alongside at least one accomplice who was most likely to be male and the woman's partner. Victims' ages ranged but victims were most often young children (5-11) or adolescents (12-17). Typology analyses revealed that over half the WSOs (55%) were male accompanied/coerced offenders; another 19% were identified as angry/impulsive offenders. In comparison to the rest of the WSO sample, those women identified as male accompanied/coerced offenders presented with significantly higher need in relation to the family/marital domain. Angry/impulsive WSOs, in comparison to the rest of the sample, presented with higher risk and more considerable needs in the domains of substance abuse, associates and personal/emotional. What it means Results contribute to our understanding of the unique characteristics, risk and needs of women who commit sexual offences and will assist staff in understanding, treating, and managing these women who present with complex needs. In addition, these results provide early evidence for gender differences in sex offending behavior and thereby provide background for an upcoming, in-depth report examining the pathways to, and processes of female-perpetrated sexual offending. Finally, these results also provide context for the development and implementation of the Program for Women Who Sexually Offend; a program designed to meet the needs and promote successful community reintegration for federal women sexual offenders. Details: Ottawa: Correctional Service of Canada, 2012. 29p. To obtain a PDF version of the full report, contact the following address: research@csc-scc.gc.ca Source: Internet Resource: 2012 No. R-274: Accessed March 28, 2014 at: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/research/005008-0274-eng.shtml Year: 2012 Country: Canada URL: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/research/005008-0274-eng.shtml Shelf Number: 132024 Keywords: Female OffendersFemale Sex OffendersSex OffendersSexual Abuse |
Author: Harris, Andrew Title: Paraphilias: Incidence and Co-occurrence in Normative and Sex Offender Samples Summary: For sexual offenders the presence of paraphilias is associated with increased risk of sexual recidivism. However, there are no studies that compile what is known about the presence of paraphilias in noncriminal and sexual offender samples. For clinicians, it is not known how likely a sexual offender is to have additional paraphilias beyond the one that brought him to the clinician's attention. This paper is the first attempt to organize what information is known about co-occurring paraphilias based on past independent research. Details: Ottawa: Correctional Service of Canada, 2011. 1p. (Full report available upon request) Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 18, 2014 at: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/005/008/092/005008-0235-eng.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Canada URL: http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/005/008/092/005008-0235-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 132062 Keywords: ParaphiliaRecidivismSex OffenderSex Offenders |
Author: Bian, Xun Title: Neighborhood Tipping and Sorting Dynamics in Real Estate: Evidence from the Virginia Sex Offender Registry Summary: Given the potential risk of recidivism, recent real estate research has found that registered sex offenders impose external costs, which are capitalized into the value and liquidity of nearby residential real estate. Several studies have shown that registered sex offenders lower nearby residential home prices significantly, in addition to lengthening time on market. These negative externalities might have lower overall costs to society if they were concentrated, or clustered, in particular areas. We demonstrate that, in theory, individuals operating within the market will sort according to their preferences and incentives, resulting in segmentation of these two groups (i.e. sex offenders vs. general populace). We predict that over time, neighborhoods will "tip" one way or another as part of the market process, resulting in clustering of registered sex offenders and segregation of these two groups. Further, we test this prediction empirically and its implications for the real estate market using GIS and other statistical/econometric techniques, exploiting a data set from Virginia that includes more than a decade of real estate transactions and a unique data set of registered sex offenders provided by the Virginia State Police. This research may help real estate academics and practitioners understand residential sorting dynamics with respect to registered sex offenders as well as the implications for the real estate market more generally. Details: Farmville, VA: Longwood University, 2013. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 23, 2014 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2338223 Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2338223 Shelf Number: 132143 Keywords: Real EstateResidential AreasSex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: Bluett-Boyd, Nicole Title: Victim/Survivor-Focused Justice Responses and Reform to Criminal Court Procedure: Implementation, Current Practice and Future Directions Summary: Many of the key narratives of sexual assault that have informed approaches to law reform highlight the unique disadvantage that victim/survivors face within the criminal justice process. Primarily, these concepts - including definitions of the "real" rape standard and the existence of an "ideal" "victim/survivor" draw on problematic, gendered social constructs and requirements that are rarely met by the reality of sexual assault. When projected onto trial settings, these constructs are often exploited through the practices of legal actors and the flexibility of current legislation. This ensures that the process of a criminal trial, and of providing testimony in particular, is traumatising for victim/survivors of sexual assault. The past three decades have seen reform at numerous levels to address these issues, both within and outside of the criminal justice process. While reforms are variable across jurisdictions, key changes include: - the expansion of counsellor/advocate services; - increased specialisation of police and prosecutions; - legislative amendments to the types of evidence that can be introduced at trial; - alternative provisions for giving evidence at trial; and - changes to the instructions given by the judiciary to the jury, including efforts to contextualise sexual assault. Many of these reforms are based on an understanding of the needs of victim/survivors within the criminal justice process. Until relatively recently these needs have conceptually been aligned with those of the justice system; with a focus on increasing convictions and ensuring punitive measures are taken. Recent reforms, including those identified above, appear to reflect an expanded definition of "justice needs", recognising that the criminal justice process intersects with therapeutic and social forms of redress. Details: Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2014. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Report No. 27: Accessed April 28, 2014 at: http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/resreport27/rr27.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aifs.gov.au/institute/pubs/resreport27/rr27.pdf Shelf Number: 132184 Keywords: Criminal CourtsRapeSex OffendersSex OffensesSexual AssaultSexual ViolenceVictim ServicesVictims of Crime |
Author: Child Rights International Network Title: Child Sexual abuse and the Holy See: The Need for Justice, Accountability and Reform. A Preliminary Report Summary: The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is seeking detailed information on sexual violence against children by Catholic clergy around the world, its cover up within the Church and the denial of justice and compensation for victims. The scale of the abuse is huge, affecting countless victims around the world. The Holy See is up for review during the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child's (CRC) 65th session on 16 January 2014. In a formal communication with the Holy See in July 2013, the CRC, noting "the recognition by the Holy See of sexual violence against children committed by members of the clergy, brothers and nuns in numerous countries around the world, and given the scale of the abuses...", requested detailed information on all cases of child sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy, brothers and nuns or brought to the attention of the Holy See over the reporting but when the Holy See's response to the UN Committee was issued in December 2013,3 it did not provide the full disclosure sought by the Committee. Despite stating that it considers the Convention on the Rights of the Child as "the most important among the rules of international law", it declined to provide this information, stating that the matter did not fall within its jurisdiction and that it is "not the practice of the Holy See to disclose information on the religious discipline". At the heart of the CRC's review of the Holy See are the issues of transparency, access to justice for children and protection from violence - issues which CRIN believes are crucial to securing children's status as individuals with rights. This preliminary global research report maps the scale of child sexual abuse committed by clerics of the Catholic Church and evidence of cover up attempts by the Vatican and Church authorities. It provides an overview of litigation brought by victims of abuse against Catholic clergy seeking remedies for gross violations of their rights. Our aim is to press the Holy See to become more transparent as a State with human rights obligations, and to open it up to further and effective scrutiny by United Nations bodies. We sincerely hope the report will demonstrate solidarity with victims and help to ensure that their voices are heard and acted on by the United Nations as well as the Holy See itself. Details: London: CRIN, 2014. 47p. Source: Internet Resource: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CAT/Shared%20Documents/VAT/INT_CAT_CSS_VAT_17113_E.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CAT/Shared%20Documents/VAT/INT_CAT_CSS_VAT_17113_E.pdf Shelf Number: 104114 Keywords: Catholic ChurchChild Sexual AbuseSex OffendersSexual Violence |
Author: Heilman, Brian Title: The Making of Sexual Violence. How Does a Boy Grow Up to Commit Rape? Summary: Women and girls around the world experience staggering levels of rape and other forms of sexual violence. This violence devastates lives, unhinges communities, and hampers greater social and economic development. While the severity, frequency, and purpose of this violence can broaden during times of conflict or emergency, its foundations are laid during "peacetime," as is underscored by the extreme levels of violence observed consistently across the globe. Yet it is only in recent decades that policymakers, researchers, and programmers have begun to pay closer attention to this urgent violation of human rights and barrier to sustainable development. This report presents an overview of five study sites of the International Men and Gender Equality Survey (IMAGES), presents findings related to men's self-reported perpetration of sexual violence, investigates seven domains of possible influences on men's sexual violence perpetration and provides actionable lessons and recommendations. Details: Washington, DC: International Center for Research on Women and Promundo, 2014. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 26, 2014 at: http://www.icrw.org/files/publications/The%20Making%20Of%20Sexual%20Violence%20-%20June%202014%20-%20WEB%20PREVIEW.pdf Year: 2014 Country: International URL: http://www.icrw.org/files/publications/The%20Making%20Of%20Sexual%20Violence%20-%20June%202014%20-%20WEB%20PREVIEW.pdf Shelf Number: 132556 Keywords: MalesMasculinityRapeSex OffendersSexual ViolenceViolence Against Women |
Author: Bileski, Matthew Title: The Reporting of Sexual Assault in Arizona, CY 2002-2011 Summary: Arizona Revised Statute (A.R.S.) - 41-2406, which became law in July 2005, requires the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) to compile information obtained from disposition reporting forms submitted to the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) on sexual assault (A.R.S. - 13-1406) and the false reporting of sexual assault involving a spouse (A.R.S. - 13-2907.03). Utilizing DPS disposition data, ACJC is mandated to provide an annual report briefing the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, the Secretary of State, and the Director of the Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records on sexual assault in Arizona. The data used to complete this report were extracted from the Arizona Computerized Criminal History (ACCH) records system and provided to ACJC by DPS in January 2013. By statute, local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and the courts are required to submit to the ACCH repository information on all arrests and subsequent case disposition information for felonies, sexual offenses, driving under the influence offenses, and domestic violence offenses. This report focuses on data from calendar years (CY) 2002 to 2011 and updates data reported in the CY2001-2010 report. The ACJC is required to report the law enforcement reporting, filings, and subsequent case disposition findings and sentencing of A.R.S. - 13-1406 sexual assault charges. The following summarizes some of the findings of the research on sexual assault arrest and disposition charges across Arizona: - The total number of arrests involving sexual assault increased from 265 arrests in CY 2002 to 275 in CY 2011, an increase of 3.8 percent. The total number of sexual assault charges increased by 23.1 percent from 442 in CY 2002 to 544 in CY - More than 98 percent of arrestees from CY 2002 to CY 2011 were male, and the proportion that was White ranged between 75.8 percent and 81.8 percent of the total number of sexual assault arrestees. - Convictions for sexual assault increased from 30.8 percent of all disposition findings for sexual assault in CY 2002 to 43.9 percent in CY 2011. - The percentage of convictions that resulted in a sentence of probation ranged from a high of 88.9 percent in CY 2007 to a low of 67.4 percent in CY 2009. The percentage of convictions that resulted in a sentence to prison fell from 62.6 percent in CY 2002 to 54.0 percent in CY 2011, and sentences to jail fell from 5.7 percent to 2.7 percent over the same period. One of the reporting requirements of A.R.S. - 41-2406.C is to identify sexual assault charges involving a spouse. In August 2005, the sexual assault involving a spouse statute (specifically A.R.S. - 13-1406.01) was repealed from the state statutes by Senate Bill 1040. Despite the repeal of A.R.S. - 13-1406.01 as a criminal code, three charges of sexual assault of a spouse were reported beyond CY 2005, two in CY 2007 and one in CY 2008. The following highlights the findings of A.R.S. - 13-1406.01 arrest and disposition charges: - From CY 2002 to CY 2005, the number of arrest charges increased from 17 to 24 charges. - Arrestees for sexual assault involving a spouse were male, more than 84 percent were white/Caucasian, and except in CY 2004, the greatest percentage was between the ages of 25 and 34. - The number of sexual assault involving a spouse finalized disposition charges was 12 in CY 2002 and increased to 18 in CY 2004 before dropping to two in CY 2008. From CY 2002 to CY 2008, the number of convictions ranged from five in CY 2003 down to zero in CY 2007 and CY 2008. - At least 50 percent of convictions for sexual assault involving a spouse resulted in a probation sentence from CY 2002 to CY 2006. The percentage of convictions resulting in a prison sentence ranged from 0.0 percent in CY 2002 and CY 2004 to 60.0 percent in CY 2003, and jail sentencing ranged from 0.0 to 100.0 percent. A.R.S. - 41-2406.C mandates that ACJC report whether the victim and offender were estranged at the time of the offense. Except for a general indication of domestic violence, there is no field on the disposition reporting form that describes the relationship between the victim and the offender or the status of the relationship at the time of the offense. Instead, arrest and disposition information for all sexual assault-related2 charges flagged for domestic violence is reported separately in the report. In order to more comprehensively understand sexual assault in Arizona, this report includes data on violent sexual assault (A.R.S. - 13-1423). Details: Phoenix: Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, Statistical Analysis Center, 2013. 42p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 28, 2014 at: http://www.azcjc.gov/ACJC.Web/Pubs/Home/2013%20ARS%2041-2406%20Report.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.azcjc.gov/ACJC.Web/Pubs/Home/2013%20ARS%2041-2406%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 132791 Keywords: Crime StatisticsRapeSex CrimesSex OffendersSexual Assault (Arizona)Sexual Violence |
Author: Henderson, Emily Title: Expert Witnesses Under Examination in the New Zealand Criminal and Family Courts Summary: This is a qualitative empirical research project examining the experiences of experts who testify in both the criminal and Family Courts in New Zealand regarding child abuse and neglect and sexual assault generally. The study considers whether there is truth in the anecdotal accounts of widespread reluctance amongst experts and it also examines lawyers' and judges' suspicions of bias amongst experts. It considers the areas of the court process which experts find most difficult and proposes a number of solutions. The study group was limited to experts in the field of child abuse and neglect and of sexual assault generally. However, we believe that our findings will be relevant to other areas of expert evidence. This report is divided into three parts: the remainder of this chapter summarises the literature on expert witnesses to date, describing, first, the problems various researchers and commentators have found with expert evidence and, second, outlining the main reform proposals those same writers have put forward. This is not a discussion of the law pertaining to expert evidence, as many legal analyses already exist. The second section contains the empirical part of this project: Chapter Two sets out the project's methodology; Chapter Three describes the findings of the interviews with expert witnesses; Chapter Four describes the smaller companion study of lawyers' opinions. The final chapter recaps the findings of the previous chapters and sets out a number of recommendations for reform. Details: Auckland, NZ: School of Psychology, University of Auckland and New Zealand Law Foundation, 2013. 169p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 4, 2014 at: http://www.lawfoundation.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Final-Research-Report-Henderson-Seymour-Expert-Witnesses-Under-Examination.pdf Year: 2013 Country: New Zealand URL: http://www.lawfoundation.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Final-Research-Report-Henderson-Seymour-Expert-Witnesses-Under-Examination.pdf Shelf Number: 132874 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseCriminal CourtsExpert Witnesses (New Zealand)Family CourtsSex CrimesSex OffendersSexual Assault |
Author: Great Britain. Ministry of Justice Title: An Overview of Sexual Offending in England and Wales Summary: This report brings together, for the first time, a range of official statistics from across the crime and criminal justice system, providing an overview of sexual offending in England and Wales. Most of the information presented in this report has been previously published in other official statistics bulletins. The report is structured to highlight: the victim experience; the police role in recording and detecting the crimes; how the various criminal justice agencies deal with an offender once identified; and the criminal histories of sex offenders. Providing such an overview presents a number of challenges, not least that the available information comes from different sources that do not necessarily cover the same period, the same people (victims or offenders) or the same offences. For example, the results from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) are based on self completed questions from a representative sample of adults (aged 16 to 59), asking about an individual's experiences of sexual offences in the last 12 months. The police recorded and court information cover all sexual offences, as legislated for in law, committed against any individual irrespective of age or when the crime took place, but exclude the large volume of crimes not reported to the police. Other issues that prevent direct comparisons include: the CSEW focusing on the most recent experience of adults as a victim of sexual offence in the previous 12 months (thus, for example, does not include sexual offences experienced by children or those aged 60 or over); police recorded crime figures being based on offences per victim (i.e. for each victim in a given incident, a crime is recorded) in the year the crime was reported, irrespective of when the offence took place; the criminal justice outcome information (e.g. cautions and convictions) being on an offender basis at the date of the final outcome, again irrespective of when the crime took place. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2013. 73p. Source: Internet Resource: Statistics Bulletin: Accessed August 11, 2014 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/214970/sexual-offending-overview-jan-2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/214970/sexual-offending-overview-jan-2013.pdf Shelf Number: 132980 Keywords: Crime Statistics (U.K.)RapeSex OffendersSex OffensesSexual AssaultVictims of Crime |
Author: Heil, Peggy Title: Prison Sex Offender Treatment: Recommendations for Program Implementation Summary: Sexual offenses cause tremendous harm to the lives of victims, the victims' families and our communities. We recommend that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation implement the "containment approach" for managing sex offenders in prison and on parole. The containment approach is a comprehensive strategy that prioritizes victim protection and community safety. Prison treatment for sex offenders can be an effective component of the containment approach. Intense prison treatment can reduce recidivism and enhance community safety. It can also reduce the substantial costs (emotional and financial) associated with recidivism. Miller, Cohen and Wiersema (1996)1 estimated that child sexual abuse crimes costs victims and society $99,000 per victimization, and estimated $87,000 per rape/sexual assault victimization. These costs are estimated to be $140,531 and $123,497 in 2007 dollars. Ninety-percent of the costs are associated with significant reduction in the quality of life for victims of these crimes. Quantifying the costs of sexual victimization seems to trivialize it nonetheless. As Miller et al. (1996:14) state, "pain, suffering, and reduced quality of life do not have a market price and cannot be bought and sold." Certainly victims would pay dearly to avoid them, as would their families and members of the community. The following report details a prison sex offender treatment program plan that is designed to reduce recidivism and avoid the costs and immeasurable harm of sex crime victimization. It provides evidence-based sex offender treatment and management recommendations to increase community safety and decrease new sex crimes by known offenders. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) requested a document that describes an empirically based prison sex offender treatment program and provides recommendations for the development and implementation of such a program in the California prison system. Program recommendations are drawn from research and clinical experience. Where possible, materials from other programs are included in appendices to facilitate implementation. Details: Sacramento: California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 2007. 567p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 23, 2014 at: http://www.casomb.org/docs/PSOT_CDCR_Report.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.casomb.org/docs/PSOT_CDCR_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 131049 Keywords: Cost-Benefit AnalysisEvidence-Based PracticesEvidence-Based ProgramsInmatesPrison ProgramsPrisonersSex Offender TreatmentSex OffendersTreatment Programs |
Author: Boxall, Hayley Title: Historical review of sexual offence and child sexual abuse legislation in Australia: 1788-2013 Summary: The report provides an overview of the socio-political factors and events that have influenced the development of Australia's child sexual abuse legislation from 1788-2013. Key developments in relevant legislation during this period which are discussed in detail in the report include: the decriminalisation of homosexual acts between consenting males the removal of gendered language from legislation to enable the law to deal with matters involving male victims, female offenders and same sex offences broadening the definition of sexual intercourse introduction of specific legislation relating to child pornography introduction of mandatory reporting laws. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2014. 108p. Source: Internet Resource: AIC Special Report: Accessed September 4, 2014 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/special/007/Historical-review-sexual-offence-child-sexual-abuse.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/special/007/Historical-review-sexual-offence-child-sexual-abuse.pdf Shelf Number: 133178 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual AbuseCriminal Law ReformSex OffendersSexual Violence |
Author: Jay, Alexis Title: Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham (1997 - 2013) Summary: No one knows the true scale of child sexual exploitation (CSE) in Rotherham over the years. Our conservative estimate is that approximately 1400 children were sexually exploited over the full Inquiry period, from 1997 to 2013. In just over a third of cases, children affected by sexual exploitation were previously known to services because of child protection and neglect. It is hard to describe the appalling nature of the abuse that child victims suffered. They were raped by multiple perpetrators, trafficked to other towns and cities in the north of England, abducted, beaten, and intimidated. There were examples of children who had been doused in petrol and threatened with being set alight, threatened with guns, made to witness brutally violent rapes and threatened they would be next if they told anyone. Girls as young as 11 were raped by large numbers of male perpetrators. This abuse is not confined to the past but continues to this day. In May 2014, the caseload of the specialist child sexual exploitation team was 51. More CSE cases were held by other children's social care teams. There were 16 looked after children who were identified by children's social care as being at serious risk of sexual exploitation or having been sexually exploited. In 2013, the Police received 157 reports concerning child sexual exploitation in the Borough. Over the first twelve years covered by this Inquiry, the collective failures of political and officer leadership were blatant. From the beginning, there was growing evidence that child sexual exploitation was a serious problem in Rotherham. This came from those working in residential care and from youth workers who knew the young people well. Within social care, the scale and seriousness of the problem was underplayed by senior managers. At an operational level, the Police gave no priority to CSE, regarding many child victims with contempt and failing to act on their abuse as a crime. Further stark evidence came in 2002, 2003 and 2006 with three reports known to the Police and the Council, which could not have been clearer in their description of the situation in Rotherham. The first of these reports was effectively suppressed because some senior officers disbelieved the data it contained. This had led to suggestions of cover-up. The other two reports set out the links between child sexual exploitation and drugs, guns and criminality in the Borough. These reports were ignored and no action was taken to deal with the issues that were identified in them. In the early 2000s, a small group of professionals from key agencies met and monitored large numbers of children known to be involved in CSE or at risk but their managers gave little help or support to their efforts. Some at a senior level in the Police and children's social care continued to think the extent of the problem, as described by youth workers, was exaggerated, and seemed intent on reducing the official numbers of children categorised as CSE. At an operational level, staff appeared to be overwhelmed by the numbers involved. There were improvements in the response of management from about 2007 onwards. By 2009, the children's social care service was acutely understaffed and over stretched, struggling to cope with demand. Seminars for elected members and senior officers in 2004-05 presented the abuse in the most explicit terms. After these events, nobody could say 'we didn't know'. In 2005, the present Council Leader chaired a group to take forward the issues, but there is no record of its meetings or conclusions, apart from one minute. By far the majority of perpetrators were described as 'Asian' by victims, yet throughout the entire period, councillors did not engage directly with the Pakistani-heritage community to discuss how best they could jointly address the issue. Some councillors seemed to think it was a one-off problem, which they hoped would go away. Several staff described their nervousness about identifying the ethnic origins of perpetrators for fear of being thought racist; others remembered clear direction from their managers not to do so. In December 2009, the Minister of State for Children and Families put the Council's children's safeguarding services into intervention, following an extremely critical Ofsted report. The Council was removed from intervention thirteen months later. The Rotherham Safeguarding Children Board and its predecessor oversaw the development of good inter-agency policies and procedures applicable to CSE. The weakness in their approach was that members of the Safeguarding Board rarely checked whether these were being implemented or whether they were working. The challenge and scrutiny function of the Safeguarding Board and of the Council itself was lacking over several years at a time when it was most required. In 2013, the Council Leader, who has held office since 2003, apologised for the quality of the Council's safeguarding services being less than it should have been before 2009. This apology should have been made years earlier, and the issue given the political leadership it needed. There have been many improvements in the last four years by both the Council and the Police. The Police are now well resourced for CSE and well trained, though prosecutions remain low in number. There is a central team in children's social care which works jointly with the Police and deals with child sexual exploitation. This works well but the team struggles to keep pace with the demands of its workload. The Council is facing particular challenges in dealing with increased financial pressures, which inevitably impact on frontline services. The Safeguarding Board has improved its response to child sexual exploitation and holds agencies to account with better systems for file audits and performance reporting. There are still matters for children's social care to address such as good risk assessment, which is absent from too many cases, and there is not enough long-term support for the child victims. Details: Rotherham, UK: Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, 2014. 159p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 11, 2014 at: http://www.rotherham.gov.uk/downloads/file/1407/independent_inquiry_cse_in_rotherham Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.rotherham.gov.uk/downloads/file/1407/independent_inquiry_cse_in_rotherham Shelf Number: 133285 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild ProstitutionChild ProtectionChild RapeChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual Exploitation (Rotherham, UK)Child TraffickingSex Offenders |
Author: Boxall, Hayley Title: Brief review of contemporary sexual offence and child sexual abuse legislation in Australia Summary: The following report provides a brief overview of the offences that an individual who sexually abuses a child in an institutional setting may be charged with at the end of 2013. Information provided for each of the identified offences includes: the location of the offence in the respective state or territory's legislation; the age of the victim (where relevant); - aggravating factors - for the purpose of this review, restricted to factors relating to: the age of the child; - the relationship between the offender and victim; and - whether the victim has an intellectual impairment, physical disability or mental illness; the maximum penalty. The offences included in this review have been divided into a six sections: contact sexual offences where the child is below the legal age of consent (16, 17 or 18 years old depending on the jurisdiction and nature of the sexual act); contact sexual offences where the child is above the legal age of consent; contact sexual offences where the age of the victim is not specified; non-contact sexual offences; child pornography offences (production); and offences for which institutions and/or their representatives that were aware of child sexual abuse may be charged. Only offences relating to individuals located within Australia are included in this review. Further, while there are other defences that may be used to refute charges brought under sexual offence or child sexual abuse legislation (for example, honest and reasonable belief that a person was over a certain age and similarity in age between the victim and offender), the only defence that is considered in this report is consent. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2014. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: AIC Special Report: Accessed September 15, 2014 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/special/006/Brief-review-sex-abuse-legislation.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/special/006/Brief-review-sex-abuse-legislation.pdf Shelf Number: 133327 Keywords: Child Pornography Child Sexual Abuse Criminal Defense Criminal Law Reform Sex Offenders Sexual Violence |
Author: Cordner, AnnMarie Title: An Examination of Criminal Justice Offenders in Pennsylvania Summary: This study analyzed data from the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing and the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) to create a profile of rural and urban criminal justice offenders in Pennsylvania. The study also analyzed sentencing trends and examined treatment histories. It focused special attention on domestic violence, drug and sex crimes. The analysis found that offenders were primarily male and had a wide variety of program needs. The two most common program needs were for alcohol/substance abuse treatment and/or managing violence and aggression. In general, the majority of offenders successfully completed the programs they entered while in custody. Those who failed to do so most likely removed themselves from the program rather than failed to meet program requirements. The majority of individuals remanded to DOC came from urban areas, which was expected given the higher concentration of the population residing in those areas. The analysis of the number of sentences imposed over the study period suggests that, contrary to previous research, rural and urban crime rates are not converging in recent years. The distribution of remands by race was different for rural and urban offenders. Remands from rural areas were heavily dominated by whites, while remands from urban areas were dominated by African Americans and Hispanics. The analysis revealed that sentencing decisions are, at least in part, influenced by the location of the court. It found that rural judges were less likely than urban judges to incarcerate violent offenders, but were more likely to impose more lengthy sentences on violent offenders who were incarcerated. It should be noted that only about 19 percent of cases for violent offenses, such as homicide, sexual assault and robbery, were handled in rural courts. Rural judges were also more likely than urban judges to impose sentences that fall within the statutory guidelines. This sentencing pattern was consistent for violent offenses, including robbery, and property offenses. In terms of drug-related offenses, the location of the court did not have a significant impact on the length of the sentences imposed. Rural offenders were slightly more likely to be referred to batterer intervention programs than urban offenders. More urban offenders were convicted of drug offenses than rural offenders. For both groups, the most common offense was drug trafficking, which includes the manufacture, sale, delivery or possession with the intent to sell. Rural offenders were also likely to engage in DUI. Nearly all sex offenders were male. In rural areas, sex crimes were overwhelmingly committed by whites. Even in urban areas, whites were represented in sex offense convictions more heavily than in other types of crimes. They were more likely than any other group to complete the programs to which they were referred. The results of this study suggest that steps be taken to improve judicial training with regard to implementing the sentencing guidelines. The results also suggest that crime reduction should be considered a problem that does not fall within the jurisdiction of the criminal justice system alone. A coordinated effort involving programs that have the potential to prevent crime - such as substance abuse treatment programs, strategies to increase employment, and mental health services - is needed. Details: Harrisburg, PA: Center for Rural Pennsylvania, 2013. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 1, 2014 at:http://www.rural.palegislature.us/documents/reports/criminal_justice_offenders_2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.rural.palegislature.us/documents/reports/criminal_justice_offenders_2013.pdf Shelf Number: 133531 Keywords: Criminal Justice Systems Criminal Offenders (Pennsylvania) Domestic Violence Drug Offenders Sentencing Sex Offenders |
Author: Ferstman, Carla Title: Criminalizing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by Peacekeepers Summary: Summary - Sexual exploitation and abuse continue to pervade peacekeeping missions, and peacekeepers benefit from near-total impunity. - Several seminal United Nations (UN) studies and expert reports provide a useful blueprint of where the gaps lie, what must be done to address them, and how to do so. - Zero-tolerance UN policies have focused on preventing new abuse and strengthening codes of conduct. These goals are laudable but undermined when not accompanied by consistent discipline and criminal accountability. - Despite eight years of annual resolutions that underscore the need to address the problems, there is no evidence of greater accountability. - More work is needed to finish the job. States are responsible for disciplining and punishing their troops, but the UN must do more to ensure that this happens. - The UN needs to work actively with states to bridge the gaps in domestic legislation by issuing written advice and publishing model legislation. - The UN should publicly name and shame those states that fail to investigate and prosecute credible cases. - The UN should refrain from accepting troop contingents from countries that repeatedly fail to live up to their written assurances to investigate and prosecute. - The memorandum of understanding governing the relationship between the UN and troop-contributing countries should be further revised to introduce greater conditionality into the acceptance and removal of troop contingents. Details: Washington, DC: United State Institute of Peace, 2013. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: Special Report: Accessed November 15, 2014 at: http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR335-Criminalizing%20Sexual%20Exploitation%20and%20Abuse%20by%20Peacekeepers.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR335-Criminalizing%20Sexual%20Exploitation%20and%20Abuse%20by%20Peacekeepers.pdf Shelf Number: 134091 Keywords: MilitaryRapeSex OffendersSex OffensesSexual AbuseSexual Exploitation |
Author: Bryant, Stephanie Title: Reoffending analysis of MAPPA eligible offenders Summary: Established in 2001, as an initiative to improve and strengthen monitoring of convicted sexual and violent offenders, Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) primary focus is public protection and the prevention of serious harm through reductions in serious reoffending. This report details research that builds on a 2011 comparison study of reconviction rates of MAPPA eligible offenders between 1998 and 2004, and updates the findings using rates of proven reoffending as a more accurate indicator of offending behavior. The analysis used data from the Police National Computer (PNC) held by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and Prison Discharge Statistics to form cohorts of offenders from the calendar years 2000 to 2010. Findings suggest that MAPPA may be making a positive contribution to managing offenders convicted of serious offences - with reduction in serious further offences indicated. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2015. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Ministry of Justice Analytical Series: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/407139/reoffending-analysis-of-mappa-eligible-offenders.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/407139/reoffending-analysis-of-mappa-eligible-offenders.pdf Shelf Number: 134672 Keywords: Multi-Agency Public Protection ArrangementsRecidivismReoffending (U.K.)Sex OffendersViolent Offenders |
Author: Walsh, Wendy A. Title: Sexting: When are State Prosecutors Deciding to Prosecute? The Third National Juvenile Online Victimization Study Summary: The majority of state prosecutors (62%) in the sample that had worked on technology facilitated crimes against children had handled a sexting case involving juveniles, and 36% of prosecutors in the sample reported that they had ever filed charges in these cases. When charges were filed, the majority charged child pornography production felonies and 16% of prosecutors had sexting cases that resulted in the defendant being sentenced to sex offender registration. Research needs to continue to help prosecutors develop tools and strategies to deal with these complex crimes. Details: Durham, NH: Crime Against Children Research Center, 2013. 4p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 20, 2015 at: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/CV294_Walsh_Sexting%20&%20prosecution_2-6-13.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/CV294_Walsh_Sexting%20&%20prosecution_2-6-13.pdf Shelf Number: 135733 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual AbuseOnline VictimizationProsecutionSex OffendersSexting |
Author: Huebner, Beth Title: Evaluation of Sex Offender Residency Restrictions in Michigan and Missouri Summary: Sex offender residency restrictions are a specific form of specialized sex offender legislation which prohibits registered sex offenders from residing within a certain distance from places where children congregate, such as schools or daycare centers. Residency restrictions were designed to enhance public safety by neutralizing the risk of recidivism posed by registered sex offenders released into the community (Levenson & Cotter, 2005; Sample, Evans, & Anderson, 2011; Simon, 1998; Socia, 2011). The assumption behind this legislation is that sex offenders choose their victims from the available population of the area in which they reside. Thus, attempts by the criminal justice system to increase the distance between registered sex offenders and potential targets should correspond to a decrease in recidivism among this group (Kang, 2012). Statewide residency restrictions have been adopted in some form by at least thirty states and at the municipal level in several others (Meloy, Miller, & Curtis, 2008). While empirical research on sex offender residency restrictions has grown, most current work has centered on documenting the unintended consequences of these policies. For instance, several studies have examined the potential for residency restrictions to adversely shape the availability of housing for registered sex offenders. Socia (2011) observed that in Upstate New York the neighborhoods least restricted by residency restrictions - and thus the areas that registered sex offenders would be allowed to live in - were less affordable, had fewer vacancies, and were concentrated in less dense, rural areas compared to restricted neighborhoods. Additionally, researchers have documented the effect of these laws on quality of life outcomes and reintegration (Levenson & Hern, 2007; Mercado, Alvarez, & Levenson, 2008). To date, there has been little research on the efficacy of residency restrictions in reducing recidivism among registered sex offenders. Very few studies were identified that directly examined the impact of these laws on sex offender recidivism (Blood, Watson, and Stageberg, 2008; Kang, 2012; Nobles, Levenson, and Youstin, 2012; Socia, 2012). Kang (2012) used individual-level data to follow cohorts of sex offenders and non-sex offenders released both before and after the implementation of residency restrictions, no attempt was made to account for selection bias arising either between the sex offender and non-sex offender cohorts. Overall, the research has not substantiated a link between residency restrictions and reduced crime; however, most of the work has examined crime rates and has not used an adequate comparison group. The goal of the current study is to build on extant research and consider the efficacy of residency restrictions enacted in Missouri and Michigan. Details: Final Report to the U.S. National Institute of Justice, 2013. 92p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 26, 2015 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/242952.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/242952.pdf Shelf Number: 129681 Keywords: Child MolestersChild Sexual AbuseResidency RestrictionsSex Offenders |
Author: Simpson, Stewart Title: The use of Safer Lives in Scotland with young people displaying sexually harmful behaviours Summary: This report, written by the CYCJ's Stewart Simpson (Practice Development Advisor) and Nina Vaswani (Research Fellow) considers the research literature as well as the extent and nature of the implementation of Safer Lives in Scotland, by drawing on practitioners' experiences and a small sample of cases in one Local Authority area. The Safer Lives programme was introduced in 2008 in Scotland to support individual work with children and young people under the age of 18 who are involved with harmful sexual behaviour or sexual offending behaviour. This paper set out to consider the impact of Safer Lives in Scotland in two phases. Firstly, it aimed to consider the impact of the model's delivery by practitioners across Scotland: including examining the quality of training for practitioners and their opportunities to deliver the work with young people; and where they had been involved as trainers, their opportunities to deliver the training. This was achieved through a series of surveys. Phase two, initially, aimed to examine the impact of the model on recidivism in young people with the original aim being to consider twenty cases from across Scotland's thirty-two local authority areas. Whilst it was not possible to collate data as planned, it has been possible to raise some examples of practice through analysis of the data available and compare it with the practice experience of one of the authors. The findings of the first phase concluded that practitioners tended towards the view that Safer Lives had had a positive impact on their practice, most often by adding to their available 'tool kit', but at times in a more transformative way. Practitioners also believed that to embed and further roll out Safer Lives nationally in a consistent way, it was necessary to establish a stronger evidence base and a better understanding of the outcomes achieved in using the model. Additionally, those who had experience of delivering the model and training staff were of the view that to be able to offer continuity in delivery of training and interventions, additional resources were required. This could be, for example, a dedicated pool of staff who could develop more expertise in delivering the training, offering quality assurance. Considering the data available in phase two of the evaluation, no conclusions on outcomes and recidivism could be drawn. However, examples of different methods of delivery of the model were identified and through undertaking a brief literature search, these offered theoretical perspectives that assimilate with the methods used in the assessment and intervention of young people. This work proposes that further research would be required to consider the merits of wider roll out of the model and offers a potential structure for a future study. However, the challenges of undertaking such a study in a small country with high levels of Safer Lives saturation are outlined. Details: Glasgow: Centre for Youth & Criminal Justice, 2015. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 28, 2015 at: http://www.cycj.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/The-use-of-safer-lives-in-Scotland-report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.cycj.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/The-use-of-safer-lives-in-Scotland-report.pdf Shelf Number: 135792 Keywords: Child Sex OffendersRecidivismRehabilitationSex OffendersTreatment Programs |
Author: Ronken, Carol Title: Two Strikes and They're Out! Mandatory Sentencing and Child Sex Offenders Summary: In July 2012 the Queensland Government passed a bill enforcing a two strikes approach for repeat child sex offenders. The two strikes approach will apply to sex offenders who have previously been convicted of an offence that attracts a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and who have been released and who then commit another sexual offence that attracts a maximum sentence of life. This paper is an updated version of our original Two Strikes position paper and includes discussion of concerns expressed about the introduction of the Queensland legislation. Details: Arundel BC, Qld: Bravehearts, Inc., 2013. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Position Paper: Accessed June 3, 2015 at: http://www.bravehearts.org.au/images/pictures/large/Two_Strikes_2013.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Australia URL: http://www.bravehearts.org.au/images/pictures/large/Two_Strikes_2013.pdf Shelf Number: 135858 Keywords: Child Sex OffendersRepeat OffendersSentencingSex Offenders |
Author: Angiolini, Elish Title: Report of the Independent Review into The Investigation and Prosecution of Rape in London Summary: The review relates only to the service provided to complainants of rape and serious sexual offences who are supported by Sapphire investigation teams. Offences that are perpetrated against children within parent or carer relationships are within the remit of the Child Abuse Investigation Teams and fall outside the scope of this report. Serious sexual offences against children falling outside of parent or carer relationships are dealt with by Sapphire investigation teams. However, the remit for this review focusses on the response to adult complainants only as the specifics of managing child complainants demand a further and distinct skill set which was outwith the scope of this review. There are, therefore two sets of data. Appendix A relates to all allegations of rape and penetration which are investigated within the Metropolitan Police Service. Appendix B relates only to rape and penetration offences investigated by Sapphire investigation teams. Sapphire crime data will include complainants who are children. 2. The review took place in three distinct phases, - Phase 1. Benchmarking of current structures, service provision and performance of both the police and Crown Prosecution Service. - Phase 2. A review in London of a broad sample of police and Crown Prosecution Service case files with a particular emphasis on any attitudinal barriers that may 'prevent an effective criminal justice response'. - Phase 3. Consultation with panels of experts, practitioners and complainants of rape in order to identify how the service to complainants can be improved. Details: London: Metropolitan Police Service and Crown Prosecution Service, 2015. 161p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 8, 2015 at: http://content.met.police.uk/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheadername1=Content-Type&blobheadername2=Content-Disposition&blobheadervalue1=application%2Fpdf&blobheadervalue2=inline%3B+filename%3D%22494%2F967%2FDame+Elish+Angiolini+Rape+Review+2015%2C0.pdf%22&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1283963458477&ssbinary=true Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://content.met.police.uk/cs/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheadername1=Content-Type&blobheadername2=Content-Disposition&blobheadervalue1=application%2Fpdf&blobheadervalue2=inline%3B+filename%3D%22494%2F967%2FDame+Elish+Ang Shelf Number: 135967 Keywords: Police InvestigationsRapeSex OffendersSexual AssaultViolence Against Women |
Author: Carter, Adam Title: Factors Indicative of Fantasy Disclosure by Sexual Homicide Perpetrators: An Exploratory Study Summary: Sexual fantasy has been identified as an important characteristic in theories of sexual homicide, while forensic practitioners may seek to determine whether sexual fantasy played a role in a sexual killing. Thus, fantasy can be integral to case formulation and identifying treatment targets as part of rehabilitative efforts to reduce the risk of recidivism. However, perpetrators of sexual homicides can be reluctant to talk about their fantasies due to concerns that this will raise their level of risk and prevent progression. The current research reports on two studies using the same sample. The aim of the first study was to consider the presence or absence of characteristics of perpetrators of non-serial sexual killing and whether or not there was evidence that the perpetrator had disclosed deviant fantasy. The second study aimed to determine whether or not the disclosure of fantasy could be predicted using factors identified in the first study. A sample of 100 life sentenced men convicted of homicide who had committed a non-serial sexual killing (those offenders who had killed one or two people) was used to facilitate knowledge of the factors that could indicate whether sexual fantasy needs to be considered to understand a sexual homicide. Key findings-- - A number of significant differences were found between perpetrators that had or had not disclosed fantasies according to childhood behaviour (e.g. bed wetting), offence characteristics (e.g. attacked with sexual intention), adult characteristics (e.g. in a relationship/married at time to offence) and crime scene behaviour (e.g. taking weapon to crime scene). - Several perpetrator variables - such as not the youngest of siblings, problems relating to preferred gender after age 12 years, taking a weapon to the crime scene - were significant predictors of whether the perpetrator disclosed offence related fantasy. - The findings indicate that aspects of upbringing and childhood experience could promote or foster reversions to deviant fantasy, as well as factors that could be a symptom of reliance on such fantasies. - Forensic practitioners carrying out assessments could use findings from this study to act as a signal to suggest that a perpetrator who is not disclosing offence related fantasy is possibly not being completely open about the issue. - Whilst further research is required, the findings from this study make steps towards identifying indicators for determining that deviant fantasy could be relevant to the individual concerned, and to identify sexual killers who disclose fantasy as a separate group of sexual killers from perpetrators who kill for other reasons. Details: London: National Offender Management Service, 2015. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Analytical Summary: Accessed July 30, 2015 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/449014/study-fantasy-disclosure-sexual-homicide.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/449014/study-fantasy-disclosure-sexual-homicide.pdf Shelf Number: 136267 Keywords: HomicideSex OffendersSexual HomicideSexual Violence |
Author: Sacco, Lisa N. Title: Federal Involvement in Sex Offender Registration and Notification: Overview and Issues for Congress, In Brief Summary: The federal government plays a role in the management of sex offenders. In a law enforcement capacity, it enforces federal laws involving sexual abuse, online predatory offenses, or other related federal crimes. In addition, Congress has enacted legislation that encourages the development of state sex offender registries, urges states to punish recalcitrant sex offenders, and induces state and local law enforcement to make certain information on sex offenders public, and has taken other steps involving the registration of sex offenders and notification of the community. Federal legislation affecting sex offender policy has largely centered on sex offender registration and notification, and therefore they are the focus of this report. All states have sex offender registration and notification laws; however, these laws vary widely. Congress has attempted to standardize these laws through legislation, most recently through the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), a major component of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act (Adam Walsh Act; P.L. 109-248) enacted in 2006. Among other things, SORNA created a three-tier classification system for sex offenders based solely on the crime of conviction. To date, 17 states, 3 territories, and many American Indian tribes have been found to have "substantially implemented SORNA." SORNA stated that jurisdictions that fail to comply with its requirements risk having their annual Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) funds reduced by 10%. While several noncompliant states have chosen to lose 10% of their JAG funds, the majority of noncompliant states have applied to have these funds reallocated and used solely for the purpose of implementing SORNA. Sex offenses and sex offender management are primarily state and local criminal justice issues; however, the federal government plays a role in sex offender registration and notification as well as other sex offender management issues not discussed in this report. The federal government (1) sets minimum requirements and baseline standards for states for sex offender registration and notification, (2) provides assistance to states via grants and law enforcement support in tracking down noncompliant offenders, (3) maintains a public national website that provides information on registered sex offenders, (4) maintains a national sex offender registry for assisting law enforcement, and (5) receives and transmits information on the international travel of sex offenders. In recent years, several issues with sex offender registration and notification in the United States have been raised by state governments, the media, and academics alike. Congress may decide to address a number of these issues that fall under federal jurisdiction. Issues include notification of offenders' international travel, issues with registration of sex offenders in the military, states' noncompliance with requirements of SORNA, and the effectiveness of SORNA. Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2015. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: R43954: Accessed July 30, 2015 at: https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=763618 Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=763618 Shelf Number: 136278 Keywords: Sex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: New Zealand. Law Commission. Title: Alternative pre-trial and trial processes : possible reforms Summary: This project arose from the Commission's recommendation in their Report, Disclosure to Court of Defendants' Previous Convictions, Similar Offending, and Bad Character (R103, 2008). The Commission recommended that Government should undertake an inquiry into whether the present adversarial trial process should be modified or replaced with an alternative model, with particular reference to cases involving sexual violence. In 2012, the Commission completed a preliminary review of the use of alternative pre-trial and trial processes for criminal offending, with a specific focus on sex offences. The Commission published Issues Paper 30 and received a large number of submissions from the public. The project was then put on hold by the Minister Responsible for the Law Commission at the time. In late 2014, the project was reactivated on request of the current Minister of Justice. The terms of reference for the project have not changed. Details: Wellington: New Zealand Law Commission, 2012. 117p. Source: Internet Resource: Law Commission issues paper, 2012, no. 30: Accessed August 10, 2015 at: http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/sites/default/files/projectAvailableFormats/NZLC%20IP30.pdf Year: 2015 Country: New Zealand URL: http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/sites/default/files/projectAvailableFormats/NZLC%20IP30.pdf Shelf Number: 136373 Keywords: Criminal CourtsPretrial DetentionSex OffendersSexual Violence |
Author: Sinozich, Sofi Title: Rape and Sexual Assault Victimization Among College-Age Females, 1995-2013 Summary: This report uses the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) to compare the rape and sexual assault victimization of female college students and nonstudents. For the period 1995-2013 - - The rate of rape and sexual assault was 1.2 times higher for nonstudents (7.6 per 1,000) than for students (6.1 per 1,000). - For both college students and nonstudents, the offender was known to the victim in about 80% of rape and sexual assault victimizations. - Most (51%) student rape and sexual assault victimizations occurred while the victim was pursuing leisure activities away from home, compared to nonstudents who were engaged in other activities at home (50%) when the victimization occurred. - The offender had a weapon in about 1 in 10 rape and sexual assault victimizations against both students and nonstudents. - Rape and sexual assault victimizations of students (80%) were more likely than nonstudent victimizations (67%) to go unreported to police. - About a quarter of student (26%) and nonstudent (23%) victims who did not report to police believed the incident was a personal matter, and 1 in 5 (20% each) stated a fear of reprisal. - Student victims (12%) were more likely than nonstudent victims (5%) to state that the incident was not important enough to report. - Fewer than 1 in 5 female student (16%) and nonstudent (18%) victims of rape and sexual assault received assistance from a victim services agency. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice,Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2014. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 31, 2015 at: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/rsavcaf9513.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/rsavcaf9513.pdf Shelf Number: 136624 Keywords: Campus CrimeCollege and UniversitiesRapeSex OffendersSexual AssaultSexual ViolenceVictim ServicesVictimization Survey |
Author: Leclerc, Benoit Title: Adult sex offenders in youth-oriented institutions: Evidence on sexual victimisation experiences of offenders and their offending patterns Summary: There is significant interest in the issue of child sexual abuse committed in institutional settings. This study uses information collected from a sample of 23 convicted Canadian sex offenders to examine key elements of the offending. Issues explored include the nature of the offender's involvement with institutions, their own prior sexual victimisation experiences, factors influencing the selection of victims and the locations where the sexual assaults occurred. Particularly telling was the length of time offenders spent at an institution prior to initiating the assaults and the potential to avert offending by reducing opportunities to offend, as well as the associated danger evident in allowing staff - without supervision - to transport children outside of an institutional setting, given the frequency of the assaults that occurred offsite. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2015. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends and issues in crime and criminal justice, no. 497: Accessed September 30, 2015 at: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi497.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi497.pdf Shelf Number: 136929 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseSex OffendersSexual Assaults |
Author: U.S. Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs. Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) Title: Sex Offender Management Assessment and Planning Initiative Summary: Sex offenders have received considerable attention in recent years from both policymakers and the public. This is due to the profound impact that sex crimes have on victims and the larger community and also due to the increased identification and apprehension of sex offenders. Perpetrators of sex crimes have come to be viewed by policymakers, practitioners, and the public as a unique group of offenders in need of special management practices. As a result, a number of laws and policies focusing specifically on sex offenders have been implemented across the country in recent years, often with extensive public support. There also has been a growing recognition in the criminal justice community that crime control and prevention strategies-including those targeting sex offenders-are far more likely to be effective and cost-beneficial when they are based on scientific evidence about what works. Indeed, crime control policy and program development processes are increasingly being informed by scientific evidence; in addition, many practices in policing, corrections, and other areas have been and continue to be shaped by evidence generated through research. Incentives and mandates for evidence-based programming are now frequently used by funding sources, and the demand for trustworthy, research-generated evidence about what works is rapidly increasing (Przybylski, 2012). Recognizing the important role scientific evidence plays in the development and implementation of effective policies and practices, including those focused on sex offenders, the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and OJP's Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART Office) began to identify and disseminate information from state-of-the-art research on central and emerging issues in sex offender management to inform policy and practice in the field. Since 1996, OJP has worked to promote advances in the field of sex offender management. In the 1980s and 1990s, several high-profile sex crimes led to the enactment of state and federal legislation directed toward tracking and controlling sex offenders. These laws were passed without the benefit of strong research to support particular approaches to managing sex offenders. In response to this flurry of legislative activity and heightened public concern, OJP convened a national summit in 1996 that brought together nearly 200 practitioners, academic researchers, and other experts to discuss the most effective management strategies for this offender population. During the summit, OJP received recommendations about the needs of the field regarding sex offender management training and technical assistance. In response to these recommendations, OJP initiated research projects on sex offender management, developed sex offender-specific grant programs, and supported the Center for Sex Offender Management's training and technical assistance to the field. In the ensuing years, OJP sponsored more than 100 research projects, publications, and training curricula related to sexual assault and sex offender management. Grant programs provided funds to approximately 200 state, local, and tribal jurisdictions to enhance and improve the management of sex offenders in their communities. These jurisdictions have created standards for the treatment and supervision of adults and juveniles, employed sex offender-specific assessment and truth-verification tools, enhanced victim advocacy and support, developed specialized sex offender courts, and improved information sharing and collaboration within and across disciplines and jurisdictions. In 2006, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act (AWA) authorized the establishment of the SMART Office-the first federal office devoted solely to sex offender management-related activities. The office is responsible for helping to implement the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (Title I of AWA) and also for providing assistance to criminal justice professionals and the public about the entire spectrum of sex offender management activities needed to ensure public safety. Building on OJP's efforts, the SMART Office began work in 2011 on the Sex Offender Management Assessment and Planning Initiative (SOMAPI), a project designed to assess the state of research and practice in sex offender management and to inform OJP's research and grant-making efforts in this area. As part of this effort, the office gathered information about research and practice in the field and enlisted practitioners to (1) provide details about sex offender management programs and practices that are promising or effective, and (2) identify the needs of the various disciplines involved. The SMART Office contracted with the National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA) and a team of subject-matter experts to review the scholarly literature on sexual offending and sex offender management and to develop annotated summaries of the research for dissemination to the field. To gain insight into emerging issues, promising practices, and pressing needs in the sex offender management field at the state and local levels, NCJA conducted an informal national inventory of sex offender management professionals in 2011. Finally, the SMART Office hosted the Sex Offender Management Research and Practice Discussion Forum (SOMAPI forum) in February 2012. At this event, national experts-both researchers and practitioners-gathered in the District of Columbia to discuss the research summaries and inventory results in order to further refine what is known about the current state of sex offender management, gaps in research and practice, and the needs of the different disciplines involved in this work. Recommendations from the SOMAPI forum informed this report and will help guide OJP's sex offender management research, policy, and grant-making efforts in the future and provide direction to the field on how best to protect the public from sexual violence. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2014. 189p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 8, 2015 at: http://www.smart.gov/SOMAPI/pdfs/SOMAPI_Full%20Report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.smart.gov/SOMAPI/pdfs/SOMAPI_Full%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 136967 Keywords: Evidence-Based PracticesJuvenile Sex OffendersSex OffendersSexual ViolenceYouthful Sex Offenders |
Author: Miller, Sarah Title: Non-Engagement in Offender Behaviour Programmes Summary: Objective The objective of this study was to increase understanding of sexual offender lack of engagement in offender behaviour programmes. Methodology A qualitative research design was deemed appropriate because this subject matter has not been studied previously within the Scottish Prison Service (SPS). Two researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with a) 20 prisoners who had current convictions for sexual offences and who were not willing to engage in offender behaviour programmes, and, b) with 8 staff members working with sexual offenders in the SPS. All participants were recruited from HMP Edinburgh and HMP Dumfries and interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings 19 of the 20 prisoners interviewed were not willing to engage in offender behaviour programmes because they denied their sexual conviction(s). Denial was dimensional in nature ranging from categorical (e.g. the offence did not happen at all) to varying forms of minimisation (e.g. the sexual activity was consensual). Analysis suggested that denial and appellant status protected participant's private and public identities by allowing them to avoid labelling and stigmatisation. Instead, denial and appellant status ensured (perceived) physical and psychological safety by allowing participants to detach from others. Prisoner interviewees had limited insight into peer influences at an individual level although they described how peers negatively influenced others. Participants were mostly ambivalent about progression and emphasised external needs, which, although relevant, indicated limited awareness of internal issues (e.g. emotional management, problem solving ability, interpersonal skills). The majority of concerns that participants had about programmes reflected those commonly expressed by other offenders (i.e. those with non-sexual convictions and those who admit their convictions), such as fears about lack of group confidentiality. Encouragingly the majority of participants described multifarious factors that would enhance their motivation to engage. Many were interested in exploring the events leading up to their conviction. Participants readily talked about problems that they had with emotional regulation, substance misuse and intimate relationships, although they did not think these factors would be problematic upon release. However, two participants struggled to identify any factors that would motivate them to engage, seemingly because of their strong detachment from others. Analyses of staff interviews revealed predominantly consistent findings to prisoner interviews increasing the validity of the findings. It is encouraging that staff and prisoners have a shared outlook. Staff participants recognised the complexity of denial, the perspectives of individuals unwilling to engage and the propensity for negative peer influences. They also expressed hope for future programme development. A minority of staff participants expressed the view that there was nothing that they could do to motivate sexual offenders who were unwilling to engage in programmes. Key considerations Findings provide support for an 'adaptational model' of offence denial in sexual offenders (Rogers and Dickey, 1991) which proposes that denial is used to manage highly adversarial settings. As such, findings do not support the separation of sexual offenders on the basis of offence denial and offence admittance as this strategy is likely to represent a repeat experience of social exclusion and increase offence denial by providing an opportunity to detach. Findings suggest a number of potential assessment and treatment approaches. Firstly, assessment procedures are likely to benefit from giving focus to all aspects of 'treatment readiness'. This could include enhancement of intrinsic motivations using motivational interviewing and adaptation of contextual/environmental factors negatively impacting on treatment readiness by running information sessions about programmes, pre-programme acclimatisation sessions and utilising positive peer influences. Secondly, as participants were able to identify factors that would motivate them to engage, it is likely that a Good Lives approach1 could be used to foster engagement and build upon existent motivations by focussing on how the individual conceptualises 'a good life' and the ways in which they can be fulfilled. Given the 'protective' function of offence denial for some offenders and the likely existence of other dynamic risk factors, that are known to be responsive to treatment, it is questionable whether focus is needed on the offence denial itself. Thirdly, attachment theory is likely to be relevant in the assessment and treatment of this offender group because of their propensity to detach from others in order to protect their private and public identities and thus 'survive' the prison setting. Given the qualitative nature of this study, these findings cannot be generalised. Further research could be undertaken by examining outcomes of larger samples of sexual offenders who engage in offender behaviour programmes and those who do not. Outcome measures could include adjudication records, reconvictions (nature and number) and parole decisions. In addition, a focus group study with those who have moved from offence denial to admittance could further inform future programme development. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Prison Service, 2012. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 19, 2015 at: http://www.hub.careinspectorate.com/media/107975/sps-sexual-offender-non-engagement-report.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.hub.careinspectorate.com/media/107975/sps-sexual-offender-non-engagement-report.pdf Shelf Number: 137019 Keywords: Behavior ModificationPrisonersSex OffendersTreatment Programs |
Author: Munro, Eileen Title: Hear no evil, see no evil: Understanding failure to identify and report child sexual abuse in institutional contexts Summary: The Royal Commission has developed a comprehensive research program to support its work and to inform its findings and recommendations. The program focuses on eight themes: 1. Why does child sexual abuse occur in institutions? 2. How can child sexual abuse in institutions be prevented? 3. How can child sexual abuse be better identified? 4. How should institutions respond where child sexual abuse has occurred? 5. How should government and statutory authorities respond? 6. What are the treatment and support needs of victims/survivors and their families? 7. What is the history of particular institutions of interest? 8. How do we ensure the Royal Commission has a positive impact? This research report falls within theme three. The case studies examined in this report explore many of the organisational factors that influence how well children are protected: the recruitment process, training in recognising and responding to indications of abuse, and formal policies about what people should do both to prevent and react to abuse. Our study highlighted less tangible but equally influential aspects of organisations that were also evident in the case studies, including: Local rationality: People do what they think is right or sensible at a given time, and inquiries such as this need to find out what local rationalities may have influenced their actions. Organisational culture: This is partly created by the explicit strategies and messages of senior managers but is also strongly influenced by covert messages that are transmitted throughout organisations, influencing individual behaviour. These can significantly affect the rigour with which policies and procedures are implemented. Balancing risks: Policies and actions that protect children can also create dangers. Workers who are fearful of being wrongly suspected of abuse may keep their distance from children and not provide the nurturing, healthy relationships that children need to have with adults. Organisations have to reach some conclusion as to what level of concern should be reported. Making it compulsory to report even a low level of concern will identify more cases of abuse but at the cost of including numerous non-abusive cases. Efforts therefore need to be made to create a culture that understands the ambiguity of the behaviour so that innocent people's reputations are not tainted by false reports. Details: Sydney: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, 2015. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2015 at: https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/620678bb-6c9d-45da-94c3-63c4b40e648f/Hear-no-evil,-see-no-evil Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/620678bb-6c9d-45da-94c3-63c4b40e648f/Hear-no-evil,-see-no-evil Shelf Number: 137192 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseCorrections-Based Sexual AbuseInstitutional CareSex Offenders |
Author: Harris, Andrew Title: Law Enforcement Perspectives on Sex Offender Registration and Notification: Preliminary Survey Results Summary: The study's first phase involved a series of semi-structured interviews conducted in 2014 with 105 law enforcement professionals in five States and two tribal jurisdictions. The survey items for the study's second phase were based on themes, experiences, and perspectives derived from those interviews. Participants were invited to complete the survey via targeted email outreach, using a nationwide commercial list of 8,840 police chiefs and command staff and a list of 2,921 county sheriffs obtained from the National Sheriffs Association. A total of 1,247 of those contacted completed the final battery of survey items. The sample included representation from 49 States and the District of Columbia. The final survey item asked for respondents' opinion on priorities for State and Federal policies for the management of sex offenders in the community. The highest priority for the greatest percentage of respondents (63 percent) was to expand penalties for non-compliance with registration requirements, followed by high priority for more aggressive prosecution of non-compliance (61.7 percent); expansion of probation and parole supervision (60.4 percent); dedicate funding to registration enforcement (51.5 percent); improvement in the integration of the registry with other criminal justice information systems (50.4 percent); improvement in classification systems (46.9 percent); and an increase in sexual violence prevention education (45.6 percent). The wording of each survey item is reported, along with responses received for each item. Details: Lowell, MA: University of Massachusetts Lowell, 2015. 30p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 9, 2015 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/249189.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/249189.pdf Shelf Number: 137225 Keywords: Sex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: Lovell, Rachel Title: Do John Schools Really Decrease Recidivism? A methodological critique of an evaluation of the San Francisco First Offender Prostitution Program Summary: A growing number of governments are creating "john schools" in the belief that providing men with information about prostitution will stop them from buying sex, which will in turn stop prostitution and trafficking. John schools typically offer men arrested for soliciting paid sex the opportunity (for a fee) to attend lectures by health experts, law enforcement and former sex workers in exchange for cleared arrest records if they are not re-arrested within a certain period of time. A 2008 examination of the San Francisco john school, "Final Report on the Evaluation of the First Offender Prostitution Program," claims to be the first study to prove that attending a john school leads to a lower rate of recidivism or re-arrest (Shively et al.). Despite its claims, the report offers no reliable evidence that the john school classes reduce the rate of re-arrests. This paper analyzes the methodology and data used in the San Francisco study and concludes that serious flaws in the research design led the researchers to claim a large drop in re-arrest rates that, in fact, occurred before the john school was implemented. Details: Washington, DC: American University Washington College of Law; Chicago: DePaul University, Social Science Research Center, 2012. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 11, 2015 at: https://maggiemcneill.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/john-schools-and-recidivism.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: https://maggiemcneill.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/john-schools-and-recidivism.pdf Shelf Number: 137233 Keywords: ProstitutionRecidivismSex OffendersSex Offenses |
Author: New Mexico Sentencing Commission Title: Updated Exploratory Sex Offender Recidivism Study: 2004-2006 Probation Sentence & Prison Release Cohorts Summary: This analysis builds on a report that was published by NMSC in 2012. Additional release and probation cohorts were added. The analysis includes offenders who were released from NMCD facilities or began probation for a sex offense that requires registration for calendar years 2004 - 2006. Additionally, in this analysis, NMSC staff were given access to Offender Watch by the New Mexico Department of Public Safety to confirm registration and NMCD probation data to confirm that offenders in the probation cohort received sentences that did not include prison time. Details: Albuquerque: New Mexico Sentencing Commission, 2014. 5p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 16, 2015 at: http://nmsc.unm.edu/reports/2014/updated-exploratory-sex-offender-recidivism-study-2004-2006-probation-sentence--prison-release-cohorts.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://nmsc.unm.edu/reports/2014/updated-exploratory-sex-offender-recidivism-study-2004-2006-probation-sentence--prison-release-cohorts.pdf Shelf Number: 137467 Keywords: ProbationersRecidivismSex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: New Zealand. Law Commission. Title: The Justice Response to Victims of Sexual Violence. Criminal trials and Alternative Processes Summary: In its Report The Justice Response to Victims of Sexual Violence: Criminal Trials and Alternative Processes (R136), the Law Commission completes a review of trial processes in sexual violence cases and makes recommendations for change. It considers whether a non-criminal process is a viable alternative way of dealing with certain incidents of sexual violence, where that is desired by the victim, and puts forward a proposal to give effect to such an alternative. It also suggests that victims should have wraparound support throughout their time in the justice system and proposes the creation of a commission against sexual violence which would be responsible for leading and coordinating the provision of support to victims of sexual violence. The Law Commission makes a total of 82 recommendations across three distinct areas. Those recommendations include the following: Trial process and the courts - There should be a limit on the amount of time it takes for criminal proceedings involving sexual violence to get to trial. - Less traumatic methods of giving evidence at trial should be made available to complainants of sexual violence. - All judges who sit on sexual violence trials should receive special training. - A specialist sexual violence court should be piloted and future consideration should be given to whether proceedings in that court should or should not be heard in front of a jury. Alternative process - Government should put in place a legal and policy framework to give effect to an alternative process that could operate entirely separately of criminal trial. - The process would provide for a victim to complete a programme that addresses the harm caused by the sexual violence and that facilitates discussion with and reparation by the perpetrator, if appropriate. - It would be run by accredited, expert providers. - There would be some flexibility as to how the process is run by each provider but nationwide standards would ensure the safety of participants and cases could be rejected if the provider assessed them as unsuitable based on public safety risk or risk to the victim. - If this process was successfully completed by a perpetrator, the incident of sexual violence could not form the basis of a subsequent criminal prosecution. Support for victims - Government should develop training and education programmes for all those who interact with sexual violence victims in a professional capacity and should also consider a national accreditation programme. - A sexual violence commission should be established to coordinate support services for victims and to promote communication and consultation across the sector, and between government-based and community-based support providers. - The commission should also be responsible for carrying out research, delivering training and education programmes, and accrediting and monitoring the providers of the alternative process. Details: Wellington, NZ: Law Commission, 2015. 249p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 11, 2016 at: http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/sites/default/files/projectAvailableFormats/NZLC-R136-The-Justice-Response-to-Victims-of-Sexual-Violence.pdf Year: 2015 Country: New Zealand URL: http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/sites/default/files/projectAvailableFormats/NZLC-R136-The-Justice-Response-to-Victims-of-Sexual-Violence.pdf Shelf Number: 137458 Keywords: Criminal TrialsSex OffendersSexual ViolenceVictims of Crimes |
Author: Cho, Seo-Young Title: Does Prostitution Constrain Sex Crimes? Micro-Evidence from Korea Summary: This paper investigates empirically whether prostitution reduces sex crimes. Theoretical predictions suggest two contradicting effects: substituting or complementing. By using survey data of sex offenders in Korea, I find that prostitution increases the probability of one committing sex crimes. Also, the experience of buying sex with a minor exacerbates the severity of sex crimes. These results indicate that prostitution intensifies one's propensities for more violent sexual behaviors, suggesting a complementary relationship between prostitution and sex crimes. The main findings do not alter after accounting for the endogeneity of the model. Details: Marburg, Germany: University Marburg, 2015. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: MAGKS DP No. 21-2015: Accessed February 17, 2016 at: http://www.uni-marburg.de/fb02/makro/forschung/magkspapers/paper_2015/21-2015_cho.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Asia URL: http://www.uni-marburg.de/fb02/makro/forschung/magkspapers/paper_2015/21-2015_cho.pdf Shelf Number: 137870 Keywords: ProstitutionSex CrimesSex Offenders |
Author: Research in Practice Title: Working Effectively to Address Child Sexual Exploitation: An evidence scope Summary: This evidence scope draws on knowledge from research, practitioner expertise and young people's experience to identify the barriers to dealing with CSE, and the approaches and interventions that can make a difference to young people. The scope, accompanied by an executive summary, examines different models of CSE, how risks and needs are identified and assessed, and what interventions appear to be most promising. It offers six key principles for service design and practice development, highlighting the importance of young-person-centred practice and participatory approaches, considering what might be most effective in terms of early help and education, as well as focusing on the critical issue of how to ensure multi-agency working, and what support the workforce needs. Details: Dartington Hall, Totnes, UK: Research in Practice, 2015. 107p., app. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 17, 2016 at: https://www.rip.org.uk/resources/publications/evidence-scopes/working-effectively-to-address-child-sexual-exploitation-evidence-scope-2015/ Year: 2015 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.rip.org.uk/resources/publications/evidence-scopes/working-effectively-to-address-child-sexual-exploitation-evidence-scope-2015/ Shelf Number: 137873 Keywords: Child PornographyChild ProstitutionChild ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationSex Offenders |
Author: Glaza, Thomas George Title: Community Based Registered Sex Offenders: Does One Label Fit All? Summary: The purpose of the study was to: (a) identify society's core beliefs about adult male registered sex offenders; (b) identify the primary sources from which members of society obtain their attitudes and behaviors toward adult male registered sex offenders; (c) compare these core beliefs to the findings contained in empirical research; and (d) present an objective view of adult male registered sex offenders. Details: Sarasota, FL: Argosy University, 2013. 147p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed February 26, 2016 at: https://floridaactioncommittee.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Dissertation-Dr.-Thom-Glaza.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://floridaactioncommittee.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Dissertation-Dr.-Thom-Glaza.pdf Shelf Number: 137984 Keywords: Community Based CorrectionsSex Offender TreatmentSex Offenders |
Author: Freiberg, Arie Title: Sentencing for Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Contexts Summary: This report examines sentencing law and practice in Australia in relation to child sexual abuse committed in an institutional context. It covers the principles of sentencing, sentencing standards and the range of non-sentencing statutory measures available to detain offenders in custody, as well as restrictions and monitoring of their movement. It also considers organisational responsibility for CSA and the sanctions that may be imposed upon institutions. Details: Sydney: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, 2015. 296p. Source: Internet Resource: Monash University Faculty of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 2015/10 : Accessed March 26, 2016 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2633223 Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2633223 Shelf Number: 138427 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseCorrections-Based Sexual AbuseInstitutional AbuseInstitutional CareSentencingSex Offenders |
Author: Johnson, Sarah Title: An Analysis of the Sex Offender Special Sentence in Iowa Summary: An obligation of the Sex Offender Research Council outlined in Iowa Code 216A.139 (4)(B) instructs the board to examine the "the cost and effectiveness of special sentences pursuant to chapter 903B." The special sentence places offenders convicted of offenses in Iowa Code 709 (sex offenses), 726.2 (incest), and 728.12, (1), (2), or (3)(sexual exploitation) on either 10-year or life-time community supervision based solely upon the offense class of conviction. Offenders convicted of A, B, and C felony sex offenses receive life-time community supervision and D felony and misdemeanor offenders receive 10-year supervision sentences (903B, Code of Iowa). To study the effects of the special sentence, two groups of sex offenders were analyzed: those serving a special sentence and a pre-special sentence cohort of offenders. Recidivism rates were compared between the two groups over a three-year period. For the special sentence group, the recidivism tracking period began at the beginning of an offender's special sentence supervision start date. For the comparison group, the recidivism tracking period was observed following an offender's sentence expiration, meaning that they were not under any type of correctional supervision when examined. Due to the high rate of special sentence revocations, recidivism rates by time-at-risk were also observed. Findings indicate there were no significant differences in new sex offense convictions between the special sentence and comparison group. However, the special sentence group had lower rates of new convictions than the comparison group. The high rate of revocation among the special sentence group, in particular those revocations for inappropriate behaviors specific to sex offenders, may have prevented reoffending and reconviction in some cases; however, it is impossible to estimate the extent to which this occurred. Revocations for technical offenses were higher than revocations for new convictions. While it is difficult to determine if crime is avoided through application of the special sentence, it is noteworthy that baseline sexual reoffending is exceptionally low with or without supervision; however the cost to implement the special sentence supervision is very high. The special sentence currently costs community corrections approximately $5.6 million annually. Additional costs are incurred when offenders are revoked from the special sentence and re-incarcerated. Removal of some offenders from the special sentence has the potential for cost containment, although this figure is difficult to determine given the unknown estimates of potential offenders removed from the special sentence. Details: Des Moines, IA: Iowa Department of Human Rights, Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning, Statistical Analysis Center, 2015. 34p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 29, 2016 at: https://humanrights.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/media/CJJP_2015%20SORC%20Annual%20Report%20-%20An%20Analysis%20of%20the%20Sex%20Offender%20Special%20Sentence%20in%20Iowa.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://humanrights.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/media/CJJP_2015%20SORC%20Annual%20Report%20-%20An%20Analysis%20of%20the%20Sex%20Offender%20Special%20Sentence%20in%20Iowa.pdf Shelf Number: 138457 Keywords: Costs of Criminal JusticeSentencingSex Offenders |
Author: Florida. Legislature. Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability Title: Sex Offender Registration and Monitoring: Statewide Requirements, Local Practices, and Monitoring Procedures Summary: Since OPPAGA's first statutorily required review of sex offender registration in 2005, the number of registered sex offenders in Florida communities has grown by 44% to more than 26,000 offenders. Sheriffs' offices monitor all registered sex offenders and are meeting their statutory requirements for offender registration, address verification, and public notification. Additionally, the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) supervises offenders sentenced to community supervision and those who have been conditionally released from prison. Sex offenders under FDC supervision are supervised at the highest risk level which entails frequent one-on-one contact between a probation officer and offender. Some supervised offenders are placed on electronic monitoring for enhanced monitoring and supervision. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) maintains Florida's sex offender registry. In addition to other information, sex offenders are required to report if they are enrolled or employed at an institution of higher learning and this information is included on FDLE's registry. Our review found this information to be out-of-date for some offenders. Offenders also must attempt to obtain valid state identification cards; however, some are unable to obtain the cards either because they lack the needed documentation or money to pay required fees. Sheriffs' offices have implemented the 30-day transient reporting requirement and report that the more frequent reporting improves accountability. However, the reporting requirement is not tracked consistently throughout the state. Transient offenders continue to be difficult for law enforcement to monitor. Details: Tallahassee: OPPAGA, 2015. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Report No. 15-16: Accessed July 25, 2016 at: http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/MonitorDocs/Reports/pdf/1516rpt.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/MonitorDocs/Reports/pdf/1516rpt.pdf Shelf Number: 139840 Keywords: Offender MonitoringSex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: Goodman-Delahunty, Jane Title: Jury reasoning in joint and separate trials of institutional child sexual abuse: An empirical study Summary: This report forms part of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse's research program in relation to the criminal justice system's response to child sexual abuse in institutional contexts. Child sex offenders are not a homogenous group and their offending behaviours vary widely. Offenders may offend against one victim or many victims, and they may engage in one incident of sexual abuse or multiple repeated incidents. The diversity and complexity of offending behaviours has a number of implications for the prosecution of child sex offenders. The scope of this report This study investigated the extent to which joint trials with cross-admissible tendency evidence infringed defendants' rights, and the extent to which joint trials posed a risk of unfair prejudice to the defendant. In particular, we investigated the reasoning processes of juries in a simulated joint trial of sex offences involving three complainants versus a separate trial involving a single complainant. Our jury deliberation and reasoning study investigated these issues by presenting 10 different versions of a videotaped trial involving the same core evidence to a total of 1,029 jury-eligible mock jurors. The study tested the impact of evidence strength, the number of charges and the presence of specific judicial directions on jury decision-making in joint versus separate trials. The five key aims of the project were to: 1. Document juries' interpretation of cross-admissible evidence in a joint child sexual abuse trial, to determine the extent to which juries engage in impermissible reasoning regarding such evidence Compare the above decision-making processes with those of juries in a separate trial involving the same defendant 3. Compare trial outcomes (acquittal, conviction or hung jury) in a joint versus separate trial involving the same defendant 4. Examine the relationship between jurors' misconceptions about child sexual abuse, jury deliberations and decisions, and trial outcomes 5. Determine the effect of question trail use on juries' reasoning and decisions. Details: Sydney: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, 2016. 376p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 28, 2016 at: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/b268080d-599a-4d44-a9c5-c3f8181bae96/Jury-reasoning-in-joint-trials-of-institutional-ch Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/b268080d-599a-4d44-a9c5-c3f8181bae96/Jury-reasoning-in-joint-trials-of-institutional-ch Shelf Number: 139863 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseCriminal EvidenceCriminal TrialsJurorsJury Decision-MakingSex Offenders |
Author: Bolitho, Jane Title: The Use and Effectiveness of Restorative Justice in Criminal Justice Systems Following Child Sexual Abuse or Comparable Harms Summary: The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has commissioned an international literature review to examine the research evidence on the use, justification and effectiveness of restorative justice approaches in relation to child sexual abuse, and any problems or concerns arising, particularly in relation to institutional and non-familial child sexual abuse. As this report informs the Commission's criminal justice project, it focuses on restorative justice approaches used within criminal justice systems. This report presents the results of a brief review of international literature and addresses four main areas, which are: - the extent to which restorative justice is currently used in cases of institutional child sexual abuse and other child sexual abuse (or arguably, comparable areas such as adult sexual or personal violence offences, or child-related crimes, to the extent they may inform possible approaches to child sexual abuse or institutional child sexual abuse) - the empirical evidence (if any) to support using restorative justice for child sexual abuse (or comparable areas) - associated issues and criticisms - particular considerations or implications for institutional child sexual abuse. Details: Sydney: University of New South Wales, 2016. 77p. Source: Internet Resource: Report for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse: Accessed July 28, 2016 at: https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/9f328928-a343-4c65-b98e-94e3185894c7/Restorative-justice-following-child-sexual-abuse-o Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/9f328928-a343-4c65-b98e-94e3185894c7/Restorative-justice-following-child-sexual-abuse-o Shelf Number: 139864 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseRestorative JusticeSex Offenders |
Author: Drake, Gregory Title: Patterns of Child Sexual Victimization in Michigan: MICR 2013 Report Summary: In an effort to shed light on the problem of childhood sexual victimization in the state of Michigan, Michigan Incident Based Reporting Statistics were utilized to study patterns of childhood victimization, offender characteristics and the relationship between victims and offenders. During 2013, there were over 8,000 incidents in the state of Michigan with 8,350 unique victims and 7,295 unique offenders. Females are the victims in the vast majority of cases and males are the offenders in the overwhelming number of cases. Males tend to be at greatest risk for victimization at young ages, although females are at greatest risk at all ages. A sizeable portion of victimization involves offenders who are close in age to the victim but there are also large numbers of incidents that involve offenders considerably older than the victims. Most sexual offenses committed against children involve offenders known to the victim. Offenses committed by strangers are rare. Parents, guardians, and other youth care providers should be aware that if childhood sexual victimization occurs or is suspected, it is most likely committed by someone known to the youth and often involve an adult caregiver. Details: East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, Michigan Justice Statistics Center, 2015. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 26, 2016 at: http://cj.msu.edu/assets/Patterns_of_Childhood_Sexual_Offenses-MICR2013-Dec2015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://cj.msu.edu/assets/Patterns_of_Childhood_Sexual_Offenses-MICR2013-Dec2015.pdf Shelf Number: 140053 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect Child Sexual Abuse Sex Offenders |
Author: Halstead, Imogen Title: Does the Custody-based Intensive Treatment (CUBIT) program for sex offenders reduce re-offending? Summary: Aim: To investigate whether completing the Custody-based Intensive Treatment (CUBIT) program for moderate to high risk/needs sex offenders reduces re-offending. Method: The study sample includes 386 male offenders identified by custodial staff as suitable for participation in CUBIT who were released from NSW custody during the period 2000 to 2010. An Instrumental Variables (IV) approach is adopted to control for potential unobservable selection bias in treatment outcomes (a key concern in the treatment effects literature), with the CUBIT completion rate amongst commencements around the time of an offender's own potential participation in CUBIT employed as the preferred IV. This method is statistically inefficient, and has limited power to assess the impact of treatment on sex re-offending (which is relatively rare) specifically. As such, three separate two-stage least squares models (including a range of control variables) are used to estimate the impact of completing CUBIT on whether or not an offender will re-offend with a sex, violent, or general offence, respectively, within five years of free time following their release from custody. Results: Within five years free time following release from custody 12 per cent of offenders who completed CUBIT committed a proven sex offence, 27 per cent re-offended with a new violent offence and 41 per cent committed a proven offence of any type. Multivariate models controlling for a range of important observable risk factors found that CUBIT completers had, on average, a 5-year general recidivism risk that was 13 percentage points lower than a similar cohort of offenders suitable for CUBIT but who did not participate. No significant differences between the treated and untreated groups were found for violent or sex re-offending. Conclusion: There is some evidence to suggest that completing CUBIT results in a considerable reduction in general recidivism risk. No evidence is found to suggest that CUBIT completion reduces sexual or violent re-offending. However, it is difficult to draw any conclusion from the null results, since the power of the statistical methods employed to detect a treatment impact in this study is limited given the relatively small sample size. Details: Sydney, NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2016. 24p., app. Source: Internet Resource: Contemporary Issues in Crime and Justice, No. 193: Accessed August 30, 2016 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Documents/CJB/Report-2016-Custody-based-Intensive-Treatment-%28CUBIT%29-program-cjb193.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Documents/CJB/Report-2016-Custody-based-Intensive-Treatment-%28CUBIT%29-program-cjb193.pdf Shelf Number: 140087 Keywords: Offender TreatmentRe-offendingRecidivismSex Offenders |
Author: Bileski, Matthew Title: The Reporting of Sexual Assault in Arizona, CY 2003-2012 Summary: Arizona Revised Statute (A.R.S.) - 41-2406, which became law in July 2005, requires the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) to compile information obtained from all Arizona disposition reporting forms on sexual assault (A.R.S. - 13-1406) and the false reporting of sexual assault involving a spouse (A.R.S. - 13-2907.03). The Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) provides the ACJC with the necessary records to meet the requirement. Utilizing DPS arrest and disposition data, ACJC is mandated to provide an annual sexual assault report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Secretary of State, and the Director of the Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records. The data used to complete this report are extracted by DPS from the Arizona Computerized Criminal History (ACCH) records system and provided to ACJC in January on an annual basis. By statute, local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and the courts are required to submit to the ACCH repository information on all arrests and subsequent case disposition information for felonies, sexual offenses, driving under the influence offenses, and domestic violence-related offenses. This report focuses on data from calendar years (CY) 2003 to 2012 and updates data reported in the CY2002 to 2011 report. The ACJC is required to report on law enforcement reporting, charge filings, and subsequent case disposition findings (specifically convictions) and sentencing of A.R.S. - 13-1406 sexual assault charges, A.R.S. - 13-1406.01 sexual assault involving a spouse charges, and - 13-2907.03 false reporting of sexual assault of a spouse charges. In addition to the mandatory sexual assault statutes, data in the report include A.R.S. - 13-1423 violent sexual assault arrest and disposition information reported to ACCH. The following summarizes some of the latest findings in year-over-year change from CY 2011 to CY 2012 for all sexual assault-related2 arrest and disposition information available in the ACCH: - The total number of arrests involving sexual assault increased from 277 in CY 2011 to 306 in CY 2012, and arrest charges also increased from 562 to 584 over the same period. A total of two arrests were made involving violent sexual assault in CY 2012, accounting for 14 violent sexual assault charges. - Over 99 percent of sexual assault-related arrestees in CY 2012 were male, an increase from 98.1 percent reported in CY 2011. The majority of arrestees continued to be white/Caucasian and under the age of 25. - Sexual assault-related arrests flagged for domestic violence increased from 33 arrests in CY 2011 to 42 arrests in CY 2012. - Convictions for sexual assault-related charges decreased from 219 in CY 2011 to 126 in CY 2012. Also in CY 2012, court dismissals outnumbered convictions at 132. - Convictions for sexual assault charges involving domestic violence remained unchanged at eight in CY 2011 and CY 2012; however, court dismissals rose from 10 to 28 during the same period. No convictions were reported for violent sexual assault and sexual assault involving a spouse charges in CY 2011 and CY 2012. - The percentage of sexual assault convictions that resulted in a sentence of probation fell from 85.4 percent in CY 2011 to 73.8 percent in CY 2012. The percentage of convictions that resulted in a sentence to prison fell from 51.1 percent in CY 2011 to 50.8 percent in CY 2012, and sentences to jail fell from 3.7 percent to 2.4 percent over the same period. Further, sentences were all, or in part, suspended for 45.2 percent of convictions in both CY 2011 and CY 2012. Details: Phoenix: Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, 2014. 43p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 30, 2016 at: http://www.azcjc.gov/ACJC.Web/Pubs/Home/2014%20ARS%2041-2406%20Report%20Final.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.azcjc.gov/ACJC.Web/Pubs/Home/2014%20ARS%2041-2406%20Report%20Final.pdf Shelf Number: 140089 Keywords: Crime StatisticsRapeSex CrimesSex OffendersSexual AssaultsSexual Violence |
Author: Cashmore, Judy Title: The Impact of Delayed Reporting on the Prosecution and Outcomes of Child Sexual Abuse Cases Summary: This report examines how the criminal justice systems in New South Wales and South Australia deal with complaints of child sexual abuse reported to the police in childhood compared with those in which the report is delayed until adulthood, which is often referred to as historical child sexual abuse. The research investigates the trends in delayed disclosure and reporting of child sexual abuse, and maps the prosecution process and outcomes associated with varying degrees of delay in reporting to the police, together with other case characteristics such as the age of the complainant victim, and the relationship between the complainant and the alleged offender. RESEARCH QUESTIONS The research focuses on the following questions: 1. What are the trends in recorded reports to police of historical child sexual abuse over a recent 20-year period compared with reports made during childhood in two Australian states - New South Wales and South Australia? 2. What are the trends in the number of prosecutions of cases of historical child sexual abuse over a recent 20-year period compared with child sexual abuse reported during childhood in two Australian states? 3. What factors - including characteristics of the complainant, the type of offence, the relationship between the complainant and the alleged offender, and the delay in reporting to police - are associated with the matter proceeding from a report to the police to prosecution? 4. What is the likelihood of cases reported in childhood and in adulthood resulting in conviction? 5. What factors (as above) are associated with the matter resulting in a conviction or not, and a custodial or other type of sentence? 6. Is there any difference in the rate of appeals, the grounds of appeals, and the outcome of appeals in cases in New South Wales: o where there are delayed complaints compared with cases reported in childhood? o that involved 'institutional' child sexual abuse compared with intra-familial cases of abuse and other extra-familial cases? Details: Sydney: University of Sydney Law School; Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, 2016. 311p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 7, 2016 at: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/e3312f1c-d58f-490d-a467-221684c050c9/The-impact-of-delayed-reporting-on-the-prosecution Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/e3312f1c-d58f-490d-a467-221684c050c9/The-impact-of-delayed-reporting-on-the-prosecution Shelf Number: 147893 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseProsecutionSex Offenders |
Author: D'Orazio, Deirdre Title: A Program Evaluation of In-Prison Components: The Colorado Department of Corrections Sex Offender Treatment and Monitoring Program Summary: This evaluation reviews the operation of the Colorado Department of Corrections Sex Offender Treatment and Management Program (SOTMP) against best practice standards based on the empirically-derived Risk, Need, Responsivity model for correctional programming. The foci of this evaluation are the prison-based features of the treatment program. It does not strive to evaluate the program features that are implemented in the community, however various points of intersect between the prison and outpatient components are commented upon. Readers should understand there are several important limitations to the current program evaluation including: - It does not include an evaluation of the program's effects on sexual recidivism. - It does not include evaluation of all components of the SOTMP (e.g. CTCF, DWCF, YOS, SCCF, Support Education, Community Transition Services). - The results of the program evaluation's research component are based upon a random sample of offenders currently participating in the in-prison treatment program (e.g. it does not include program graduates, program drop outs/removals or inmates on wait lists). - The information about and from the program and the on-site data collection that provides the foundation for the evaluation results were derived during the period 20 August, 2012 to 3 January, 2013. A few subsequent matters of clarification, terminology and increased accuracy resulted in the current draft dated 20 January, 2013. - While the study's objective is to assess the in-prison program features, it is acknowledged that the SOTMP is ensconced within a larger legislative framework including the mandates of the Sexual Offender Management Board. While not the focus of the study, certain areas of this framework greatly impact program efficacy and efficiency and therefore required comment. - Importantly, the scope of the evaluation is to identify areas of improvement. It does not strive to identify areas of strength. It should be noted that throughout this project the evaluation team received exceptional cooperation from the Colorado Department of Corrections. We were encouraged to provide unbiased and pragmatic feedback to the Department that can be used to improve this area of the Department's operation. The department is commended for its earnest approach to improving the delivery and outcome of its SOTMP. It is also important to note that several family members of inmates and advocacy groups provided helpful information to the evaluation team at a Town hall meeting and through written communication. Finally, the inmate treatment participants provided an essential cornerstone of information with a spirit of helpfulness that was of great assistance to the evaluation. Simply, the Risk Needs Responsivity (RNR) model indicates that the comprehensiveness, intensity and duration of treatment provided to individual offenders should be proportionate to the degree of risk that they present (the Risk principle), that treatment should be appropriately targeted at participant characteristics which contribute to their risk (the Need principle), and that treatment should delivered in a way that facilitates meaningful participation and learning (the Responsivity Principle). The results of this evaluation indicate the SOTMP does not adequately conform to the Risk principle of this model. To maximize resources and efficacy, the intensity of treatment should be made proportionate to the level of risk presented by offenders with lower risk offenders requiring significantly less treatment in prison than higher risk offenders. Colorado has a well-developed containment model program for the management of sexual offenders in the community under supervision. This should be sufficient to safely manage average and lower sexual risk offenders who are motivated and cooperative. Uncooperative offenders can be managed through revocation. Treatment in prison should be reserved for those who present above average risk and its purpose should be to moderate this risk to the level that can be managed in the community. Two specific models toward improving CO SOTMP's adherence to the Risk principle are articulated in the Conclusions and Recommendations section of the report. We suggest that either will contribute to a more efficient use of resources. One model will greatly reduce the number of sexual offenders requiring treatment in prison and so assist with the present miss-match of available resources and demand for treatment slots. Further, it is important that the program and parole board ally to expediently parole inmates whose level of risk can be sufficiently managed through community services. Details: [Paso Robles, Calif.?] : Central Coast Clinical and Psychology Services, Inc., 2013. 103p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2016 at: http://www.philcherner.com/Articles/CO%20SOTMP%20Program%20Evaluation%20Jan%2020%20(1).pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://www.philcherner.com/Articles/CO%20SOTMP%20Program%20Evaluation%20Jan%2020%20(1).pdf Shelf Number: 140274 Keywords: Correctional Treatment ProgramsSex Offender TreatmentSex Offenders |
Author: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Title: Harmful Sexual Behaviour Among Children and Young People Summary: This guideline covers children and young people who display harmful sexual behaviour, including those on remand or serving community or custodial sentences. It aims to ensure these problems don't escalate and possibly lead to them being charged with a sexual offence. It also aims to ensure no-one is unnecessarily referred to specialist services. 'Young people' refers mainly to those aged 10 to 18 but also includes people up to 25 with special educational needs or a disability. This guideline does not discuss people who have experienced sexual abuse. NICE will publish a guideline on child abuse and neglect in September 2017. Recommendations This guideline includes recommendations on: multi-agency approach and universal services early help assessment risk assessment for children and young people referred to harmful sexual behaviour services engaging with families and carers before an intervention begins developing and managing a care plan for children and young people displaying harmful sexual behaviour developing interventions for children and young people displaying harmful sexual behaviour supporting a return to the community for 'accommodated' children and young people Who is it for? Social workers, social and residential care practitioners and foster carers Child and adolescent harmful sexual behaviour and mental health services Neighbourhood and community support police officers and youth offending teams Schools and youth services National adolescent forensic services Primary care, sexual health, drug and alcohol services People who exhibit harmful sexual behaviour, their families and other members of the public. Details: London:The Institute, 2016. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 23, 2016 at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng55/resources/harmful-sexual-behaviour-among-children-and-young-people-1837514975173 Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng55/resources/harmful-sexual-behaviour-among-children-and-young-people-1837514975173 Shelf Number: 140436 Keywords: Child Sex OffendersSex OffendersYoung Adult Offenders |
Author: Lehmann, Robert J.B. Title: Using Crime Scene Behavior for Risk Assessment in Sexual Offenders Summary: Sexual offending represents an important judicial, clinical, and policy issue and tends to invoke considerable public concern. Recent meta-analytic research indicates that about 8% of men and 20% of women had suffered some form of sexual abuse prior to the age of 18 (Pereda, Guilera, Forns, & Gomez-Benito, 2009). Tjaden and Thoennes (2006) report a lifetime prevalence of rape in men of about 3% and in women of about 18%. Accordingly, courts, police, and forensic practitioners invest considerable resources in predicting and preventing sexual offending by known sexual offenders. In general, those involved in assessing an offender's risk for future sexual offending seek to collect diverse information about the offender and the offenses committed to inform their decisions. Furthermore, the importance of including crime scene information into forensic risk assessment (referred to as "risk assessment" from hereon) is emphasized throughout the literature (e.g., Beech, Fisher, & Thornton, 2003; West, 2000). In Germany, the analysis of crime scene behavior is an essential part of clinical-idiographic risk assessment (Rasch, 1999). Expert witnesses are implicitly required by law to explain an offender's risk by providing evidence from their crime scene behavior. Indeed, the courts have placed increasing demand on the analysis of an offender's crime scene behavior to date. Moreover, the analysis of an offender's criminal behavior following a clinical-idiographic approach (Dahle, 2005) is part of the minimum standards of risk assessment in Germany (Boetticher et al., 2007). In spite of the theoretical relevance of crime scene analysis (CSA) for risk assessment, there is little empirical evidence to support what crime scene behavior is most relevant for risk assessment. Therefore, the empirical analysis of the predictive accuracy of crime scene behaviors for the assessment of future sexual offending is needed. For example, whereas frequently used actuarial risk assessment methods rely heavily on the criminal history of an offender with only limited and a-theoretical inclusion of crime scene related variables, CSA could also be applied in cases where offenders have no such criminal history (i.e., first-time offenders) or where the criminal history is simply unknown (e.g., foreign offender). Furthermore, according to German regulations, risk assessment can only be completed using a clinical-idiographic risk assessment approach, which pays particular attention to the individual circumstances and characteristics (e.g., crime scene information) of a particular case. To provide for a scientific and controllable framework as well as for transparency, it is essential to structure the clinical-idiographic assessment content-wise and to follow specific methodological guidelines. In terms of the theoretical and empirical basis for the process of analyzing the crime scene behavior evaluators have to draw on, for example, general theories of criminality and social psychology or dated (non-validated) offender typologies. So far, there are no explicit guidelines or risk assessment instruments assisting the evaluator to structure the CSA or indicating what is the relevant information to include. Therefore, the possibilities for quality control (e.g., comprehensiveness, completeness) of the CSA are limited. To diagnose deviant sexual preferences diagnosticians often rely on the self-report assessment of the patients themselves. However, given the elevated risk associated with a diagnosis of a sexual paraphilia, patients may have a tendency for dissimulation. To overcome this problem researchers have recently suggested the use of behavioral indicators derived from a person's criminal history as a complementary method for diagnosing sexual paraphilia (Nitschke, Mokros, Osterheider, & Marshall, 2012). In addition to being a useful complement for the clinical diagnosis of sexual paraphilia, crime scene behavior could generally provide potentially rich information about other enduring offender propensities as well. These propensities (e.g., whether a sexual offense was motivated by general antisocial behavior or sexualized aggression) could have important implications for risk assessment, offender treatment, and police investigations. They could help therapists to identify the important clinical phenomena evident in the offense behavior or could inform risk assessment for police investigations in cases where the offender has yet to be identified (e.g., behavioral investigative advice). Altogether, crime scene information is an important and understudied factor that might be a valid contribution to risk assessment as well as for other applied contexts (e.g., the delivery of treatment services). Crime scene information is valuable as it is a more objective measure of what the offender actually did, and is not dependent on self-report. Also, it should commonly be available and easily assessable by the analysis of victim statements, police reports, and court decisions. However, to date no systematic and theory-based empirical evaluation is available that tries to identify the relevant crime scene information to be included into a comprehensive risk assessment. Details: Berlin: Freie Universitat Berlin, 2014. 83p. Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed September 28, 2016 at: http://www.diss.fu-berlin.de/diss/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/FUDISS_derivate_000000015568/Lehmann.Robert.diss.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Germany URL: http://www.diss.fu-berlin.de/diss/servlets/MCRFileNodeServlet/FUDISS_derivate_000000015568/Lehmann.Robert.diss.pdf Shelf Number: 146119 Keywords: Crime AnalysisCrime ScenesCriminal InvestigationRisk AssessmentSex Offenders |
Author: Pedneault, Amelie Title: Risk Assessment of Sex and Kidnapping Offenders: A Review of Practices and Training Needs in Washington State Summary: In Washington State, sexual and kidnapping offenders who return to the community after a conviction or at the end of their incarceration must register with their local law enforcement agency. Each agency is required to classify offenders on their sexual re-offense risk within the community at large; Level 1 represents a low level of sexual risk, Level 2 poses a moderate risk, and Level 3 a high risk (RCW 4.24.550 section 6b). The determination of offenders' risk level should consider the recommendation made by the Department of Corrections, Department of Social and Health Services, and End of Sentence Review Committee (RCW 4.24.550 section 6a). It is also possible for an agency to conduct their own application of a risk assessment tool, and other pertinent information about aggravating or mitigating factors when determining an offender's risk level (RCW 4.24.550 section 6a). The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs has written a model policy to assist law enforcement agencies in the development of their own policies and procedures regarding sex offender registration and community notification (RCW 4.24.5501). While agencies can mold their operating policies and procedures on this model, they still have discretion to develop their own. As a result, their processes differ. In order to gain insight into the processes followed in agencies throughout Washington State, an online survey of law enforcement agencies was conducted. The present study has two aims: 1. Review and summarize the risk assignment procedures with which law enforcement agencies throughout Washington State assign a level of risk to sexual offenders. Specifically, the following aspects of the risk assignment process are reviewed: - Tools and materials considered; - Existence of an initial risk level classification appeal process; - Obstacles to timely risk assignments; - Specific procedure applicable when assigning a risk level to juvenile offenders. 2. Review and summarize training opportunities that are pertinent to assignment of risk for sexual offenders. The following two aspects of risk assignment training are reviewed: - Current opportunities to participate in training activities; - Training needs. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Office of Financial Management, 2016. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 12, 2016 at: http://www.ofm.wa.gov/sgc/sopb/meetings/board/2016/09/rso_coordinator_report_edits.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.ofm.wa.gov/sgc/sopb/meetings/board/2016/09/rso_coordinator_report_edits.pdf Shelf Number: 140684 Keywords: KidnappersPolice Education and TrainingRisk AssessmentSex Offenders |
Author: National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings and Sexual Violence against Children Title: Child Sexual Abuse on Trial. Part 1: The Cases Summary: Sexual abuse of children is present in multiple differing forms, so it is impossible to sketch a profile of the typical child molester. Clearly, however, the popular image of a child molester is not supported by the facts. Contrary to the stereotype of the offender as a stranger, the perpetrators of hands-on sexual abuse of children are usually known to the victim: a family member, friend or acquaintance. Furthermore, it is not only adults that commit the abuse: one in six offenders is a minor. The assumption impression that perpetrators often abuse many victims also needs to be rectified: most offenders are convicted of abusing a single child. National Rapporteur Corinne Dettmeijer: 'It is one of the greatest fears of parents that their child will one day be the victim of sexual abuse. Many parents warn their children about child molesters and are on their guard with respect to contact between their child and the man at the day-care centre or the swimming pool, for example. To focus so much on strangers and men who work with children is to overlook a great many victims and offenders.' The study shows that only a small proportion of victims (7%) are abused by a total stranger. In the vast majority of cases, the perpetrator is a member of the victim's own family or circle of friends and acquaintances. Abuse by a person who works with children, such as a teacher, a sports coach or a babysitter certainly occurs, but only in a minority of cases (10%). The abuse is most often committed by a person who is very close to the victim. In no fewer than 36% of cases, for example, the perpetrator is a member of the child's family. The nature of the abuse This first part of the study focuses on the nature of the abuse and the characteristics of the perpetrators and victims in the cases that were analysed. Almost nine out of ten of the convictions involved serious sexual abuse, including touching of the genitals and penetration. In most cases, the abuse did not occur just once: in more than three-quarters of the cases the abuse had continued for more than one day, over periods ranging from a few days to twelve years. More than one in ten victims suffered the abuse for a period of four years or longer. Most perpetrators abuse a single victim The National Rapporteur refutes the stereotypical impression that perpetrators have more than one victim: 78% of the perpetrators were convicted of sexual abuse of a single victim. The offenders varied greatly in age, from minors to the very elderly. One in six offenders was a minor at the time he or she committed the offence. There were practically no female perpetrators in the study. In 97% of the cases studied, the convicted offenders were men. Victims are usually girls The study also provides insight into the victims of child sexual abuse. In most cases (85%), the victim was a girl. The average age of the victims when the abuse began was 10.4 years. Scarcely any of the victims in the judgments that were studied were below the age of four. Research and follow-up The study was based on a sample taken from almost 600 judgments in 2012 and 2013 in which an offender was convicted of hands-on abuse of a child. The sample comprised 182 perpetrators. The charges in the cases were brought under the following articles of the Dutch Criminal Code: Article 244 DCC (sexual penetration of a child under the age of twelve); Article 245 DCC (sexual penetration of a child between the ages of twelve and sixteen); Article 247 (indecent acts with a child under the age of 16) Article 249(1) (indecent acts with a minor entrusted to the offender's care). Details: The Hague: National Rapporteur, 2016. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2016 at: https://www.dutchrapporteur.nl/binaries/bnrm-child-sexual-abuse-on-trial-def_tcm64-623336_tcm24-56551.PDF Year: 2016 Country: Netherlands URL: https://www.dutchrapporteur.nl/binaries/bnrm-child-sexual-abuse-on-trial-def_tcm64-623336_tcm24-56551.PDF Shelf Number: 145002 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild Sexual AbuseRapeSex Offenders |
Author: Harris, Andrew Title: Law Enforcement Perspectives on Sex Offender Registration and Notification: Supplemental Report on Open-Ended Responses on Policy Recommendations Summary: The data presented in this report are drawn from a national survey, administered online in the spring of 2015, as the second part of a two-phase national study to elicit law enforcement perspectives on the functions, utility, and operation of sex offender registration and notification systems in the United States. The study's first phase featured a series of semi-structured interviews conducted in 2014 with 105 law enforcement professionals in five states and two tribal jurisdictions. Items for this survey were developed based on themes, experiences, and perspectives emerging from those interviews. The survey was administered through the services of Campbell Rinker, a marketing research and survey firm. Participants were invited to complete the survey via targeted email outreach, utilizing a nationwide commercial list of 8,840 police chiefs and command staff and a list of 2,921 county sheriffs obtained from the National Sheriffs Association. Following initial outreach, prospective respondents were contacted through three waves of follow-up. The survey was open for five weeks between April and May of 2015. The transmittal email included details on the survey scope and purpose, and a link to the survey. Respondents were informed that the survey was intended for completion by agency leadership (e.g., police chiefs, sheriffs), personnel involved in sex offender registration and management, and specialized personnel involved in sex crime investigations. The survey items presented to each respondent varied, with piping logic based on stated agency functions, respondent roles, and jurisdictional characteristics. Respondent and agency characteristics of the survey sample are summarized on pages 2-4 in the initial survey. The final sample included representation from 49 states (all states with the exception of Hawaii), and from the District of Columbia. 60.0% of the survey sample came from local police departments, 39.3% from county sheriffs, and the remainder (<1%) from other types of agencies including state law enforcement agencies. Respondents were fairly evenly divided among senior agency command staff (34.9% of the sample), line-level commanders and supervisors (29.8%), and line-level staff (35.3% total, consisting of 26.6% uniform and 8.7% civilian). The initial survey results report, issued in August of 2015, provided the tabulated statistics for the survey’s structured items. This report presents the results of the survey's unstructured (open-response) items, particularly those related to law enforcement recommendations related to policy priorities. The first peer-reviewed analysis and discussion of survey results was published online ahead of print in Criminal Justice Policy Review in June 2016, and is available at this link Details: Lowell, MA: University of Massachusetts Lowell, 2016. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 21, 2016 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/250114.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/250114.pdf Shelf Number: 147854 Keywords: Sex Offender Notification LawsSex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: Huebner, Beth Title: Missouri Sex Offender Fail to Register Predictive Model Summary: The criminal justice system treats offenders who have committed crimes of a sexual nature much differently than virtually any other type of offender (Edwards & Hensley, 2001). Due to the especially heinous nature of crimes committed by sex offenders, preventing reoffending is especially important to ensuring the safety of the public. A broad scope of legislation has been passed with the goal of controlling the sex offender population. The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), Title I of the Adam Walsh Act, became law in 2006. SORNA established baseline criteria for jurisdictions to follow pertaining to their registration and monitoring of sex offenders. An emerging body of literature concerning the efficacy of registration requirements suggests they have done little to reduce sexual reoffending (Tewksbury & Jennings, 2010; Huebner et al., 2014). By comparison, much less is known about the factors that influence compliance with these laws among sex offender populations. With few exceptions (Levenson, Ackerman, & Harris, 2014), the extant literature has only started to focus on the factors associated with an increased likelihood of absconding or violating registration agreements. The current project aims to determine the characteristics most useful in predicting compliance with sex offender registry requirements among a sample of registered sex offenders in Missouri. Details: Jefferson City, MO: Missouri State Highway Patrol, Statistical Analysis Center, 2016. 26p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 19, 2016 at: http://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/SAC/pdf/Missouri%20State%20Highway%20Patrol%20and%20UMSL%20Sex%20Offender%20Project.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/MSHPWeb/SAC/pdf/Missouri%20State%20Highway%20Patrol%20and%20UMSL%20Sex%20Offender%20Project.pdf Shelf Number: 147759 Keywords: Sex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: Fisher, Leah R. Title: Washington Residents' Perceptions of Sex Offenders and Sex Offender Policies Summary: Largely feared by the public, sex offenders are often seen as some of the most heinous criminals. Throughout the years, this fear has often been met with legal sanctions and legislation at local and federal levels. While well intentioned, these policies have often been found to be based on misinformation and unfounded assumptions, leading to overall ineffectiveness (Cohen & Jeglic, 2007; Zevitz & Farkas, 2000; Zandbergen & Hart, 2006). The most recent federal legislative response to sex offenses is the Adam Walsh Act of 2006 (AWA); Title 1, the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, is commonly referred to as SORNA. SORNA regulates the community notification and registration requirement for states to protect further victimization of children. This is done by requiring states to implement and adhere to specific standards outlined by SORNA. The most widely known SORNA standard is tiering of offenders, which requires that all convicted sex offenders be placed in Tier 1, Tier 2 or Tier 3, based on their offense of conviction. Tier assignment determines registration requirements, and all offenders in the same tier are subject to the same duration of registration and frequency of in-person verification. In many cases, tier assignment will also help jurisdictions determine what level of community notification an offender is subjected to. SORNA requires registration information for all sex offenders to be made available online. It also requires jurisdictions to update registration information within three business days and provide email notices to appropriate parties when an offender moves to a new location, begins employment or starts attending school. Currently, Washington assigns levels to offenders based on an evidence-based risk assessment. That level then determines frequency of in-person verification. Conversely, duration of registration is based on offense class, with more serious offenses requiring longer periods of registration. Therefore, the implementation of SORNA tiering would require a major policy change. Washington legislators and policy makers recognize that such a major change in the management of sex offenders would need to be approached in a way that ensures public understanding. To do this, it is key to understand the perceptions of Washington residents that may underlie support for Washington's registration and notification policies. Moreover, it is important to understand the knowledge base of citizens so education can be provided in the most effective way possible. This will make a potential policy transition smoother, allowing convicted sex offenders the opportunity to reintegrate as it leads to a more informed citizenry. Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Statistical Analysis Center, 2016. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 19, 2016 at: http://sac.ofm.wa.gov/sites/default/files/public/pdf/perceptions_brief.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://sac.ofm.wa.gov/sites/default/files/public/pdf/perceptions_brief.pdf Shelf Number: 147758 Keywords: Risk AssessmentSex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: Krone, Tony Title: Trajectories in online child sexual exploitation offending in Australia Summary: Although the full extent and nature of the sexual exploitation of children is only beginning to be recognised, it is a problem of global significance that requires strong and effective responses. The extent to which the viewing of child exploitation material (CEM) is linked to involvement in producing such material, sharing it and using it to groom and then assault children is a key concern. Most such material is held online, and it is important to understand how offenders use the internet to access CEM and to groom children for sexual exploitation. This exploratory study examines data relating to a sample of offenders convicted of online child sexual exploitation offences under Australian Commonwealth law, to determine how online forms of child sexual exploitation and offline child sexual exploitation, or contact offending, are related. The majority of offenders in this study appeared to commit only online offences, although in a minority of cases there was a connection between exploitative material, grooming and contact offending. This study is an important early step in improving our understanding of offenders and points to the need for further assessment of the nature of online child sexual exploitation and its relationship to other forms of sexual and violent offences. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2017. 13p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 524: Accessed February 1, 2017 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi524.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi524.pdf Shelf Number: 145098 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual ExploitationComputer Crimes Internet Crimes Online VictimizationSex Offenders |
Author: Davis, Robert C. Title: Effects of SB1636 on Processing and Dispositions of Sexual Assault Cases in Texas Summary: The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of SB1636 upon reporting and processing of sexual assault cases in Texas. Texas was one of the first states to enact legislation mandating universal DNA testing of sexual assault kits (SAKs). In addition to requiring testing of SAKs in all cases going forward, the 2011 statute also required law enforcement agencies across the state to report how many SAKs remained untested in their custody by October 15, 2011, and to submit all such evidence connected to an active criminal case to the Department of Public Safety (DPS) or another accredited public laboratory. DPS, in turn, was tasked with developing DNA profiles and uploading them to the state and federal DNA databases to determine if a link could be found to an offender or to another case. The Police Foundation in collaboration with partners National Center for Victims of Crime and the Joyful Heart Foundation assessed the impact of Texas Senate Bill 1636 with funds from the Communities Foundation of Texas. We sought to determine the extent to which the policy of testing all SAKs is producing the benefits expected by advocates such as increased reporting of sexual assaults; increased identification of serial offenders, and increased rates for arrest, prosecution, and conviction. We also examined strains on the criminal justice system that result from (a) testing previously untested SAKs from cases arising prior to August, 2011 and (b) universal testing of all SAKs going forward. The assessment used a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods at both state and local levels to assess the impacts of the Texas universal testing law. At the state level, we worked with DPS and state DNA laboratories to examine trends over time in criminal justice indicators (arrests, prosecutions, and convictions), state lab workloads and efficiency, and number of serial rapists identified. We also examined the result of DNA testing for the archival cases – the proportion that resulted in CODIS hits and the proportion of those hits that were useful in investigations. At the local level, we collected descriptive statistics on sexual assault case characteristics and criminal justice system outcomes, including arrests, charge filings, and convictions. Anecdotal accounts suggested that the impact of the universal testing law varied across different municipalities according to the size of SAK backlogs and previous policies regarding testing. In our research, therefore, we examined the experiences of four cities in Texas (Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, and Austin) that each had had different experiences with implementing the universal testing law. We supplemented the quantitative data with interviews with sexual assault detectives, prosecutors, advocates and state and local laboratory administrators. Principal findings from the study included the following: • We did not find an impact of SB1636 on reporting or arrests in sexual assault cases statewide or in the four study sites. We did not see any evidence that SB1636 increased the number of sexual assault cases reported in Texas, the proportion of cases resulting in arrest, or the proportion of court cases resulting in conviction. Sexual assault reports and arrests trended gradually downward over the period of time we studied (both statewide and in the three local counties examined). Arrest and conviction rates were essentially flat during the time period. Of course, there are many confounding factors, other than SB1636, that may have influenced these trends over this period of time. In this case, however, our analyses suggest that SB1636 has not affected sexual assault reports or arrests. • While DPS received over 19,000 archived SAKs from law enforcement agencies across the state, the kits have come from just 156 of the 2,100 agencies in Texas. SB1636 did not contain provisions for enforcement of the requirement to submit kits untested at the time the law took effect in August/2011. Fortunately, the largest agencies in the state have submitted archived SAKs for testing. While many of the smaller agencies may see few sexual assault cases, and the smallest may not see any, the numbers suggest that compliance with this provision of SB1636 was low. • The impact of SB1636 on workloads so far has varied among various parts of local criminal justice systems. The requirement of SB1636 that all current SAKs be tested is having a significant impact on the workloads of local and state DNA labs, less on local police, and least on prosecutors. The requirement that archived SAKs be tested is starting to have a significant effect on police agencies, but (so far) minimal effect on district attorney workloads. Looking across sites, we see similarities in how they have adapted to SB1636. First of all, the heaviest burden of SB1636 has fallen on local crime labs. The requirement that all kits going forward be tested coincided with substantial increases in lab workloads and turnaround time. (The exact amount of the increase due to SB1636 is hard to determine because of other confounding factors including trends toward more DNA evidence being collected in sexual assault cases by SANEs and a statute requiring DNA testing of all evidence in capital cases.) Fort Worth and Dallas have had to adopt new methods of prioritizing cases as turnaround time has increased to unacceptably high levels. The Arlington Police Department switched local DNA labs to reduce the higher costs it was experiencing as a result of the increase in samples tested. Sexual assault investigator workloads have also been affected by SB1636 mainly through the requirement that older untested kits be submitted for laboratory analysis. This is true both because of the effort required in the process of inventorying pre-August/2011 kits and because of the time needed to review cases, contact victims, and investigate cases where CODIS hits are returned. Only Arlington, which has not yet had CODIS hits returned, has escaped much of this work temporarily. Being the furthest downstream, prosecutors have been least affected by SB1636, either from the requirement that pre-August/2011 cases be tested or that all sexual assault cases be tested going forward. • So far, it looks like roughly 10% of CODIS hits, or 1-5% of all pre-August/2011 cases submitted by local agencies for DNA testing have resulted in an arrest. We expect that there will be convictions in most of the arrest cases. The testing process for the cohort of pre-August/2011 SAKs is well advanced in Dallas and in Fort Worth. In both of these cities, we were able to calculate initial estimates of the proportion of CODIS hits from the cohort that result in arrest. In Fort Worth, it was 14%, in Dallas 4%. These are not final figures and, even in Dallas and Fort Worth, it is too early to estimate prosecutions and convictions stemming from these SAKs. In Austin, CODIS hits have just recently started coming back and in Arlington they will still be a while in coming. A new grant from the National Institute of Justice will allow us to continue to track the CODIS hits and determine the number of cases in which serial rapists are identified and the number that result in convictions over the next year and a half. • Overall, criminal justice officials support universal testing requirement of SB1636 In general, criminal justice officials spoke in positive terms about the statute. This was especially true of prosecutors, who believed that the SB1636 would result in more identification of serial rapists and more convictions. Of course, prosecutors are also the group of officials whose workload is least affected by the statute. Some police investigators felt that the law went too far in taking away from police the discretion not to test in cases where testing was not probative – cases in which a consensual defense was mounted, cases in which a guilty plea had already been entered, or cases in which victims refused to cooperate. Some officials supportive of the law also argued that jurisdictions ought to receive state funds to cover the increased costs they were experiencing. Details: Washington, DC: Police Foundation, 2017. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 15, 2017 at: https://www.policefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/PF_Effects-of-SB1636-on-Processing-and-Dispositions-of-Sexual-Assault-Cases-in-Texas_2.8.17.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.policefoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/PF_Effects-of-SB1636-on-Processing-and-Dispositions-of-Sexual-Assault-Cases-in-Texas_2.8.17.pdf Shelf Number: 141038 Keywords: Case Processing Prosecution Rape Sex OffendersSex Offenses Sexual Assaults |
Author: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Title: Analysis of claims of child sexual abuse made with respect to Catholic Church institutions Summary: The Royal Commission has conducted a comprehensive survey of Catholic Church authorities in Australia to gather data about the extent of claims of child sexual abuse made against Catholic Church personnel. A significant proportion of the people who contacted the Royal Commission made allegations of child sexual abuse occurring in Catholic Church institutions. At the time this report was published, of all people who attended a private session with a Commissioner, 37% reported abuse occurring in Catholic Church institutions Analysis of claims data provides detailed information about claims of child sexual abuse, including information about where the alleged abuse occurred and when it occurred. The claims data also provides information about the people who made claims of child sexual abuse and the alleged perpetrators who were subject to the claims of child sexual abuse. Finally, the claims data provides comprehensive information about aspects of the institutional response to claims of child sexual abuse, including the outcome of claims for redress Details: Sydney: The Commission, 2017. 282p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 28, 2017 at: http://apo.org.au/files/Resource/analysis-of-claims-of-child-sexual-abuse-with-respect-to-catholic-church-institutions-in-australia_february_20_-2017.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Australia URL: http://apo.org.au/files/Resource/analysis-of-claims-of-child-sexual-abuse-with-respect-to-catholic-church-institutions-in-australia_february_20_-2017.pdf Shelf Number: 141250 Keywords: Catholic ChurchChild AbuseChild Sexual AbuseSex Offenders |
Author: Tasmania. Department of Justice, Sentencing Advisory Council. Title: Mandatory Treatment for Sex Offenders Summary: The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to better protecting the most vulnerable in our community and ensuring sex offenders take responsibility for their crimes and their rehabilitation. The Sentencing Advisory Council (SAC) has now completed its Research Paper No. 1: Mandatory Treatment for Sex Offenders, as part of its referral from the Government in 2015 regarding mandatory treatment for sex, drug and alcohol offenders. The Tasmanian community has been appalled at past revelations that serious sex offenders could elect not to take part in any treatment or rehabilitation while in jail. The Government shares the community concern and has acted on it, with a Bill to amend the Corrections Act 1997 passing the Parliament in 2015 requiring that sex offender treatment to be taken into consideration in parole and remission decisions. The SAC Paper considers mandatory treatment for sex offenders in prison and in the community, including justifications for creating a mandatory treatment regime and the legal mechanisms that may be used for this purpose. As this is a research paper it does not provide specific recommendations, but does consider options to expand the current requirements for treatment for sex offenders in Tasmania. Details: Hobart: The Sentencing Advisory Council, 2016. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Research Paper No. 1: Accessed March 2, 2017 at: http://www.sentencingcouncil.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/368722/SAC_Research_Paper_-_Mandatory_treatment_for_sex_offenders_-_November_2016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://www.sentencingcouncil.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/368722/SAC_Research_Paper_-_Mandatory_treatment_for_sex_offenders_-_November_2016.pdf Shelf Number: 141299 Keywords: Sex Offender TreatmentSex Offenders |
Author: Tasmania. Department of Justice, Sentencing Advisory Council. Title: Mandatory Sentencing for Serious Sex Offences against Children Summary: The Sentencing Advisory Council investigated the implementation in Tasmania of mandatory minimum sentencing for serious sex offences against children following a request from the Attorney-General. It released its final report on 15 November 2016. The report is divided into 2 Parts: Part A examines objections to the implementation of a mandatory minimum sentencing scheme in Tasmania and reiterates an earlier Council recommendation that such a scheme not be introduced in Tasmania. Part B discusses the implementation of a mandatory scheme and provides preliminary advice on the structure and coverage of a mandatory scheme, and levels of mandatory minimum sentences. Details: Hobart: The Sentencing Advisory Council, 2016. 128p. Source: Internet Resource: Final Report no. 7: Accessed March 3, 2017 at: http://www.sentencingcouncil.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/360999/2016_SAC_Mandatory_Sentencing_Final_Report-Web.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Australia URL: http://www.sentencingcouncil.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/360999/2016_SAC_Mandatory_Sentencing_Final_Report-Web.pdf Shelf Number: 141306 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseMandatory SentencesSex Offenders |
Author: U.S. Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs. Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) Title: Global Survey of Sex Offender Registration and Notification Systems Summary: Sex offender registration and notification systems have proliferated around the world over the last twenty years. After the United States' first national-level sex offender registration law was passed in 1994, 29 additional countries have enacted sex offender registration laws. A handful of these systems are more analogous to what would be considered a CHRI (criminal history record information) database as opposed to a 'registry', but are included in this overview for the sake of thoroughness. The following countries have laws governing sex offender registration systems at the national and/or provincial level: Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, France, Germany, India, the Republic of Ireland, Jamaica, Kenya, Maldives, Malta, New Zealand, Nigeria, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom and Commonwealth Nations (Bermuda, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey, and the Pitcairn Islands), and the United States. The following countries have considered or are considering sex offender registration and notification laws, but such laws have not yet passed: Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Cayman Islands, Fiji, Finland, Hong Kong, Israel, Malaysia, Poland, Samoa, St. Lucia, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, and Zimbabwe. What follows in this SMART Summary is a brief snapshot of the sex offender registration and notification laws in each of the countries that have enacted such provisions, sequenced in chronological order of the first country in a continent or region to implement such laws. Statutory references, where available, are provided. In addition, the footnotes contain additional references which might assist the reader in finding out more detailed information about the countries' sex offender registration and notification provisions. As this is a rapidly developing area of the law, and many statutes have not been officially translated into English, the reader is encouraged to check for the current versions of any nation's provisions and consult official translations, rather than relying solely on this SMART Summary. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2016. 32p. Source: Internet Resource: SMART Summary: Accessed march 4, 2017 at: https://smart.gov/pdfs/global-survey-2016-final.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: https://smart.gov/pdfs/global-survey-2016-final.pdf Shelf Number: 141339 Keywords: Sex Offender Notification SystemsSex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: Ciacci, Riccardo Title: The Effect of Indoor Prostitution on Sex Crime: Evidence from New York City Summary: We use a unique data set to study the effect of indoor prostitution establishments on sex crimes. We built a daily panel from January 1, 2004 to June 30, 2012 with the exact location of police stops for sex crimes and the day of opening and location of indoor prostitution establishments. We find that indoor prostitution decreases sex crime with no effect on other types of crime. We argue that the reduction is mostly driven by potential sex offenders that become customers of indoor prostitution establishments. We also rule out other mechanisms such as an increase in the number of police officers and a reduction of potential victims in areas where these businesses opened. In addition, results are robust to different data sources and measures of sex crimes apart from police stops. Details: Unpublished paper, 2016. 33p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2017: Accessed march 9, 2017 at: http://www.micaelasviatschi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/sex_crimeNYC.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.micaelasviatschi.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/sex_crimeNYC.pdf Shelf Number: 144388 Keywords: Prostitutes Prostitution Sex Crimes Sex OffendersSex Workers |
Author: Tasmania. Department of Justice, Sentencing Advisory Council. Title: Sex Offence Sentencing Final Report Summary: The Sentencing Advisory Council's Final Report on Sex Offence Sentencing has been prepared by the Council following the raising of concerns that sentencing for sexual offences in Tasmania was out of step with sentencing for comparable offences in other Australian jurisdictions and/or community standards and expectations. The terms of reference asked the Council to report on existing sentencing practices in the Tasmanian Supreme Court regarding sex offences and to provide advice on how to address any inadequacies. The Council was also asked to gauge public opinion on this matter. The research and public responses have been incorporated into this final report which makes 15 recommendations Details: Hobart: Sentencing Advisory Council, 2015. 128p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2017 at: http://www.sentencingcouncil.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/325054/1832_SAC_sex_offenders_report_Access2.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Australia URL: http://www.sentencingcouncil.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/325054/1832_SAC_sex_offenders_report_Access2.pdf Shelf Number: 144432 Keywords: SentencingSex OffendersSex Offenses |
Author: International Centre for Missing & Exploited Chidlren Title: Child Pornography: Model Legislation & Global Review. 7th edition Summary: Since this report was first released by the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) in April 2006, ICMEC has continued to update its research into the child pornography legislation currently in place in the nations of the world to gain a better understanding of existing legislation and to gauge where the issue stands on national political agendas.1 In particular, we are looking to see if national legislation: (1) exists with specific regard to child pornography; (2) provides a definition of child pornography; (3) criminalizes computer‐facilitated offenses; (4) criminalizes the knowing possession of child pornography, regardless of the intent to distribute; and (5) requires Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to report suspected child pornography to law enforcement or to some other mandated agency. In the summer of 2009, ICMEC conducted a thorough update of our research on existing child pornography legislation, expanding our review beyond the 187 Interpol member countries to include 196 countries. Our work included independent research as well as direct contact with Embassies in Washington, D.C. to ensure the accuracy of the report. A new review of the 196 countries began in the Spring of 2011. The process remained much the same; reviewing the existing legislation of each country in search of laws specifically focused on child pornography offenses and verifying the information through the Embassies in Washington, D.C., U.N. Permanent Missions in New York, and in‐country law enforcement contacts. However, the 7th edition report also contains several new sections including expanded information on online grooming, information on the new EU Directive on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography, a review of data retention and preservation policies, and a discussion of implementation. Results The 1st edition, published in 2006, returned shocking results: -- only 27 had legislation sufficient to combat child pornography offenses (5 countries met all of the criteria set forth above and 22 countries met all but the last criteria, pertaining to ISP reporting); and -- 95 Countries had no legislation at all that specifically addresses child pornography. Of the remaining 62 Countries that did have legislation specifically addressing child pornography:-- 54 Countries did not define child pornography in national legislation;-- 27 Countries did not provide for computer‐facilitated offenses; and-- 41 Countries did not criminalize possession of child pornography, regardless of the intent to distribute. The 6th edition, published in late 2010, revealed progress. Of the 196 countries reviewed:-- 45 Countries had legislation sufficient to combat child pornography offenses (8 countries met all of the criteria set forth above and 37 countries met all but the last criteria, pertaining to ISP reporting); and-- 89 Countries still had no legislation at all that specifically addresses child pornography. Of the remaining 62 countries that did have legislation specifically addressing child pornography:-- 52 did not define child pornography in national legislation;-- 18 did not provide for computer‐facilitated offenses; and-- 33 did not criminalize the knowing possession of child pornography, regardless of the intent to distribute. Forward movement continues to be visible in this edition, though much remains to be done. Our updated research shows that of the 196 countries reviewed:-- 69 Countries have legislation sufficient to combat child pornography offenses (11 countries met all of the criteria set forth above and 58 countries meet all but the last criteria, pertaining to ISP reporting); and-- 53 Countries still have no legislation at all that specifically addresses child pornography. Of the remaining 74 countries that do have legislation specifically addressing child pornography:-- 60 do not define child pornography in national legislation;-- 21 do not provide for computer‐facilitated offenses; and-- 47 do not criminalize the knowing possession of child pornography, regardless of the intent to distribute. Details: Alexandria, VA: The Centre, 2012. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2017 at: http://www.icmec.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/7th-Edition-EN.pdf Year: 2012 Country: International URL: http://www.icmec.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/7th-Edition-EN.pdf Shelf Number: 131374 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual ExploitationChildren, Crimes AgainstInternet CrimesOnline GroomingOrganized CrimeSex CrimesSex Offenders |
Author: Krone, Tony Title: Online Child Sexual Exploitation Offenders: A Study of Australian Law Enforcement Data Summary: Children are among the most vulnerable members of our society and need our nurture, care and protection, yet too many children around the world experience some form of child abuse. The exploitation of children for sexual purposes, in which children are used as commodities for the sexual pleasure of adults, is particularly heinous. Child sexual exploitation (CSE) is a global problem that demands strong and effective responses. The full extent and nature of the problem, both historically and currently, is only now beginning to be recognised. The reality of child sexual exploitation within families, in institutions and elsewhere must be confronted. Evidence tells us that intrafamilial sexual exploitation of children has been, and remains, a major problem. The reality - of exploitation by offenders who are known to their child victims - runs counter to the perceived danger presented by strangers. The focus on the danger presented by strangers appears to have been part of a collective denial of the reality of exploitation committed by those entrusted with the care of children. A key concern for those working to address this problem is to determine how the viewing of child exploitation material (CEM) is linked to involvement in the production and sharing of such material, or its use in the grooming of children for sexual purposes or the commission of further sexual assaults on children. Most CEM is held online; it is therefore important to understand how offenders inhabit and use the internet to groom children for sexual purposes. This exploratory study examines data related to a sample of offenders convicted of online child sexual exploitation offences under Australian Commonwealth law, to determine the relationship between offline or contact offences and online CSE offending. In this sample, most CEM offenders appeared to commit only online offences, although there did appear to be a connection between CEM, grooming and contact offending in a minority of cases. This study is an important early step in improving our understanding of Commonwealth online CSE offenders. It points to the need to further assess the nature of online CSE and its relationship to other forms of sexual and violent offences. Details: Canberra: Criminology Research advisory Council, 2017. 78p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 2, 2017 at: http://crg.aic.gov.au/reports/1617/58-1213-FinalReport.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Australia URL: http://crg.aic.gov.au/reports/1617/58-1213-FinalReport.pdf Shelf Number: 145903 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual ExploitationComputer Crimes Internet Crimes Online GroomingOnline VictimizationSex Offenders |
Author: Shlonsky, Aron Title: Rapid evidence assessment: Current best evidence in the therapeutic treatment of children with problem or harmful sexual behaviours, and children who have sexually offended Summary: Sexually harmful behaviour is not limited to the sexual abuse of children by adults. It includes sexually problematic and harmful behaviour by other children. While the prevalence of sexually harmful behaviour by children is difficult to establish, emerging and ongoing research indicates that it is a significant problem that represents a substantial proportion of sexual harm to children. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse commissioned this evidence review to identify current best evidence about the effectiveness and content of programs and practices, in Australia and internationally, aimed at treating children with problem sexual behaviour (aged under 10), harmful sexual behaviour (aged 10-17), and children who have sexually offended (aged 10-17). This report details the systematic methods used to locate and synthesise the evidence, the results of this process, and their implications for practice and policy in Australia. Details: Sydney: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, 2017. 114p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 5, 2017 at: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/de93ff4d-649a-4105-8ed7-b32dd00ad04b/Therapeutic-treatment-of-children-with-problem-or Year: 2017 Country: Australia URL: http://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/getattachment/de93ff4d-649a-4105-8ed7-b32dd00ad04b/Therapeutic-treatment-of-children-with-problem-or Shelf Number: 145916 Keywords: Juvenile Sex OffendersSex Offender Treatment ProgramsSex Offenders |
Author: Children's Commissioner for England Title: Investigating Child Sexual Abuse: The Length of Criminal Investigations Summary: Increased reports of sexual offences are placing a significant demand on police, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), local authority children's services departments, the criminal and family courts, and specialist voluntary sector services for victims and survivors. Investigations by Police and children's services into child sexual abuse are life-changing for victims. Where capacity is stretched to meet the increasing demand on resources for investigations, there is a risk that cases will take even longer to resolve, exacerbating the trauma experienced by children and their families. Given this concern, the Children's Commissioner's Office has examined the length of criminal justice processes in child sexual abuse (CSA) cases. The Commissioner has used Home Office data from 18 police forces and national data from the CPS to investigate the timescales involved in CSA cases in England between 2012/13 and 2015/161, from the point of initial report to finalisation in court. This report finds that The investigative process for CSA cases is considerably longer than adult sexual offences. In 2015/16, the median length of time for investigations of CSA cases was 248 days. In comparison, the median length for the investigations of adult sexual offences was 147 days, which is 101 days less than the average for CSA offences. Child sexual abuse investigations take longer than all other crime types according to the data available. For example, the median length of time taken from crime recording to a charge outcome in 15/16 in relation to drug offences (90 days), theft (73 days) and violence against a person (72 days) is considerably shorter than CSA offences (248 days). Although this may reflect the relative complexity of these investigations, it is clear that victims of CSA face a considerable wait to until the perpetrator is charged. This is likely to be a period of huge uncertainty for victims of sexual abuse - the police and CPS should explore ways of working more effectively to minimise delays and increase the speed of decision-making. These findings strongly support the rapid implementation of three measures for improving the quality and speed of decision-making in criminal investigations of CSA - (i) a licence to practice for professionals working on CSA cases to improve decision-making in CSA investigations; (ii) embedding CPS Rape and Serious Sexual Offence (RASSO) specialists in police child abuse investigation teams to improve collaboration between the CPS and police officers; and (iii) the establishment and roll-out of 'children's houses', child-friendly facilities where victims of CSA participate in police interviews, and also receive therapeutic support. Details: London: The Commissioner, 2017. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 5, 2017 at: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Investigating%20Child%20Sexual%20Abuse%20CCO%20April%202017%201.2.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Investigating%20Child%20Sexual%20Abuse%20CCO%20April%202017%201.2.pdf Shelf Number: 145918 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationCriminal InvestigationsSex Offenders |
Author: Mews, Aidan Title: Impact evaluation of the prison-based Core Sex Offender Treatment Programme Summary: The aim of the research was to extend the evidence base on the effectiveness of treatment for sexual offenders. This study measures the impact of the prison-based Core Sex Offender Treatment Programme (SOTP) on the re-offending outcomes of sex offenders in England and Wales, whilst controlling for the different observable characteristics, needs, and risk factors of offenders. Core1 SOTP is a cognitive-behavioural psychological intervention designed by the HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) for imprisoned men who have committed sexual offences. The Programme is intended to reduce sexual reoffending amongst participants by identifying and addressing known criminogenic needs. It was accredited for use in prisons in 1992 by the then HM Prison and Probation Service Prison and Probation Services Joint Accreditation Panel, which later became the Correctional Services Accreditation and Advice Panel (CSAAP). The CSAAP help the MOJ and HMPPS to develop and implement high quality offending behaviour programmes and promote excellence in programmes designed to reduce reoffending. Programmes are assessed against a set of criteria derived from the "what works" evidence base. These include having a clear model of change, effective risk management, targeting offending behaviour, employing effective methods, ensuring relevance to individual learning styles, and maintaining the quality and integrity of delivery. Changes have been made to the targets, the content, and the methods used in Core SOTP since its introduction in response to emerging research. As a result, during the course of this study (and in the period thereafter) the Programme has changed. However, it remains a cognitive behavioural group based treatment approach. It was, and remains, available in approximately one-sixth of male prison establishments in England and Wales and is intended for individuals sentenced to 12 months or more, who had either a current or previous (sentence) sex offence, were willing to engage in treatment, and were not in denial of their offending. There were 2,562 convicted sex offenders who started treatment under the prison-based Core Sex Offender Treatment Programme between 2000 and 2012 in England and Wales. These were matched to 13,219 co Police National Computer (PNC) records, SOTP treatment records, and the Offender Assessment System (OASys) database (where available). Standardised mean differences between the matched treated and comparison groups for the matching factors showed that the matching quality achieved was excellent. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to match sexual offenders who participated in Core SOTP (treated sex offenders) to similar sexual offenders who did not. PSM is a statistical matching technique which uses factors theoretically and empirically associated with both receiving the treatment and the outcome variable (i.e. reoffending) to predict a 'propensity score', which represents the likelihood of entering treatment. This propensity score is then used to match treated individuals to comparison offenders who are similar to them. The matched treatment and comparison groups were then compared on an extensive range of proven reoffending outcomes (sexual and non-sexual). These outcome measures were calculated over a period of up to 13.9 years (average of 8.2 years) starting from each offender's release from prison between 2002 and 2012, with the follow-up period finishing in October 2015. For all individuals in this study (the treatment group plus the unmatched comparison group), the binary reoffending rate for all offences was 38.3% and the sexual reoffending rate excluding breaches,4 was 7.5%. These are low when compared to international studies but are within the range of other UK-based studies on reconviction rates for sex offenders (Craig et al., 2008). PSM can provide a robust quasi-experimental approach, although offenders can only be matched on observable variables. While extensive efforts were undertaken in identifying relevant factors, it is possible that unobserved factors could influence the findings that emerge from this research. Such factors include deviant sexual interest, general self-regulation problems and the degree of violence associated with the current sexual offence. Key findings The main findings of the analysis were as follows: - Some statistically significant differences were detected over an average 8.2 year follow up period. They were small in magnitude although they widened over the follow-up period. In particular: - More treated sex offenders committed at least one sexual reoffence (excluding breach) during the follow-up period when compared with the matched comparison offenders (10.0% compared with 8.0%). - More treated sex offenders committed at least one child image reoffence during the follow-up period when compared with the matched comparison offenders (4.4% compared with 2.9 %). Otherwise, the matched treated and comparison groups had similar reoffending rates across a variety of outcome measures. - A variety of sensitivity analyses were performed, which mostly focused on the sexual reoffending measure. The sexual reoffending treatment effect was found to be reasonably stable across these. As previously noted, it is possible that these results could be materially influenced by unobserved factors. However, such factors would need to increase both the odds of treatment and the odds of reoffending after controlling for the observable factors that were included within the matching process. In fact to conclude that the sexual re-offending treatment impact is not statistically significantly different from a reduction of 2 percentage points, the odds of treatment and re-offending would both need to increase by 122%. This increases to 219% for a 5 percentage point reduction. While the sensitivity analysis, involving both treatment and comparison groups, shows reoffending rates to be higher for individuals who have higher risk profiles, the matching process includes a range of factors that are used to determine risk. Conclusions The results suggest that while Core SOTP in prisons is generally associated with little or no changes in sexual and non-sexual reoffending, there were some statistically significant differences. The small changes in the sexual reoffending rate suggest that either Core SOTP does not reduce sexual reoffending as it intends to do, or that the true impact of the Programme was not detected. This study draws on large treatment and comparison groups, long follow-ups, and many matching factors, thus addressing the most common shortcomings in the research field on sex offenders' reoffending behaviour. However it still has a number of limitations that could either bias the findings or the interpretation of them. In particular: - It is impossible to conclusively rule out the absence of variables relating to deviant sexual interest, general self-regulation problems and the degree of violence associated with the current sexual offence that could possibly influence the results. Moreover, it is possible that the available data do not fully account for issues such as motivation to address offending behaviour. However, these absences are at least partly accounted for by matching factors included in this study (e.g. sexual deviancy by matching factors covering previous offending). Furthermore as shown above, what remains unaccounted for would need to have strong relationships both with participation onto treatment and reoffending to conclude that Core SOTP is associated with a reduction in sexual reoffending. - The estimated impact of Core SOTP was found to be similar when removing from the comparison group those who were identified as having done community SOTP. However, it will include some differences between the matched treatment and comparison groups that reflect changes occurring after the prison sentence has commenced and which are not associated with the provision of Core SOTP. Such factors include participation on other treatment programmes in prison and in the community, differences in offender management and in supervision, and regional demographics e.g. in employment rates. - Availability of good quality data on all factors which determine an offenders' participation on core SOTP, was also a particular issue. It is possible that paucity of data on some key offender characteristics including denial of offending, and a degree of self-selection, could bias the results. Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2017. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Ministry of Justice Analytical Series: Accessed June 30, 2017 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/623876/sotp-report-web-.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/623876/sotp-report-web-.pdf Shelf Number: 146479 Keywords: Cognitive-Behavioral TreatmentCorrectional ProgramsRecidivismReoffendingSex Offender TreatmentSex Offenders |
Author: Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Title: Proportion of priests and non-ordained religious subject to a claim of child sexual abuse 1950-2010 Summary: 1. The Royal Commission has conducted a comprehensive survey of Catholic Church authorities in Australia to gather data about the extent of claims of child sexual abuse made against Catholic Church personnel. This includes claims made against any current or former priest, religious brother or sister, or any other person employed in or appointed to a voluntary position by a Catholic Church authority. Catholic Church authorities include archdioceses, dioceses and religious institutes (also known as orders or congregations). 2. This survey was undertaken with the assistance of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council and the Catholic Church authorities who provided the data about claims of child sexual abuse. 3. Analysis of the claims data provides detailed information about claims of child sexual abuse, including information about where the alleged abuse occurred and when it occurred. The claims data also provides information about the people who made claims of child sexual abuse and the alleged perpetrators who were subject to the claims of child sexual abuse. 4. The Royal Commission gathered data from three sources: a. Data from Catholic Church authorities in Australia regarding claims of child sexual abuse made against Catholic Church personnel. b. Data from 10 Catholic religious institutes in Australia regarding the total number of non-ordained religious (religious brothers and religious sisters) who were members of these institutes and who ministered in Australia between 1950 and 2010. c. Data from 75 Catholic Church authorities in Australia who have priest members (archdioceses/dioceses and religious institutes) regarding the total number of priests who were members of their authority and who ministered as Catholic priests in Australia between 1950 and 2010. 5. A claim includes: a. Claims of child sexual abuse made against Catholic Church personnel by a claimant, or a solicitor or advocate on their behalf, seeking redress through Towards Healing, the Melbourne Response or another redress process, including civil proceedings, whether ongoing, settled, or concluded without redress. b. Complaints of child sexual abuse against Catholic Church personnel made by any person without redress being sought, that are substantiated following an investigation by the relevant Catholic Church authority or another body, or otherwise accepted by the relevant Catholic Church authority. 6. The claims survey requested information about claims, irrespective of the outcome of the claim. The survey gathered information about all claims for redress, including those that were ongoing, settled, or concluded without redress. The survey sought all claims accepted by a Catholic Church authority; discontinued before the Catholic Church authority could investigate the allegations; and claims where the alleged abuse was investigated and was not accepted. 7. The claims data includes all claims of child sexual abuse, whether or not they were accepted or substantiated by the relevant Catholic Church authority.8. The claims data does not indicate the total number of allegations of child sexual abuse made to Catholic Church authorities in Australia. This is because the claims data survey did not seek data about all allegations of child sexual abuse but only about claims where the claimant had sought redress, or about complaints that were accepted by Catholic Church authorities without redress being sought by the claimant. 9. Analysis of the data from these Catholic Church authorities regarding the number of their members (priests and non-ordained religious) who ministered in Australia between 1950 and 2010, when analysed in conjunction with the claims data, enabled calculation of the proportion of priests and non-ordained religious who served in this period and who were alleged perpetrators. 10. This document presents the results of this aspect of the claims data analysis. Details: Sydney: The Commission, 2017. 49p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 1, 2017 at: http://www.tjhcouncil.org.au/media/130569/170206-Proportion-of-Priests-and-non-ordained-religious-subject-to-a-claim-of-sexual-abuse-1950-2010.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Australia URL: http://www.tjhcouncil.org.au/media/130569/170206-Proportion-of-Priests-and-non-ordained-religious-subject-to-a-claim-of-sexual-abuse-1950-2010.pdf Shelf Number: 146483 Keywords: Catholic ChurchChild Sexual AbuseSex Offenders |
Author: Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council Title: Classification of child exploitation material for sentencing purposes: final report Summary: The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Yvette D'Ath asked the Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council (the council) to review the classification of child exploitation material (CEM) for sentencing purposes and determine whether any improvements can be made. The review comprised significant consultation across Queensland's criminal justice system involved with detecting, prosecuting and sentencing CEM offences. In addition, the council consulted with key agencies from Queensland's legal community and victim advocates, as well as community members, content experts and relevant agencies in other Australian and international jurisdictions. This broad consultation revealed Queensland is well respected for its professionalism in CEM investigation at national and international levels. Consequently, the council was determined to ensure any system used for classification of CEM in Queensland supports and builds on this reputation. Administrative data collected by criminal justice agencies was analysed to gain an appreciation of the Queensland context of CEM offending and offenders. This report provides the outcomes of this analysis. The report is structured in six chapters, initially introducing the current approach to classifying CEM in Queensland, outlining what is known about CEM offending and CEM offenders, and comparing Queensland's approach to other jurisdictions. The review culminates by proposing a new approach for classifying CEM for sentencing purposes, referred to as the Q-CEM Package. Mechanisms designed to support and evaluate the Q-CEM Package, and Queensland's readiness to continue to meet the many challenges associated with this evolving crime type, are also proposed. Key findings CEM is not a victimless crime. These offences harm real children and the repeated circulation of CEM depicting this abuse continues their victimisation. Victims of CEM report lifelong impacts as a result of the abuse and re-victimisation via sharing of the material. It is difficult to permanently or fully remove images from circulation. Delays are associated with CEM cases. The council's research confirmed anecdotal evidence that delays were associated with the criminal justice response to CEM. The delays are most prevalent between charging an offender and proceeding to a committal hearing. During this period, police undertake typically complex forensic processes and classify detected CEM. CEM is an international crime with a local footprint. CEM is a technology-enabled crime and, as such, will continue to evolve and expand in line with the exponential growth and global interconnectivity of technology. Queensland child victims and Queensland offenders require a suitable response from state and Commonwealth criminal justice agencies. National and international cooperation is essential. All Australian state and territory jurisdictions are seeking a platform to support cooperation at national and international levels. A common platform promotes harmonised classification language to respond to the international dimension of these crimes. Common platforms are designed to address time and welfare burdens on criminal justice agencies by sharing data about CEM encountered in other jurisdictions. They enhance victim identification efforts by enabling a stronger focus on new material. Data analysis, research and a commitment to practice evaluation are important. Identifying how this crime type is shifting remains a critical issue for Queensland. Keeping pace will build on the state's reputation for innovation, and reflects the commitment this state has to protecting Queensland children and families. Queensland needs a system that balances the requirements of all criminal justice agencies. Classification for sentencing must balance the demands on law enforcement to identify victims and offenders with the mechanisms required to prosecute and sentence offenders. The QCEM Package is specifically designed to address these critical functions of a system responsible for removing children from harm and bringing offenders to account. Queensland needs to adopt an enhanced approach to sexting and promoting prevention of CEM offending. Establishing mechanisms to provide support to families, schools and other organisations that can raise awareness among young people about how to remain safe online is essential. There is also a role to encourage offenders and potential offenders into treatment for their sexual interest in children. Details: Brisbane: The Council, 2017. 150p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 31, 2017 at: http://www.sentencingcouncil.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/531503/cem-final-report-july-2017.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Australia URL: http://www.sentencingcouncil.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/531503/cem-final-report-july-2017.pdf Shelf Number: 146623 Keywords: Child PornographyChild ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseOnline VictimizationSentencingSex Offenders |
Author: Mercado, Cynthia Calkins Title: Sex Offender Management, Treatment, and Civil Commitment: An Evidence Based Analysis Aimed at Reducing Sexual Violence Summary: This study was designed to provide a comprehensive exploratory examination of the program management, treatment, and recidivism of sexual offenders in New Jersey. There were four main objectives of the research: 1) To provide normative data on a large sample of New Jersey sex offenders; 2) To determine which sex offenders get selected for treatment and what criteria are used to make that decision; 3) To examine the effect of treatment on recidivism; and 4) To compare those offenders selected for commitment as a Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) with those offenders not selected for commitment. Data were gathered from the archival records of 3,168 male sex offenders who were housed at either a prison-based sex offender treatment facility (treatment group) or any of the New Jersey State prisons (no treatment group) and released from custody between the years 1996 and 2007. Additionally, archival data were gathered from all detained or committed SVPs. Federal and state recidivism data were obtained for all released offenders. Ultimately, three general outcome categories were the focus of the analyses: selection for treatment (determined by whether the offender was housed at the prison-based sex offender treatment facility), recidivism (determined by whether an offender was convicted of an additional offense - sexual or non-sexual - following release), and SVP commitment (determined by whether the offender was released or civilly committed upon completion of the index sentence). After coding the archival file data for offender characteristics, offense characteristics, risk assessment outcomes, and recidivism (and what type of recidivism, if applicable), comparisons were made via chi-square analysis and independent samples t-test across these three outcomes; that is, we compared treated and non-treated offenders, recidivists and non-recidivists, and committed and not-committed offenders on these factors. Additionally, a series of classification tree analyses and logistic regressions were conducted to gather insight into what factors were most strongly indicative of selection for treatment, SVP commitment, and recidivism. The following points highlight the major findings for each objective of the study: Objective One - The overwhelming majority of offenders in this sample had female victims (83.9%; n = 2,566), indicating that women and girls continue to be among those most victimized by sexual violence. - Nearly three-quarters of the index crime events involved molestation of a minor child, and despite a popular notion of "stranger danger" that is prevalent across sexual crimes (an assumption that is arguably an influential factor in sex offender legislation), most offenders knew their victims. Over 44% of the sample perpetrated an offense against someone with whom they were already acquainted (but not related), and an additional one-third of the sample offended against an immediate or extended family member. - A minority (15%) of the offenses were perpetrated against strangers, suggesting that the "stranger danger" notion of offending (upon which much sex crime legislation is based) may not reflect the empirical reality that most sex crimes (85%) are committed by individuals known to the victim - With regard to prior criminal history, nearly 70% of the offenders had been charged with a prior non-sexual offense; however, less than one-third of the sample had a prior history of sexual offenses, providing some support for the notion that sex offenders may be more generalist rather than specialist in their offending patterns. Objective Two - The best predictor of placement in the treatment facility was the demonstration of some treatment amenability or readiness for treatment. Choosing offenders based upon their willingness to participate in treatment may, however, exclude those offenders who are at highest risk to recidivate. - Those placed in the treatment facility had lower risk scores than those in the general population, which may run contrary to the risk-need-responsivity principle of providing the most intensive services to those of highest need. Objective Three - In terms of general recidivism (i.e., recidivism of any nature), those offenders who did not receive treatment recidivated (in terms of a new conviction) at twice the rate of those who did receive treatment (51.7% versus 25.0%), and this difference remained even when the groups were matched with regard to actuarial risk scores. - When looking specifically at sexual recidivism rates, we found that overall 5% of the offenders in our sample were re-convicted of a new sexual offense over an average 6.5 year follow-up period. - No differences in sexual recidivism were found between the treated and untreated groups, even when these groups were matched in terms of recidivism risk. Though random assignment to treatment conditions is seldom possible in research of this nature, future studies that use random assignment would allow for firmer conclusions regarding treatment effectiveness. - Sex offenders who offended against strangers were more likely than those who were acquainted with or related to their victim to re-offend after treatment. Likewise, sex offenders who had adult victims were more likely to offend after treatment than those who had minor victims. Objective Four - Sex offenders selected for civil commitment were found to be at significantly higher risk of recidivating (based on Static-99 and MnSOST-R actuarial risk scores) than offenders not committed under SVP statutes. - Sex offense history, MnSOST-R historical scale score, prior history of any contact sexual offense, use of weapon during index offense, age at first sex offense, history of psychiatric problems, age of victim, and age at first non-sexual offense were predictive of SVP commitment. - Based upon re-conviction data, those considered for civil commitment but ultimately not committed were found to have high rates of any kind of recidivism (67%). Details: New York: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 2013. 82p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 2, 2017 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/243551.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/243551.pdf Shelf Number: 130140 Keywords: Civil CommitmentOffender ClassificationRecidivismSex Offender TreatmentSex OffendersSexual Violence |
Author: Kansas. Legislative Division of Post Audit Title: Larned State Hospital: Reviewing the Operations of the Sexual Predator Treatment Program, Part 2. Performance Audit Report Summary: The Sexual Predator Treatment Program was established in 1994 and has been provided primarily through the Larned State Hospital. The program provides control, care and treatment for convicted sex offenders who have completed their prison sentences but have been determined by a judge or jury to be sexually violent predators and involuntarily committed to the custody of the Secretary of Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. In 2005, Legislative Post Audit issued a report on the Sexual Predator Treatment Program. In that report, we estimated the size of the offender population could increase to about 235 offenders by 2015. The reasons for this included the continuing commitment of new offenders to the program and Kansas' stringent requirement that the risk of a reoffense be reduced to "practically nil" before an offender would be released from the program. The statutory standard focuses on community safety by requiring that in order for release the sexually violent predator's mental abnormality or personality disorder has so changed the person is safe to be at large. As of December 2014, the program had 243 residents, with 227 residents at Larned State Hospital, eight residents at Osawatomie State Hospital and eight at Parsons State Hospital. Agency officials estimate that in the coming years the program will grow by 18 offenders per year. Legislators have expressed concern about the growing size of the offender population, employee workload, and working conditions at the Larned facility. They would like to know how Kansas' program compares to other state programs in terms of cost and treatment, what actions could be taken to limit program growth, and whether the Larned facility is being adequately managed. This performance audit answers the following questions: 1. How does Kansas' Sexual Predator Treatment Program compare to similar programs in other states and best practices? 2. What actions could be taken to reduce the resident population of the Sexual Predator Treatment Program? Details: Topeka: Legislative Division of Post Audit, 2015. 70p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 28, 2017 at: https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/media/publications/Larned%20State%20Hospital%20-%20Reviewing%20the%20Operations%20of%20Sexual%20Predator%20Treatment%20Program%2C%20Part%202%2C%20LPA%2C%202015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.prisonlegalnews.org/media/publications/Larned%20State%20Hospital%20-%20Reviewing%20the%20Operations%20of%20Sexual%20Predator%20Treatment%20Program%2C%20Part%202%2C%20LPA%2C%202015.pdf Shelf Number: 146906 Keywords: Correctional ProgramsSex Offender TreatmentSex Offenders |
Author: Cross, Theodore Title: Injury Evidence, Biological Evidence, and Prosecution of Sexual Assault Summary: Injury evidence and biological evidence gained from forensic medical examinations of victims can provide evidence about the crime as well as the means of linking a suspect to the crime. Evidence from a forensic medical examination can include genital and non-genital injuries, biological evidence (including sperm or semen, blood, and amylase, an enzyme of saliva), and a DNA profile that can often be derived from the biological evidence. This DNA can be matched to a potential suspect, matched to another investigation in the FBI's Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), or matched to a convicted offender in CODIS. Injury evidence can be used to establish a victim's lack of consent and could lead to physical assault charges. This project explored the use and impact of injury evidence and biological evidence through a study of the role of these forms of evidence in prosecuting sexual assault in an urban district attorney's office in a metropolitan area in the eastern United States. The research questions addressed in this summary overview are as follows: - How frequent were different forms of injury evidence and biological evidence in the sample? - Is the presence of injury evidence and biological evidence correlated with the presence of other forms of evidence? - Which types of cases and case circumstances are more likely to yield injury evidence and biological evidence? - Do the presence of injury evidence and biological evidence predict criminal justice outcomes, taking into account the effects of other predictors? - In what ways do prosecutors use injury evidence and biological evidence and what is their appraisal of their impact on case outcomes? Details: Urbana-Champaign: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2017. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 19, 2017 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/251036.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/251036.pdf Shelf Number: 147400 Keywords: Criminal InvestigationEvidenceForensic EvidenceRapeSex OffendersSexual Assault |
Author: McSherry, Bernadette Title: Preventive Detention for 'Dangerous' Offenders in Australia: A Critical Analysis and Proposals for Policy Development: report to the Criminology Research Council Summary: The management of 'dangerous' offenders is of crucial community concern. This report focuses on the key debates concerning the policy and legal issues raised by post-sentence preventive detention. It analyses focus group discussions carried out in Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne concerning three different management regimes for high-risk sex offenders: post-sentence continued detention in prison, indefinite detention, and extended supervision orders in the community. It recommends that consideration be given to the new Scottish model of life-long restriction orders, arguing that post-sentence preventive detention should be seen as a last resort in the management of high-risk offenders. Details: Melbourne: Monash University, 2008. 103p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 29, 2017 at: http://www.criminologyresearchcouncil.gov.au/reports/200405-03.pdf Year: 2006 Country: Australia URL: http://www.criminologyresearchcouncil.gov.au/reports/200405-03.pdf Shelf Number: 147506 Keywords: High-Risk Offenders Offender Supervision Sex Offenders |
Author: Bakker, Leon Title: And there was light...Evaluating the Kia Marama treatment programme for New Zealand sex offenders against children Summary: About this evaluation - Kia Marama is the first New Zealand treatment programme for those imprisoned for sexual offences against children. It has run for seven years and its first graduates have lived for up to six years in the community. The time is right for evaluation of the programme's results, and that is the aim of this report. - The Kia Marama programme aims to prevent relapses by teaching offenders their offending is the result of linked steps of thought and behaviour. It offers skills and strategies to break these links, and opportunities for change right from initial assessment, through treatment, to post release. - Two hundred and thirty eight men have been released from prison as graduates of Kia Marama's first three years. A control group similar to the Kia Marama offenders was selected from all sex offenders against children convicted between 1983 and 1987. Comparison of these two groups enables us to assess the impact of the Kia Marama treatment programme. - A more detailed version of this report may be requested from the authors at the Department of Corrections. Key findings - Kia Marama treatment has a significant effect. The Kia Marama group has less than half the number of re-offenders than the control group, and this remains so even when numbers of previous sexual convictions are accounted for. The Kia Marama group has a reconviction rate of 8%, with analysis suggesting a final rate of 10%. (Another five men are likely to reoffend, bringing the total from 19 to 24.) The control group has a reconviction rate of 21%, predicted to rise to 22%. - These differences in reconviction and re-imprisonment suggest the Department of Corrections has reaped net savings of more than $3 million from its treatment of 238 Kia Marama offenders, once programme costs of $2 million are offset against a gross saving of $5.6 million. Less quantifiable social savings also result from fewer offenders and fewer victims. - Comparison between 19 Kia Marama graduates who re-offended and 219 who did not shows re-offenders tend to hold attitudes supporting their offending. Their thinking is often distorted; they accept rape myths and employ impersonal sexual fantasies which are slightly more sadomasochistic. They also have more conservative attitudes to women, internalise their anger, and are less able to empathise. Those who are not reconvicted tend to give up conservative attitudes towards women, but treatment seems to reinforce these beliefs in re-offenders. - Re-offenders tend to have a lower IQ. They are less likely to report female victims, more likely to report male victims or victims of both genders. Reoffenders are almost twice as likely to say their offending began before adulthood, and they report a higher incidence of exhibitionism. They are nearly three times more likely than their non reconvicted counterparts to report the death of a parent or caregiver during childhood, and five times more likely to be judged as having a severe literacy problem. Details: Christchurch [N.Z.] : Psychological Service, Dept. of Corrections, 1998. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 8, 2017 at: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/665635/kiamarama.pdf Year: 1998 Country: New Zealand URL: http://www.corrections.govt.nz/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/665635/kiamarama.pdf Shelf Number: 148073 Keywords: Child MolestersChild Sex AbuseRecidivismSex Offender TreatmentSex Offenders |
Author: Rotenberg, Cristine Title: Police-reported sexual assaults in Canada, 2009 to 2014: A statistical profile Summary: - Over a six-year period between 2009 and 2014, police reported 117,238 sexual assaults in Canada where sexual assault was the most serious violation in the incident. - Almost all (98%) police-reported sexual assaults were classified as level 1 offences (assault without a weapon or evidence of bodily harm). - The median age of victims of police-reported sexual assault was 18 years. The majority (87%) of victims were female, particularly young women and girls. One in four (26%) victims were children aged 13 and younger. This is more than four times greater than the proportion of child victims of physical assault (6%). - An accused was identified in 60% of police-reported sexual assaults, of which 69% were charged. Overall, less than half (41%) of police-reported sexual assaults resulted in a charge being laid, compared with half (50%) of physical assaults. - The vast majority (98%) of accused charged with sexual assault were male, with a median age of 33 years. - The median delay in reporting to police-the time between when the offence took place and when it was reported to police - was 25 days for sexual assaults, compared with only two days for physical assaults. The longest delay in reporting to police was observed among incidents involving children sexually assaulted by their parent, with a median delay of one year. - Of sexual assaults where a charge was laid by police, the majority (87%) of victims knew their assailant; most commonly as a casual acquaintance, a family member, or an intimate partner. Only a small proportion (13%) of sexual assaults were perpetrated by someone who was a stranger to the victim. - Most (83%) victims of sexual assault were sexually assaulted by someone older than them. Of these charged cases, the median age gap between the victim and their assailant was 13 years. These findings are in contrast to those for physical assault, where victims were most commonly assaulted by someone in their peer age group (within five years). - One in five (19%) sexual assaults with a charge laid were perpetrated by an accused that may meet the age-based criteria for pedophilia. This includes incidents where the accused was 16 years of age and older, the victim was 13 years of age and younger, and there was at least a five year age gap between them (as stipulated by clinical criteria). Over half (55%) of these cases involved a child sexually assaulted by an older family member. Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2017. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Juristat: Accessed November 9, 2017 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2017001/article/54866-eng.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Canada URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2017001/article/54866-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 148090 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseCrime StatisticsRapeSex CrimeSex OffendersSexual Assault |
Author: Navarro, John Charles Title: Location, Location, Location, The Impact Of Registered Sex Offenders On Home Sale Prices: A Case Study Of Mclean County, Illinois Summary: Borrowing from broken windows theory, this paper addresses the impact of sex offenders' residences on neighborhood's property values in McLean County, Illinois. Three data sets were combined to explore the relationship: the addresses of registered sex offenders (RSOs) in McLean County, Illinois, the location and property characteristics of homes sold in McLean County between December 2012 to December 2013, and variables from the 2010 U.S. Census. ArcGIS was utilized to create buffers up to 0.2 of a mile around a sold home to measure the concentration of RSOs and sexual predators (SPs) and to calculate the distance from the nearest RSO and SP. The results indicate that as RSO and SP concentration increased, home selling prices decreased by $6,586 for each RSO and $9,098 for each SP within the buffer. In regards of distance, RSOs and SPs negatively impacted home selling prices the closer they were to a home sale transaction. These findings inform the debate surrounding the requirements placed on sexual offender registration, community notification, and residency restrictions. Details: Normal, IL: Illinois State University, 2014. 150p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed February 15, 2018 at: https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/120/ Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/120/ Shelf Number: 149160 Keywords: Broken Windows Theory Housing Neighborhoods and Crime Sex Offender Registration Sex Offenders |
Author: Perkins, Derek Title: Interventions for perpetrators of online child sexual exploitation: a scoping review and gap analysis Summary: Technology has become a primary medium for child sexual abuse and exploitation. Like offline behaviour, technology-facilitated abuse and exploitation can take many forms, such as the recording of the sexual assault of a child or communicating with a child via mobile devices. Online and offline spaces are not always clearly distinguishable: abuse and exploitation can start in one space and move to the other. In this report, we describe sexually abusive activities towards a child or young person as 'online child sexual abuse' (OCSA) - or, where there are gains beyond sexual gratification, 'online child sexual exploitation' (OCSE) - if they are carried out via technology. Various interventions for perpetrators of OCSA and OCSE are available, ranging from one-toone sessions to manualised treatment groups. Little is known about the effectiveness of existing interventions, and whether there are gaps in the current intervention response. To improve knowledge of treatment in these areas, this scoping review obtained information from three sources: - online searches - a literature review and enquiries to service providers in relation to existing interventions - an online survey of experts and stakeholders - in-depth interviews drawn from the survey participants. These yielded information about the different interventions currently provided for perpetrators of OCSA/E, their effectiveness (where known), gaps within current interventions, and forthcoming challenges in the field. Key messages from the research Lack of evaluation and research Law enforcement, offender management and child protection services have had to be responsive to the urgent and growing issue of OCSA/E, despite limited evidence on the underlying psychological models of OCSA/E behaviour. Responding to need has, understandably, outrun the collection of scientific evidence, and there has been a lack of systematic evaluation of interventions' effectiveness. Sense of being overwhelmed Whilst professionals involved in this area felt strongly about the positive impact of their work, they also communicated a sense of feeling overwhelmed with regard to the high numbers of OCSA/E perpetrators, the lack of funding available for their services, and the need for specific training for professionals involved in this area. Need to increase knowledge generation and exchange Professionals expressed a desire for enhanced knowledge generation and exchange, especially with regard to increasing the empirical knowledge base on the risks and needs presented by the perpetrators of OCSA/E, and the lack of professional tools to assist with decision-making regarding risk and treatment. Enhance existing intervention response Interventions for perpetrators of OCSA/E remain limited and are largely similar in their client focus, scope and funding approach. They predominantly focus on psychoeducation and addressing psychological markers of offending behaviour, are provided for adult males known to the criminal justice system, and are paid for by the client or as part of court-ordered or mandatory interventions. Early intervention focus The scoping review also identified a demand for a shift towards preventative approaches - to increase public awareness and targeted at young people through educational resources. Sex education, including internet safety and pornography use, was highlighted by professionals as needing to be an integral part of the school curriculum. Professionals also discussed the implications of providing interventions for OCSA/E perpetrators not known to the criminal justice system, and for non-offending individuals who may be concerned about their sexual interest. Characteristics of existing interventions Online offending has become a focus in interventions provided for people with a sexual conviction and their victims. This scoping review identified 48 services or agencies that contribute to interventions for OCSA/E offending by providing interventions themselves, commissioning or conducting relevant research, and providing knowledge exchange events for professionals. This included eight UK-based services that directly provide interventions for perpetrators of OCSA/E. Most interventions are focused on adult male perpetrators (predominantly those known to the criminal justice system), with limited support provided for adolescents, female perpetrators, or the perpetrator's support network such as family members or friends. The reviewed intervention services typically provide psychological assessments and individual or group treatment. A key difference between UK and some international providers is the ability of the latter to work with perpetrators without the requirement for statutory disclosure to the criminal justice system on matters that would require disclosure in the UK (for example in respect of specific information on past unprosecuted offences). Quality control in relation to the provided interventions is variable. The empirical research on which they are based is not always up to date or specific to the offender subgroup. Service evaluations mainly comprise qualitative feedback from service users rather than more multifaceted pre-post treatment assessments. Implications from the research The scoping review highlighted a number of areas for future development and professional practice: - Intervene earlier and more broadly. This includes offence-prevention strategies such as public education about the nature of OCSA/E and their legal classification, enhancing service provisions for nonoffending individuals attracted to children, and reducing access to sexually exploitative material of children and young people. - Enhance the treatment response for (known) offenders. This may include expanding the existing client target group, increasing accessibility of services and increasing staff support. It may also include staying up to date on emergent issues in the field, such as new opportunities for OCSA/E arising with novel technologies. - Generate and share knowledge. This may include OCSA/E-specific training for professionals working in the field, support for research engagement, and knowledge exchange and collaboration between professionals and partner agencies. A key research need is to conduct systematic intervention evaluations. Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 54p. Source: Internet Resource: Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme, report 5: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%205%20-%20Interventions%20for%20perpetrators%20of%20online%20CSE.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%205%20-%20Interventions%20for%20perpetrators%20of%20online%20CSE.pdf Shelf Number: 149208 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesIntervention ProgramsSex Offender TreatmentSex OffendersSocial Media |
Author: Walker, Kate Title: Characteristics and perspectives of adults who have sexually exploited children: Scoping research Summary: There is a lack of information about individuals who perpetrate child sexual exploitation (CSE) offences. This report describes one of three research projects commissioned by the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse to build an evidence base about this population. The projects' aims were to: ‣ investigate the characteristics of those who commit CSE ‣ identify the nature and dynamics of their behaviours, their motivations and the way they target and exploit their victims. The report will be of interest to frontline practitioners, service providers, commissioners of services, policy makers, researchers and academics. Method Notes from police intelligence briefings with 27 perpetrators of CSE were analysed, using content analysis to extract demographic information about CSE perpetrators. Additionally, interviews were undertaken with 18 adults who had sexually offended against children; using the current (2017) Government definition of CSE for England, these 18 adults were classified as either CSE perpetrators (n = 11) or Non-CSE perpetrators (n = 7). Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data, to identify common themes that captured the characteristics and motivations of CSE perpetrators. Key findings and gaps in research knowledge ‣ There has been little research to date that has specifically examined the characteristics, context and motivations of CSE perpetrators. ‣ It is difficult to identify CSE perpetrators, since most sexual offences are not specific to CSE and individuals who have committed CSE offences have not been categorised as such in the criminal justice system process. This makes it difficult to conduct research with this group. ‣ Adults in this sample who had committed CSE offences had experienced dysfunctional lives. They evidenced individual internal characteristics, such as mental health problems, low self-esteem and antisocial attributes. ‣ Many excessively used adult pornography and/or images that depicted children. ‣ Negative external influences were also present in their relationships and environments. These included chaotic intimate relationships, poor relationships with family members and peers, and violence and abusive relationships at home and school. ‣ Individuals believed that their offending was associated with a culmination of all the dysfunctional and negative experiences in their lives, including both internal and external influences. ‣ Individuals justified and 'explained' their offending behaviours, which enabled them to continue to offend. ‣ Motivation for offending was described as sexual gratification in this exploratory sample. ‣ An ecological framework can be used to understand the complexity and interplay between the individual, relationships, social, cultural and environmental factors associated with CSE. ‣ There are gaps in research knowledge as to whether the factors identified as associated with CSE perpetration are variable risk markers or fixed risk markers and whether these are casual risk factors that could be targeted in interventions. ‣ Little is known about the role and relevance of protective factors which can potentially mitigate perpetration. Implications and recommendations This is a difficult group to research, as they are largely 'hidden' in criminal justice system processes. A complex range of factors are associated with the commission of CSE, which means that there is no simple way of preventing individuals from perpetrating this type of offending. However, the evidence is still limited and we do not have a clear picture of the range of factors that lead to CSE offending, particularly across the wide range of offences that meet the definition of CSE. More research is therefore needed: for example, with a larger, national sample of individuals who have sexually exploited children and a wider range of CSE offences than has been captured in this exploratory study Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme, report 3: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%203%20-%20Characteristics%20and%20perspectives%20of%20adults%20who%20have%20sexually%20exploited%20children.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%203%20-%20Characteristics%20and%20perspectives%20of%20adults%20who%20have%20sexually%20exploited%20children.pdf Shelf Number: 149209 Keywords: Child Pornography Child Sexual Abuse Child Sexual Exploitation Computer Crimes Internet CrimesIntervention Programs Pornography Sex Offender Treatment Sex Offenders Social Media |
Author: Walker, Kate Title: Characteristics and motivations of perpetrators of child sexual exploitation: A rapid evidence assessment of research Summary: There is a lack of information about individuals who perpetrate child sexual exploitation (CSE) offences. This report describes one of three research projects to build an evidence base about this population. The project's aims were to: ‣ investigate the characteristics of those who commit CSE ‣ identify the nature and dynamics of their behaviours, their motivations and the way they target and exploit their victims. The report will be of interest to frontline practitioners, service providers, commissioners of services, policy makers, researchers and academics. Method A rapid review was conducted, finding 50 studies/reports where the offences met the definition of CSE and information could be extracted about perpetrators' characteristics, behaviours, motivations and methods of targeting/exploiting their victims. Key findings and gaps in research knowledge ‣ The majority of studies were conducted in the UK (19) and USA (18), with four conducted in Canada, three in New Zealand, two in France and one in each of Australia, Mexico, Germany and Sweden. It is important to note that some of these studies reviewed and/or combined the findings from a number of published studies, so each study's findings were not necessarily specific to its country of origin. ‣ The majority (37) of studies were of offenders who have committed exclusively online CSE offences, with only 10 examining non-online CSE offences and three covering both online and 'offline' offences; very limited knowledge was obtained regarding other types of CSE, such as CSE perpetrated within groups and gangs; offences such as human trafficking for, or resulting in, sexual exploitation; and the purchasing of sexual contact. This limits the extent to which the review's findings and observations can be generalised. ‣ Across the studies there were many methodological limitations such as inconsistencies in the definition of CSE, comparisons between groups of sexual offenders only (with a lack of other offender or non-offender control groups), lack of typical or normative data comparisons, and reliance on correlational data. These limit the potential to draw conclusions about causal influences. ‣ Perpetrators were generally identified as male, white and aged between 18 and 85 years (with the average age in individual studies ranging from 30 to 46 years); a high proportion were employed, with a large number of these in professional jobs. ‣ Mental health characteristics and psychological characteristics (personality traits) were examined only in relation to online CSE offences, and no research examined them in relation to other forms of CSE, e.g. CSE perpetrated in gangs or groups. ‣ In relation to online CSE, owing to methodological challenges and insufficient research it is impossible to isolate specific mental health or psychological characteristics that have a causal relationship with this type of offence. However, factors such as depression, anxiety, stress and suicidal ideation are most likely to be relevant. ‣ The evidence is weaker for psychological characteristics being associated with CSE; however, some attachment styles (e.g. not securely attached, fearful attachment) were associated with this group, and the formation of relationships appeared to be problematic. ‣ There was limited research that identified the motivations of CSE perpetrators; the studies that did so were generally those looking to develop typologies and categories of online offenders. The two key motivations found were sexual and financial. ‣ There was no research that specifically identified the way that perpetrators targeted/ exploited their victims, beyond explaining the context within which the exploitation occurred (i.e. online exploitation, gangs or trafficking/commercial dealings). It may be that such information could be located within the literature on victim-survivors, but including and analysing research on victim-survivors was beyond the scope of the current review. Implications and recommendations There is very little reliable information about the characteristics of individuals who perpetrate CSE offences, particularly those who do not commit offences in or using online environments. This significantly limits our ability to identify potential offenders and situations to target and design prevention strategies. More research is required to fully understand the characteristics and motivations of CSE perpetrators. That research will need to: ‣ have consistency and clarity regarding the definition of this type of offending and the different contexts within which it occurs ‣ use methodological research designs that allow differences and causal pathways to be reliably identified - for example, including appropriate non-offender control groups, longitudinal methods and large sample sizes (although this may be unrealistic, as studies are generally based on small, convicted samples by necessity) Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme, report 2: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%202%20-%20Characteristics%20and%20motivations%20of%20perpetrators%20of%20CSE.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%202%20-%20Characteristics%20and%20motivations%20of%20perpetrators%20of%20CSE.pdf Shelf Number: 149210 Keywords: Child Pornography Child Sexual Abuse Child Sexual Exploitation Computer Crimes Internet Crimes Intervention Programs Pornography Sex Offender Treatment Sex Offenders Social Media |
Author: Hackett, Simon Title: Young people who engage in child sexual exploitation behaviours: An exploratory study Summary: Despite increasing awareness of child sexual exploitation (CSE) across the UK in recent years, there remain gaps in current knowledge and understanding - including in relation to young people who perpetrate acts of CSE. In contrast to the wider research base for harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) in childhood and adolescence, which has developed significantly in recent years, there is little in the literature specifically on the topic of young people who engage in sexually exploitative behaviours. This report describes one of three research projects commissioned by the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse to build an evidence base about perpetrators of CSE. The project aimed to investigate: - the backgrounds of young people identifi ed for CSE concerns as perpetrators - the nature and range of their sexual behaviours - the range of victims targeted - other off ending behaviours displayed by the young people. Method Anonymised data was obtained from electronic records held by a police-led, multiagency initiative which focuses on CSE and on missing children. Consisting of 14 cases, the data are a convenience and non-probability sample which represent a significant minority of the cases becoming known to this 'CSE team' over a 24- month period where an alleged perpetrator was under the age of 18 at the point of their harmful or exploitative sexual behaviours. This study therefore drew only on existing secondary data already available to the CSE team; it was beyond the study's scope to conduct interviews with professionals involved in the cases, or with the young people and their families directly. The electronic records contained considerable and detailed information compiled by a wide range of agencies over a substantial period of time. Key fi ndings Because of the small sample size and the reliance on official case records which may be partial and limited, the following findings should be regarded as at best indicative. - All young people in the sample were male and white British. - Their current age ranged between 14 and 21 years old, with the overwhelming majority aged over 16; this is an older sample than many reported in the literature on HSB. Their age at the point when concerning sexual behaviours fi rst emerged ranged from 7 to 18 years old; in contrast to other demographic studies of young people with HSB, which have indicated substantial early-onset trajectories, only one case indicated a pattern of pre-adolescent sexual behaviour problems. - Experiences of adversity were found in the developmental histories of 10 of the 14 young people. The most commonly reported factor was domestic violence, followed by physical and sexual abuse and neglect. Previous studies of young people with HSB have reported higher rates of previous victimisation. - Twelve of the young people had longstanding non-sexual off ending histories: theft, burglary, criminal damage and general antisocial behaviours were extensive and pervasive. All the young people appear to fi t the 'generalist' category of HSB off ender, whose sexual off ending appears to be more directed towards peers as part of a broader catalogue of deviance and non-sexual off ending trajectories. - A model proposed by Ward and Siegert (2002) describes fi ve primary developmental pathways leading into sexually abusive behaviours. Many of the young people in the sample appear to fi t into the antisocial thinking pathway, where an underlying propensity towards general deviance and antisocial behaviour becomes sexualised during puberty. - In all cases, the concerns about young people's sexual behaviours related to a young person off ending alone or to pairs of young people whose behaviours appeared interlinked and inter-infl uenced. There were no 'gang-related' or larger group incidents of HSB or CSE. - Whilst all 14 young people had targeted female victims, only one was known to have sexually off ended against a male (in addition to multiple female victims). HSB towards teenage peers was preceded in only three cases by sexual abuse of prepubescent children. Previous research into young people's HSB has identifi ed signifi cant proportions of male victims and victims aged 10 or below. - The young people were typically involved in multiple and in some cases escalating harmful sexual behaviours: nine engaged in exploitative or harmful sexual behaviours online or using social media, accompanied in most cases by contact sexual exploitation or sexual abuse. There was not strong evidence of a clear progression from online to offl ine HSB: it was just as likely for offl ine HSB to precede online behaviours. Implications and recommendations The impression gained from this pilot study is of young people who engage in CSE behaviours as a generally very deviant group whose sexual and non-sexual behaviours are disinhibited, chaotic and non-boundaried. The small scale of this study, and the use of data from one team with a particular focus and operating model, limits the conclusions that can be drawn; nevertheless, the study's tentative findings should be investigated in more detail. In some of the cases examined, it was possible to see a progression from sexual assaults or sexually abusive behaviour without overt elements of exchange towards more 'CSEtype' behaviours over time. It may be that CSE-type behaviours in adolescence, much more so than more general HSB, are more strongly related to general deviance than a history of sexual victimisation; if so, this has significant implications for both intervention approaches and prevention activities. However, it was difficult to separate the young people's behaviours meaningfully and neatly into categories of CSE and HSB. Whilst all cases fitted widely used definitions of HSB, the extent to which they are accompanied by overt elements of exchange (as would fit the definition of CSE) was much less clear in many cases. The sexual behaviours of all the young people in the sample required disruption, management and intervention - but it is unclear whether that should be undertaken by a CSE team or an HSB team. This perhaps reflects the present inadequacy of using distinct sets of language and concepts (CSE and HSB) and service frameworks to respond to the problem of transgressive sexual behaviour in adolescence. Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme, report 1: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%201%20-%20Young%20people%20who%20engage%20in%20CSE%20behaviours.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%201%20-%20Young%20people%20who%20engage%20in%20CSE%20behaviours.pdf Shelf Number: 149211 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sex OffendersChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesIntervention ProgramsSex Offender TreatmentSex Offenders |
Author: Radford, Lorraine Title: A review of international survey methodology on child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation Summary: This review was commissioned by the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse to inform its work on improving data currently collected in England and Wales. Unlike previous reviews which have looked at findings on prevalence rates within and across different countries, this study looked at differences in self-report survey methodologies to research rates of victimisation and perpetration. The aims of the review were to: - identify methodologically different surveys undertaken in countries outside England and Wales that specifically focus on, or include, child sexual abuse (CSA) - identify questions used in surveys to assess the scale and nature of CSA - including any questions regarding child sexual exploitation (CSE), and those exploring abuse or grooming that takes place online - and comment on their relative effectiveness - explore the survey methods used, and identify what worked well in achieving a good response rate - explore the sampling strategies used, including any use of booster samples to reach underrepresented or identified vulnerable groups - identify questions, survey methods and sampling strategies used to explore potential and actual perpetration of CSA - discuss what identified good practice would be replicable in the UK context, and to what extent this would allow comparisons to be made across countries. Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/research-publications/scale-and-nature-of-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation/a-review-of-international-survey-methodology-on-child-sexual-abuse-and-child-sexual-exploitation/ Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/research-publications/scale-and-nature-of-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation/a-review-of-international-survey-methodology-on-child-sexual-abuse-and-child-sexual-exploitation/ Shelf Number: 149212 Keywords: Child Grooming Child Pornography Child Sex OffendersChild Sexual Abuse Child Sexual Exploitation Computer Crimes Internet Crimes Sex Offender Treatment Sex Offenders |
Author: Drummond, Caroline Title: Interventions for perpetrators of child sexual exploitation: A scoping study Summary: Child sexual exploitation (CSE) has become an issue of growing concern over the last decade. Understanding and identification of how to work with victims has increased in this period, but little is currently known about those who perpetrate these offences. To prevent further cases of CSE, it is critical that more is known about the individuals involved and their journey through the criminal justice system. This information could help to influence the development of effective interventions for those individuals, and reduce their risk of reoffending. This scoping study was part of a programme of research commissioned by the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse, concerning individuals who sexually exploit children. The study's purpose was to: ‣ ascertain whether any current interventions exist specifically for adult male perpetrators of CSE involving physical contact ‣ identify areas of promising practice and any evidence of their effectiveness ‣ gather expert views on what an appropriate approach to an effective intervention for this group would be. The study was designed to review existing evidence and gather the views of experts. A literature review was carried out to identify existing interventions, areas of promising practice and recommendations as to how interventions could be further developed. Interviews were then undertaken with a range of experts, including practitioners and academics. Key findings ‣ There is currently no specific intervention - in prison, probation or the community - for individuals convicted of a CSE-related offence involving physical contact. (This study did not investigate interventions for perpetrators of online CSE.) ‣ There was confusion amongst the experts we spoke to over the interpretation of the definition of CSE, and how appropriate this definition is in relation to interventions delivered in the criminal justice system. (A new Government definition of CSE had been introduced in England shortly before the bulk of this study took place.) ‣ There are significant gaps in knowledge about perpetrators. Filling these gaps may help when considering what a specific intervention would be appropriate, and if so what it could look like. ‣ Interventions in the community should be explored further, to supplement programmes provided by criminal justice agencies and enable more collaboration. Further resources would need to be made available to develop these effectively. ‣ It is unknown how the new prison programmes being rolled out by Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) will affect perpetrators of CSE. What does the research show? Current interventions There are currently no specific interventions delivered in prison, probation or the community for perpetrators of contact CSE. Previously, depending on the offence that an individual was convicted of, they may have undertaken a sex offender treatment programme. New treatment programmes targeted at a wider cohort of male offenders (not just those convicted of sexual offences) are currently being rolled out by HMPPS, but little is currently known about how these will work with individuals convicted of a CSE-related offence. Voluntary, community-based interventions, such as Circles of Support and Accountability, exist for individuals convicted of sexual offences, but are not specific to perpetrators of contact CSE. They are based on a voluntary participation model where the individual is supported to reintegrate into the community. Specialist programmes and promising practice There are currently no specialist programmes specifically for perpetrators of contact CSE in either a criminal justice or a community setting. Whilst there is a specific offence around exploitation contained in the Sexual Offences Act 2003, in reality perpetrators may be charged with a variety of offences, and CSE activity will not always be tracked through to the prison or probation setting. Identifying individuals as eligible for specialist programmes would therefore be challenging, unless tracking of CSE activity is more consistent. Although no specific interventions in the criminal justice system for perpetrators of contact CSE have been identified, there are a number of areas of practice that could be developed, including the role of service users and disruption measures. Evidence of effectiveness Whilst reconviction rates of individuals committing sexual offences are low, to date it has been challenging to evidence the effectiveness of sex offender treatment programmes that perpetrators of contact CSE may undertake in prison and the community. We found no clear consensus around what is considered effective, owing to the complexities of measuring effectiveness (including the influence of variables such as housing or family, which may impact on reoffending). In addition, the evidence that exists does not allow us to disaggregate the data for perpetrators of CSE, making it particularly difficult to establish what works with this group. Experts' views on the most appropriate approaches to interventions Many of the experts we interviewed considered that, given the complexities around the different ways in which CSE is perpetrated, creating an intervention to address all models of CSE would be extremely challenging. We still know very little about the specific characteristics and motivations of perpetrators of CSE, and this is critical when considering what an effective intervention might look like. The need for an individualised approach towards interventions was highlighted, given the wide range of motivations and models of CSE that can occur. Gaps in knowledge There are still many gaps in knowledge about individuals convicted of CSE-related offences, in particular around their characteristics and their motivations for committing those offences. Knowing more about individuals who perpetrate CSE could help to inform a specialist intervention for this group. Implications from the research A number of themes emerged from the research that could be explored further: for example, the role that gender-based belief systems and attitudes play in relation to CSE activity. Similarly, issues around gangs and groups (such as the utility of gang risk assessments rather than sexual offending risk assessments) were referenced as being important to consider in developing effective intervention measures. Lack of interventions in custody or in the community for specific groups, particularly young men, is an area for potential exploration - as is the role that the community can play in providing interventions additional to those delivered in the criminal justice system. Given the current resource constraints of Government, supplementary interventions or services should be seriously considered. Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Child sexual exploitation perpetrators research programme, report 4: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%204%20-%20Interventions%20for%20perpetrators%20of%20CSE.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Indonesia URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/csa-centre-prod/assets/File/CSE%20perpetrators%204%20-%20Interventions%20for%20perpetrators%20of%20CSE.pdf Shelf Number: 149213 Keywords: Child Pornography Child Sex Offenders Child Sexual Abuse Child Sexual Exploitation Computer Crimes Internet Crimes Intervention Programs Sex Offender Treatment Sex Offenders |
Author: Kaur, Kam Title: Local commissioning of services addressing child sexual abuse and exploitation in England Summary: On behalf of the Centre of expertise on child sexual abuse, Cordis Bright undertook an independent review in spring 2017 of how child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSA/CSE) services were commissioned in five local areas in England. The review sought to clarify local approaches developed through local authorities, health and wellbeing boards, Offices of the Police and Crime Commissioners (OPCCs), NHS England and clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). It aimed to identify challenges, weaknesses and strengths in current local commissioning which might be of broader interest. Commissioners' views were also sought on the support they were looking for, including how the Centre of expertise might help. Following a review of the literature, Cordis Bright conducted interviews with 30 commissioners, commissioning partners, service providers and local practitioner experts across the five local areas. In view of the link with CSA/CSE, harmful sexual behaviour (HSB) was included in the review as it progressed. Limitations The review was a rapid research exercise informed by evidence from five sites. Whilst these sites provide a degree of diversity, the findings will not fully reflect experiences in all locations in England, and do not incorporate experiences in Wales. The findings reflect a point in time (spring 2017) and should be considered with reference to emerging developments which may influence change, such as the impending release by the NHS of its strategy on sexual abuse. The review focused on local commissioning and does not provide direct insight into centralised commissioning processes. However, some of its findings may be useful to decision-makers in that context. Findings The findings, drawn from the interviews, are summarised thematically here. A key caveat to the findings is the fact that the fieldwork was limited to five local authority areas in England. A theme underpinning many of the findings, and reported in all five areas, is the impact of the current economic climate on local service provision. Stakeholders reported that local commissioners' budgets are diminishing, as is the independently generated income of voluntary and community sector (VCS) service providers. Commissioning challenges Local commissioners were said to face a number of common challenges: - The high profile accorded to CSE by central government has been beneficial, but has not yet been extended to CSA and HSB. - Whilst CSE service commissioning practice appear well-developed, CSA and HSB services are not commissioned (or delivered in-house) with the same transparency and robustness. - The use of short-term contracts (usually lasting three years) limits VCS partnership/investment opportunities. - Good commissioning partnerships (with other commissioners or the VCS) will require a significant amount of investment to develop and maintain. - Cuts to commissioning teams limit the scope and quality of commissioning activity. - There needs to be more detail on CSA/CSE and HSB, including online elements of abuse, in local population needs assessments. - Health bodies and schools are not always seen by others as engaged as full partners in the commissioning of local CSA/CSE and HSB services. - There is no quality assurance framework to ensure that schools have appropriate safeguarding care pathways or commissioned CSA/CSE/HSB response services. - There is no consensus on good outcomes measurement - in particular focusing on 'distance travelled' for an individual (emotional wellbeing, improvement in relationship with family and friends, access to positive alternative activities and engagement in learning) - for CSA/CSE and HSB services. Stakeholders wanted: - CSA and HSB to be included in CSE commissioning governance, reported as usually being overseen by the Director of Children's Services and a local safeguarding children board (LSCB) subgroup - mental health trusts to have in place governance and partnership arrangements focusing on CSA/ CSE recovery - more focus from the OPCCs on children and young people, including funding for the vital role of sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) - all areas to have an explicit, integrated CSA, CSE and HSB strategy - national CSA/CSE and HSB commissioning guidance which minimises contract-monitoring activity. Gaps in commissioned services Local areas expressed concerns including the following: - There has been a significant reduction in prevention services for CSE and HSB. More investment is required from schools, public health budgets and CCGs. - There has not been any CSA prevention work. - There has been a significant reduction in school nursing services. Nurses have been a key contact for identification/disclosure of CSA/CSE. - Responding to online abuse needs to be included in local CSA/CSE and HSB services. - The regionalisation of the SARCs may be supported on medical grounds, but has increased travel time for children and young people. Additionally, more follow-up counselling support sessions funded through SARCs are needed. - There is a significant shortfall in follow-up or recovery services for children who have experienced CSA/CSE and/or HSB. Where budgets are not protected for existing services, the services risk losing the flexibility needed for victims to disclose and recover. - Transition from children's to adults' services is difficult for survivors of CSA and CSE. - The volume of HSB is growing, but services are reducing. Details: Ilford, Esssex, UK: Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse, 2018. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2018 at: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/research-publications/local-commissioning-of-services-addressing-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-in-england/local-commissioning-of-services-addressing-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-in-england/ Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.csacentre.org.uk/research-publications/local-commissioning-of-services-addressing-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-in-england/local-commissioning-of-services-addressing-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-in-en Shelf Number: 149216 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationComputer CrimesInternet CrimesIntervention ProgramsSex Offender TreatmentSex OffendersSexual Assault |
Author: Smahel, David, ed. Title: The meaning of online problematic situations for children: Results of qualitative cross-cultural investigation in nine European countries Summary: Young people are currently surrounded by digital technologies, and through these technologies they experience a variety of positive, but also negative, situations (Livingstone, Haddon, Gorzig, & Olafsson, 2011). The unique pan-European survey of EU Kids Online II (2009-11) offered insights into how often and what types of harm children experienced in the following online risks: cyberbullying, exposure to sexual materials, sexting (sexual communication), meeting online strangers, personal data problems, seeing dangerous websites, and excessive internet use. EU Kids Online II also studied how children cope with some of these risks, and the effectiveness of parental mediation strategies to reduce these risks. Although there are several pieces of research studying specific online risks from qualitative perspectives (i.e., Parris, Varjas, Meyers, & Cutts, 2012; Sleglova & Cerna, 2011; Vandebosch & van Cleemput, 2008), most of the current research on online problematic experiences is quantitative, and aimed at understanding the prevalence, definitions and measurement, and the associated psycho-social consequences. But as we know, perceptions of risk differ for children and researchers (Cohn, Macfarlane, Yanez, & Imai, 1995). What researchers describe as "risky" is sometimes perceived as normal and not negative among young people. Therefore, this report introduces research from the EU Kids Online III (2011-14) studies on risks and online problematic situations from children's perspectives. We ask what children perceive as problematic on the internet, and the meaning of online problematic situations according to children. To fulfil this goal, we proposed qualitative investigations, where we took a children-centred approach and asked what children perceived as problematic on the internet. Using this approach, children spontaneously reported many different online situations, from the harmful and unpleasant to the neutral, as well as positive experiences. For example, meeting an online stranger in offline settings was typically a risk from the researcher's perspective, but from the children's perspectives, it was mostly seen as an online opportunity. Children's experiences with meeting strangers varied from very pleasant to harmful feelings. We therefore decided to avoid the term "risks," where children experienced a broad scale of different situations, and instead used the term "online problematic situations" to describe any unpleasant, bothering, or harmful situations on the internet. We proposed the following definition of problematic online situations: "encompassing a broad range of possible online behaviours and experiences that, together or individually, result in a disruption of relationships, values, daily obligations, and or mental or physical well-being" (Mitchell, Sabina, Finkelhor, & Wells, 2009, p. 707). Such a definition of online problematic situations is broader than the previously used term of "online risk," which is defined as the probability of harm (Livingstone et al., 2011). In this report, both terms are used in different contexts. Research presented in this report is based on focus groups and interviews with 368 children from the following nine countries: Belgium, the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and the United Kingdom (UK). Teams from the EU Kids Online network voluntarily joined this comparative research. Therefore, the selection of countries is not the selection of coordinators, but instead a group of voluntary, cooperating research teams with one coordinator (David Smahel). As explained in Chapter 3: Methodology, we involved children from many different social and cultural backgrounds, and recorded a large variability of different perspectives and meanings of online situations. Nevertheless, this report intentionally does not include a special section on cultural comparisons across countries, because producing a systematic analysis of cultural factors remains difficult in qualitative research with relatively small samples. Despite this consideration, across this report possible observations about country differences have been made, including ones that draw on a background knowledge of specific countries. The emphasis of this report was on pooling the data from the countries in order to describe the range of online problematic situations, and coping and awareness of them, along with various mediational strategies. We believe that this pooled sample has generated enough material to provide a relatively comprehensive picture of the meaning and experience of online problematic situations for children in Europe. Research questions To understand children's meanings of online problematic situations and risks, we proposed the following research questions, which we answer in the chapters that follow in this report: - What do children perceive as being potentially negative or problematic when using the internet? - What online problematic situations and risks are children aware of? - What are the consequences of online negative experiences? - How do/would they react to it (including emotional reaction, behavioural reaction, opinion change etc.)? - What do/would children do to avoid or prevent these online problematic experiences? - What is the context for children's perceptions of certain situations as negative? - In which circumstances are certain situations perceived as negative? In which circumstances are other situations perceived as neutral or even positive? - What coping strategies work best from children's perspectives? - How do children evaluate situations that adults consider problematic? - How are children's negative experiences mediated? Details: London: EU Kids Online, London School of Economics and Political Science, 2014. 171p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 23, 2018 at: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/56972/1/EU_Kids_Online_Report_Online_Problematic_Situations_for_Children_June2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Europe URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/56972/1/EU_Kids_Online_Report_Online_Problematic_Situations_for_Children_June2014.pdf Shelf Number: 149543 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual AbuseOnline VictimizationProsecutionSex OffendersSextingSocial Media |
Author: Haddon, Leslie Title: The meaning of online problematic situations for children: The UK report Summary: The present report looks specifically at the experiences of the UK children who took part in that wider European project. Interviews and focus groups were used to collect children's data. The interview schedule for the research was tested in all participating countries. In the UK pilot interviews were conducted in January 2013 with primary and secondary school boys (aged 9-10 and 11-13 respectively). The European pilots indicated that the interview schedule was generally sound although some alterations were made to it in the light of the pilot feedback. In the UK the main interviews took place between March and September 2013 in four schools - two primary and two secondary. This consisted of interviews with two boys and two girls from each age group (9‐10, 11‐13, 14‐16), and one boys' and one girls' focus group from each of the three age bands, each group consisting of five people. There was one extra interview with a boy aged 9‐10. This made a total of 13 interviews and six focus groups - 43 children aged 9-16 years old altogether. The interviews, conducted by the authors, were fully transcribed and analysed for the present report. Since the UK research was part of a wider European project it followed the same procedures as in the other participating countries. Each point discussed in the interview was summarised in a comment box, and all the comments from the interview were imported into an Excel file. Here they received a secondary level of coding so that for each point made by a child it was clear whether and what ICTs were involved, whether and what risks were involved, who was being discussed, whether the theme was about activities, communication, mediation of some kind, etc. The coding meant that it was possible to search the Excel sheets by various criteria, whether looking into specific risks, preventative measures, coping strategies or parental mediation Parallel to this, main points for translation that related to previous project‐wide discussions of the whole area were marked and collated. In the other countries these observations by children were translated into English to make them accessible to all the other researchers when collectively writing the pan‐European report. In the UK, they were simply collated in the original English. When conducting the analysis, these points for translation often became the basis for the main quotations in this report, either because they summarised certain issues (more succinctly than some of the other children), captured ambivalences or demonstrated a theme well. The points for translation were used in conjunction with searches of the Excel sheet. The latter aimed to capture overall tendencies within the sample, the range of experiences and diverse examples of the same theme. When children are cited but not directly quoted, the material often comes from this second strand of analysis involving an overview of the interview material on any particular topic. The whole procedure had the effect that some children are quoted more, often reflecting the fact that they are either more articulate, more reflective or have more of certain kinds of experience. However, the overall content and conclusions of this report fully reflect the range and diversity of opinions and experiences expressed by all children interviewed in the project. Details: London: EU Kids Online, London School of Economics and Political Science, 2014. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 23, 2018 at: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/60514/1/__lse.ac.uk_storage_LIBRARY_Secondary_libfile_shared_repository_Content_EU%20Kids%20Online_EU%20Kids%20Online_Meaning%20of%20online%20problematic%20situations-UK%20report_2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/60514/1/__lse.ac.uk_storage_LIBRARY_Secondary_libfile_shared_repository_Content_EU%20Kids%20Online_EU%20Kids%20Online_Meaning%20of%20online%20problematic%20situations-UK%20report_2014.pdf Shelf Number: 149545 Keywords: Child Pornography Child Sexual Abuse Online Victimization Prosecution Sex Offenders SextingSocial Media |
Author: DeMarco, Jeffrey Title: Behaviour and Characteristics of Perpetrators of Online-facilitated Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation: A Rapid Evidence Assessment Summary: - The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse: The primary remit of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) is to explore how public bodies and other non-state institutions in England and Wales have handled their duty of care in protecting children from sexual abuse. One of the investigations focuses on the institutional responses to child sexual abuse (CSA) and exploitation facilitated by the internet. This is referred to as the Internet Investigation. - ICT and CSA: Evidence suggests that all perpetrators of online-facilitated CSA have broadly been using information and communication technology (ICT) to commit child abuse since the late 1980s. - Research aims and objectives: IICSA commissioned this rapid evidence assessment as part of its investigation into the internet and CSA. Its aim was to answer the question: 'What is known about the behaviour and characteristics of people who sexually abuse or exploit children, where such abuse is facilitated by the internet?' Research aims and objectives - In responding to the primary research question listed above, the rapid evidence assessment considered how perpetrators use specific technologies to offend and how the availability of these technologies influences perpetrators' behaviour, how perpetrators identify and target potential victims across forums, and what the key safeguarding challenges are for institutions raised by changing technologies and associated perpetrator behaviour. - The rapid evidence assessment also sought to identify evidence regarding emerging types of offences, including self-generated material in sexual solicitation, exploitation and abuse of children, sexual extortion, and offences in which self-generated sexual material shared freely online by children is identified and circulated by perpetrators with an interest in child sexual exploitation material. - Lastly, the rapid evidence assessment also aimed to capture information pertaining to children who perpetrate online-facilitated sexual abuse against peers, relationships between different types of offending, and pathways into offending. - The rapid evidence assessment was conducted in four stages: pilot, evidence selecting, evidence screening and evidence synthesising. - The findings from the above points are presented to best synthesise the information in responding to each one while considering the primary research question. Details: London: NatCen Social Research, 2018. 85p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 23, 2018 at: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/document/rapid-evidence-assessment-behaviour-and-characteristics-perpetrators-online-facilitated Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/document/rapid-evidence-assessment-behaviour-and-characteristics-perpetrators-online-facilitated Shelf Number: 149552 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationInternet CrimeOnline VictimizationSex OffendersSexting |
Author: Latchford, Lia Title: Young people who sexually harm peers in groups: A Rapid Evidence Assessment of International Literature Summary: This literature review was conducted by the University of Bedfordshire to develop an evidence base on young people who sexually harm in groups, by synthesising existing literature on group harmful sexual behaviour (HSB), wider group offending and group interventions. Using a Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) methodology, the review addresses the following research objectives: Provide a critical overview and synthesis of existing literature on harmful sexual behaviour, group offending and group interventions and what this means for practice Identify the gaps and limitations in existing research on young people who sexually harm peers in groups Consider how existing evidence could be applied and built upon to respond to young people who sexually harm peers in groups The literature was identified, screened, coded, and synthesised to draw out the following key findings: There is a limited evidence-base focused on young people who display harmful sexual behaviour within a group context. The majority of literature is located in the USA and the Netherlands, with fewer studies generated from other parts of Europe Young people who sexually harm in a group context have a mixed profile with a range of individual characteristics and situational contexts that differ between young people Group harmful sexual behaviour, like broader group offending, is found to peak during adolescence and decline into adulthood Peer influence, group pressure and group dynamics impact on young people who sexually harm, and engage in wider offending behaviour, within a group context. Group roles are flexible and may change from one situation to another The literature did not identify existing interventions that work to respond to group harmful sexual behaviour The literature review concludes that there is scope to explore adaptations to Multisystemic Therapy (MST) and interventions such as detached youth work, that work with young people in their own environments, to begin to address group-based harmful sexual behaviour. The review suggests that it may be useful to equip practitioners who already work with young people in a group context, with the skills to respond specifically to group-based harmful sexual behaviour and to appropriately safeguard those affected. Details: Bedfordshire, UK: University of Bedfordshire, International Centre Researching Child Sexual Exploitation, Violence and Trafficking, 2016. 21p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 30, 2018 at: https://contextualsafeguarding.org.uk/assets/documents/IC-literature-review-on-group-HSB.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: https://contextualsafeguarding.org.uk/assets/documents/IC-literature-review-on-group-HSB.pdf Shelf Number: 149619 Keywords: Group OffendingJuvenile Sex OffendersPeer CriminalitySex Offenders Sexual Abuse Sexual Violence |
Author: Hackett, Simon Title: Services for Young People Who Sexually Abuse: A report on mapping and exploring services for young people who have sexually abused others Summary: The overall aim of this study was to investigate recent developments in the UK and Republic of Ireland in services for young people who have demonstrated sexually abusive behaviour, including their organisational, theoretical and policy bases, and to explore the experiences of young people and their families who are receiving such services. Rationale It has been recognised that sexual abuse perpetrated by young people constitutes a significant proportion of all sexual abuse committed in the UK and Republic of Ireland. For example, the most recently available criminal statistics indicate that 17% of all Cautions and convictions for sexual offences in England and Wales in the year 2001 related to young people under the age of 18 (Home Office, 2002). Nevertheless, services designed to respond to such groups of young people are in their relative infancy, with previous research highlighting the problematic nature of their piecemeal development (Masson, 1997 and 1998). There has been little overall sense of the range of services being offered in the UK to different populations of young people with sexually abusive behaviour across both the child welfare and Criminal Justice System. While something of a 'treatment' orthodoxy has developed more broadly in the adult sex offender field (Hackett, 2000), there have been few previous concerted attempts to understand the development and current 'landscape' of services in the adolescent field. In addition, there has been little, if any, published research into the experiences and views of young people and their families who receive such services. There is, therefore, an urgent need for research to fill these gaps in the current knowledge base. In order to meet the overall goal set out above, the current study has gathered data on the nature of service provision, policy and practice relating to young people with sexually abusive and harmful behaviour across England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. In this way, the current study has sought to form the most comprehensive review of the field undertaken, to date, in the UK and Republic of Ireland. The process After an initial analysis of the available literature, the following five-stage process was used to meet the objectives of the study. First, a survey was undertaken to collect the views and opinions of key experts (n=78) working in the field on the nature of effective intervention or 'treatment' with this group of young people. Using the Delphi method, it was possible to identify levels of consensus about the orientation and principles of this work, its core goals, components and theoretical basis. Second, a further Delphi study, focusing on structural and management issues in this area of practice, was undertaken with managers of services working with young people who have sexually abused (n=65). Third, a comprehensive 'mapping' survey relating to services for young people who have demonstrated sexually abusive behaviour and their families (n=186) was undertaken, collecting data on the nature of each service, its users, practices, policies and procedures. Fourth, an analysis of available policy documents (n=43) on the subject of children and young people who have sexually abused was undertaken. Local area child protection committee (ACPC) procedures and guidance documents, children's services plans, ACPC annual reports, and youth offending team (YOT) protocols were analysed as to their usefulness and comprehensiveness in dealing effectively with this issue. Fifth, a small-scale qualitative study of service-user perspectives (n=23) from a variety of sites across the UK and Northern Ireland collected users' views and opinions about the professional systems which have been involved in their lives in the aftermath of sexually abusive behaviour. The findings from each of these five research elements are reported within separate chapters in this report, together with a fuller description of the methodology used in each case. Details: Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, 2005. 155p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 10, 2018 at: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/7763/1/Services%20for%20Young%20People%20who%20have%20Sexually%20Abused.pdf Year: 2005 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/7763/1/Services%20for%20Young%20People%20who%20have%20Sexually%20Abused.pdf Shelf Number: 117088 Keywords: Juvenile Sex OffendersSex Offender TreatmentSex Offenders |
Author: Jay, Alexis Title: Interim Report of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse Summary: The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse ('the Inquiry') was established as an independent statutory inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 on 12 March 2015 by the then Home Secretary. The purpose and scope of the Inquiry are set out in its Terms of Reference,1 which state that it is: to consider the extent to which State and non-State institutions have failed in their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse and exploitation; to consider the extent to which those failings have since been addressed; to identify further action needed to address any failings identified; to consider the steps which it is necessary for State and non-State institutions to take in order to protect children from such abuse in future; and to publish a report with recommendations. The Chair of the Inquiry is Professor Alexis Jay OBE and there are three Panel members: Professor Sir Malcolm Evans KCMG OBE, Ivor Frank and Drusilla Sharpling CBE. The Inquiry's Terms of Reference require it to publish an interim report by the end of 2018. The publication of this report fulfils that responsibility. This report sets out how the Inquiry has undertaken its work (Chapter 2) and describes the nature and effects of child sexual abuse (Chapter 3). It provides an update on the public hearings held by the Inquiry to date (Chapter 4) and on the Inquiry's work considering current responses to tackling child sexual abuse (Chapter 5). The report also considers what the Inquiry has learned so far in relation to four key strategic themes (Chapter 6) and concludes by setting out the Inquiry's work programme for the coming year (Chapter 8). Recommendations for change are made throughout this report - they are also listed in (Chapter 7) for ease of reference. Each recommendation is addressed to an institution. The Inquiry expects institutions to act upon its recommendations and - in the interest of transparency and openness - asks that each institution publishes details of the steps they will take in response to the recommendation, including the timetable involved. This should be done within six months of the publication of this report unless the recommendation says otherwise. Details: London: House of Commons, 2018. 109p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 25, 2018 at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/702667/HC_954-I_-_IICSA_Interim_Report_Web_Accessible.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/702667/HC_954-I_-_IICSA_Interim_Report_Web_Accessible.pdf Shelf Number: 149894 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild ProstitutionChild ProtectionChild RapeChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationChild TraffickingSex Offenders |
Author: Hollomotz, Andrea Title: Behaviour that Challenges: Planning services for people with learning disabilities and/or autism who sexually offend Summary: There are people with learning disabilities and/ or autism in every community, some of whom will engage in sexually offending and risky behaviour. Already a highly marginalised group, many will themselves be at risk of exploitation and abuse. Several local, regional and national authorities and multi-agency partnerships have overlapping responsibilities for their health and wellbeing - whether as a statutory duty or because supporting people who are vulnerable is integral to their role. The array of support agencies can be confusing and hard to access - both for individuals with learning disabilities and/ or autism and family members seeking help on their behalf. Early intervention and support can improve outcomes for the individuals themselves, make communities safer and reduce the number of victims, and lessen the high cost of crisis intervention. This briefing paper sets out the case for change: it draws on presentations and discussions from a seminar we held in May 2017. It includes practice examples and suggests practical ways forward and makes recommendations to improve outcomes for some of the most vulnerable citizens in our society. Details: London: Economic and Social Research Council; Prison Reform Trust, 2018. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 26, 2018 at: http://adaptingtreatment.com/files/2018/03/Behaviour-that-challenges.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://adaptingtreatment.com/files/2018/03/Behaviour-that-challenges.pdf Shelf Number: 149897 Keywords: AutismDevelopmental DisabilitiesDisabled PersonsLearning DisabilitiesSex Offender TreatmentSex Offenders |
Author: Canada. Public Safety Canada Title: 2016-2017 Evaluation of the National Flagging System Program: Final Report Summary: The Program The National Flagging System was established in 1995 to ensure that provincial/territorial Crown prosecutors were aware of the potential information held in other provinces/territories regarding an offender's high and continuing risk of future violent conduct. The National Flagging System is both a database and a network of provincial/territorial officials, referred to as National Flagging System Coordinators, who are responsible for identifying high-risk offenders for flagging purposes. The National Flagging System operates through the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC), which is housed within the RCMP. CPIC facilitates the sharing of person records to support this Program. When a flagged offender re-offends anywhere in Canada, those NFS Coordinators that have access to CPIC messaging functionality are notified through CPIC. NFS coordinators must apply and be granted CPIC system access before sharing the aforementioned information. The NFS is a $500,000/year grant program for the provinces with base funding of $25,000 per year per province and the remainder divided among the provinces on a population basis. Funding is used for salaries, equipment for electronic storage and file distribution, communication and travel for training and conferences that enhance expertise in the area of high-risk offenders. The territories, while part of the network, are not eligible for funding because the administration of justice is the responsibility of the Public Prosecution Service, a federal body that cannot be funded under the grant program. Why it is important High-risk offenders are a mobile population. Many spend time in the federal penitentiary system and may be moved around the country. After their incarceration, there is high incentive for them to relocate as they are often known in their community. There is a need for coordination among provinces and territories in the management of high-risk offenders. Inter-jurisdictional cooperation is essential in order to ensure that prosecutors have the information necessary to treat them appropriately if they re-offend anywhere in Canada. What we examined The evaluation assessed the relevance and performance of the NFS Program over the period 2012-13 to 2016-17. It examined: 1) continued need, 2) alignment with federal government priorities, 3) alignment with federal roles and responsibilities, 4) progress towards achievement of intended outcomes, and 5) efficiency and economy. What we found Relevance There is a continued need for the NFS and inter-jurisdictional cooperation so that prosecutors have information to ensure flagged offenders are treated appropriately if they re-offend anywhere in Canada. Workload is increasing because of the requirement to maintain files on high-risk offenders who tend to have long criminal careers. Given the mobility of long-term offenders, inter-provincial co-operation and sharing of information are crucial. Without federal funding some provinces are likely to become inactive leading to less communication, information sharing and cooperation among provinces. By identifying and tracking high-risk offenders and providing information on flagged offenders should they reoffend anywhere in Canada, the Program is aligned with the Government of Canada's and Public Safety's objective of a Safe and Secure Canada. The administration of justice is an area of shared responsibility between the federal government and the provinces/territories. The Program is consistent with federal roles and responsibilities to provide national leadership to foster cooperation and coordination among the provinces/ territories in the management of high risk offenders. Cost sharing reflects the need for information sharing with respect to this population as their mobility is increased when transferred within the federal penitentiary system. The NFS is a unique network with no equivalent counterparts. It has synergies with provincial flagging systems and with the new High Risk Child Sex Offender database for which NFS Coordinators have recently agreed to act as a conduit between the RCMP and organizations in the provinces/territories conducting public notifications. Performance - Effectiveness The evidence from interviews as well as document and literature reviews suggests that the Program is contributing to the outcomes identified in its logic model. The Program has helped provinces maintain or increase their capacity to identify and track high- risk offenders by providing funding for resources, training and equipment and by encouraging the development of inter-and intra-provincial/territorial networks. Although the data suggests that offenders who are higher risk than the general offender population are being identified, referred, flagged and tracked, it appears that cases may be missed and flagging criteria may be inconsistent across provinces. Work underway in certain provinces suggests that twice as many offenders should be flagged. A 2015 research study conducted in collaboration with PS points to inconsistency in flagging noting that some provinces are flagging disproportionally more offenders even though there were no differences in risk scores or recidivism rates between provinces.Footnote 1 The study also concluded that "the NFS appeared to function as an appropriate mechanism for tracking offenders at increased risk for violent or sexual recidivism" and identifies the right risk offenders.Footnote 2 Interviewees suggested that the program could be improved by reviewing flagging guidelines and practices. There are no standards for the timeliness of the transfer of information between provinces/territories; however, most interviewees felt it had improved and that files were transferred to meet court deadlines. Increased knowledge about the NFS and flagged offenders among Crown prosecutors and other justice partners is attributed to education and training, good communications between Coordinators and prosecutors and the knowledge and accessibility of Coordinators and staff to those with questions or seeking information. NFS information is seen to affect outcomes because it is readily and nationally available, extensive, complete and of high quality. It would be difficult for a Crown prosecutor to identify and obtain information of this caliber in a timely manner through his/her own efforts. NFS information is used to make decisions on charges, prosecution strategy, bail submissions, plea negotiations and sentencing recommendations as well as to alert prosecutors to the need to consider making an application for Dangerous Offender or Long Term Offender designations and as input into the programming an inmate receives from the Correctional Service of Canada. The NFS facilitates Dangerous Offender and Long Term Offender applications by providing complete criminal histories to support these applications, documenting intensive court processes and significantly reducing resource demands on Crown prosecutors that may in the past have limited the number of applications. A 2015 PS research study found that 14% of flagged offenders included in the study were subsequently designated compared to 1% of Canadian violent recidivists.Footnote 3 Having dedicated NFS staff, partly funded by federal grants, has facilitated the achievement of outcomes and the development of a network and strong relationships that are fostered through Coordinators' meetings. Two factors have been identified by some of the interviewees to have hindered the achievement of the Program's outcomes: information sharing challenges with the Correctional Service of Canada and the backlog faced by the RCMP in entering the criminal records of offenders in the CPIC. However, the RCMP indicated that CPIC does not have a backlog of any information. PS research studies published in 2005 and 2015 have provided confidence that the right people are being flagged and have helped Coordinators understand the impact of the Program. However, no additional research is currently planned. A number of potential improvements related to the Program have been suggested including reviewing flagging guidelines and criteria to improve inter-provincial consistency, implementing automatic notification of flagging candidates from provincial databases to minimize missed cases, preparing case summaries to improve the usefulness of flagging files to Crown prosecutors, increasing the use of electronic files, developing a web-based national database to store flagged offender files, more timely and consistent access to the Correctional Service of Canada data, more training for prosecutors on the Dangerous Offender and Long Term Offender application process and more systematic communication within the network to share information on issues and challenges related to high-risk offenders. Performance - Efficiency and Economy As recommended by the previous evaluation, a Performance Measurement Strategy was completed in 2014 and implemented in 2015. At 8%, the administration ratio for the program is in line with that of other grant programs and is indicative of an efficient administrative process. It is noted that the ratio has increased from 4.5% at the time of the last evaluation. The evaluation has identified a number of opportunities for improvement. To that end, the following recommendations are being made for consideration. Recommendations Internal Audit and Evaluation Directorate recommends that the ADM of CSCCB: In collaboration with the provinces, to develop more structured flagging criteria and guidelines to improve consistency in the application of these criteria by NFS coordinators and across jurisdictions; To work with NFS coordinators and Correctional Service Canada (CSC) to improve consistency, timeliness and ease of access to CSC information by NFS coordinators and across jurisdictions. Management Response and Action Plan Management accepts all recommendations and will implement an action plan Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2017. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 28, 2018 at: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/vltn-ntnl-flggng/vltn-ntnl-flggng-en.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Canada URL: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/vltn-ntnl-flggng/vltn-ntnl-flggng-en.pdf Shelf Number: 149949 Keywords: Offender MonitoringRecidivismRisk AssessmentSex OffendersViolent Offenders (Canada) |
Author: Napier, Sarah Title: What impact do public sex offender registries have on community safety? Summary: Sexual offending is a serious and harmful crime, particularly when it affects children, and often sparks significant community interest in the response by law enforcement and government. The modus operandi of sex offenders can vary widely, and the causes of sexual offending are complex, which means combating sexual offending can present significant challenges. A variety of policies and programs have been trialled internationally with the goal of preventing sexual offending and deterring convicted sex offenders from reoffending once released back into the community. One of these policies has been the adoption of public sex offender registries. In the United States, information on the name, appearance and location of high-risk sex offenders has been available to the public for 20 years. In 1994, the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Act was introduced, requiring convicted sex offenders released into the community to register with law enforcement. In 1996, Megan's Law was passed federally as a subsection of the Jacob Wetterling Act. Megan's Law requires law enforcement agencies to make information on registered sex offenders available to the public, which enables individuals to search for registered sex offenders living in their community. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2018. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 550: Accessed May 24, 2018 at: https://aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi550 Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: https://aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi550 Shelf Number: 150423 Keywords: Child Sexual AbuseSex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: Cross, Theodore Title: Forensic Evidence and Criminal Justice Outcomes in a Statewide Sample of Sexual Assault Cases Summary: Sexual assault is a heinous crime that as much as a quarter of women nationally experience in their lifetime. Not only do victims suffer the terror and degradation of the assault, but they are further at risk of injury and a range of difficulties with mental health and functioning. Survivors are also at risk of re-victimization from informal and professional responses that question their credibility and in effect blame them for the assault. Only a small proportion of sexual assaults are prosecuted; only a subset of assaults are reported to police, only a portion of those cases reported to police result in arrest, and only small percentage of those arrested are ultimately prosecuted. When prosecution does ensue, enormous demands are placed on victims; they must testify in court about the traumatic events of the crime and face assaults on their credibility both in and outside the courtroom. In this difficult context, investigative methods that increase evidence against assailants while decreasing the burden on victims are especially important, and advances in the technology and expertise of collecting and analyzing injury and forensic evidence offer promise. Victims undergo difficult forensic medical examinations with the hope of contributing evidence that can help bring assailants to justice. The research community has a responsibility to develop a better understanding of how this information is used and actually relates to criminal justice actions. This study explores the role of injury evidence and forensic evidence in sexual assault cases using data from medical providers, crime laboratories and police. The study: - Examines the frequency of injury and biological evidence in sexual assault cases; - Identifies case factors associated with the presence of injury and biological evidence; - Analyzes how often biological evidence is processed prior to versus after arrest; - Explores how injury and biological evidence as well as other factors are related to arrest; and - Examines results for key comparisons thought to be salient for forensic evidence: Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners vs. other medical examiners; strangers vs. known suspects; child victims vs. adults and adolescents. Details: Urbana-Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, 2014. 220p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 31, 2018 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248254.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/248254.pdf Shelf Number: 150411 Keywords: Criminal InvestigationEvidenceForensic EvidenceRapeSex OffendersSexual Assault |
Author: McKillop, Nadine Title: A comparison of individual, ecological and situational factors associated with adolescence- and adulthood-onset sexual abuse of children Summary: Background: This study builds specifically on two previous projects (Smallbone et al. 2005; Smallbone, Leclerc & Allard 2011). This work highlighted important gaps in knowledge concerning the similarities and differences in the circumstances of adolescence- and adulthood-onset sexual abuse of children. To date, little research has attempted to address these gaps, or directly examine the role of individual, ecological and situational influences in the onset of sexual abuse in adolescence and adulthood. Discerning the commonalities and differences between adolescence- and adulthood-onset child-sex abuse may validate and/or challenge current conceptualisations of, and responses to, the prevention of child sexual abuse, which was the impetus for this project. Aims: The project examined offender histories and the specific circumstances in which child sexual abuse first occurs in adolescence and adulthood. It aimed to (a) identify common and unique developmental, ecological and situational risk factors associated with adolescence-onset and adulthood-onset sexual abuse offending and (b) determine what responses are therefore required to effectively prevent its occurrence during these two life-stages. Method: Individual (e.g. developmental history) and contextual (e.g. relationship context, offence settings, situational precipitators, decision-making, opportunity structures, sexual acts, frequency, duration, and presence of guardians) factors associated with the onset of child sexual abuse at these two life-stages were compared. Results: Four key findings emerged from this research: (1) adverse developmental histories are common among adolescents and adults who sexually abuse children, (2) sexual offending in adolescence is often preceded by a history of contact with the Youth Justice System for non-sexual offences, (3) offending is differentially influenced by situational factors within the routine activities and social ecologies that comprise these two developmental stages and (4) adolescents and adults may be motivated to sexually abuse children for different reasons. Recommendations and conclusions: Three key recommendations stem from these findings: (1) primary- and secondary-prevention approaches should be a key priority for policy development in Australia, (2) policy development and implementation must take a broader approach to explaining, and responding to, child sexual abuse and (3) approaches to preventing, and responding to adolescents and adults who sexually abuse children, should be developmentally-appropriate and tailored to suit their unique criminogenic needs. The findings present an important opportunity to reflect on current policies and practices addressing the issue of child sexual abuse and to promote the development of new strategies to combat sexual abuse of children across the prevention spectrum. Details: Canberra: Criminology Research Advisory Council, 2018. 63p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 2, 2018 at: http://www.criminologyresearchcouncil.gov.au/reports/1819/30-1314-FinalReport.pdf Year: 2018 Country: Australia URL: http://www.criminologyresearchcouncil.gov.au/reports/1819/30-1314-FinalReport.pdf Shelf Number: 151011 Keywords: Child Sexual Abuse Sex OffendersSexual Abuse |
Author: Wilkinson, Keely Title: A Process Study of the Horizon Programme Summary: The Horizon programme is an intervention delivered to men who have a sexual conviction as part of an antisocial criminal orientation and are considered to be at a medium, high or very high risk of reconviction. The programme can be delivered in both custodial and community sites and is suitable for men accepting responsibility for their offence and those maintaining their innocence. There has been a staged implementation of the Horizon programme, which has enabled a process study to take place in 2016 at six early implementation sites. This study aimed to gauge the perceptions of both the staff delivering Horizon and the participants completing the programme, in order to evaluate the programme's design and identify how it could be best optimised for successful delivery across all sites. Focus groups were conducted with the facilitators and treatment managers delivering Horizon, and individual interviews were carried out with the group members of the first completed programme. While the study is a reflection of staff and group members' opinions of the initial implementation and processes of Horizon, it does not measure the impact of the programme on outcomes such as reconviction. Details: London, UK: Ministry of Justice, 2018. 7p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 10, 2019 at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/769540/process-study-horizon-programme.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/769540/process-study-horizon-programme.pdf Shelf Number: 154130 Keywords: AntisocialFocus GroupsHorizonLondonRecidivismReconvictionSex OffendersSexual Conviction |
Author: Song, Lin Title: Preliminary Recidivism Rates: The Twin Rivers Sex Offender Treatment Program (Revised) Summary: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This study is a preliminary estimate of the recidivism rates of sex offenders who have completed the Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) at the Washington State Department of Corrections' Twin Rivers Corrections Center. Estimated recidivism rates of these offenders are compared with the rates of a group of released sex offenders who did not receive sex offender treatment during incarceration. Recidivism is defined as a re-arrest for a felony offense, and is grouped into one of three categories: sex offense, violent offense, and non-violent offense. In order to be selected for the treatment program, sex offenders must meet the following four requirements: - Voluntary participation - An I.Q. of 80 or above - Admission of guilt - At least one year remaining in prison Because of these requirements, there may be significant differences between the treatment group and the comparison group that result from the selection process and are unrelated to the effects of the SOTP. Details: S.L., 1994. 9p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 8, 2019 at: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1167/Wsipp_Preliminary-Recidivism-Rates-The-Twin-Rivers-Sex-Offender-Treatment-Program-Revised_Full-Report.pdf Year: 1994 Country: United States URL: http://www.wsipp.wa.gov/ReportFile/1167/Wsipp_Preliminary-Recidivism-Rates-The-Twin-Rivers-Sex-Offender-Treatment-Program-Revised_Full-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 154294 Keywords: Department of CorrectionsNon-Violent OffenseRecidivism RatesSex Offender Treatment ProgramSex OffendersSex OffenseViolent OffensesWashington |
Author: Grant, Billie-Jo Title: A Case Study of K-12 School Employee Sexual Misconduct: Lessons Learned from Title IX Policy Implementation Summary: An estimated 10% of K12 students will experience sexual misconduct by a school employee by the time they graduate from high school. Such misconduct can result in lifelong consequences for students including negative physical, psychological, and academic outcomes. To prevent incidents from occurring, school districts are tasked with complying with Title IX, a federal law that provides guidelines for prevention efforts and responses to school employee sexual misconduct in K-12 schools. Key elements of Title IX guidance include requirements for 1) comprehensive policies and procedures, 2) prevention efforts, 3) training for staff, students, and parents, 4) timely reporting, 5) thorough and coordinated investigations, and 6) effective response. Taken together, these six elements are intended to reduce the risk of school employee sexual misconduct and eliminate mismanagement of cases when misconduct does occur. The purpose of this study is to examine Title IX policy implementation in school districts that experienced a case of school employee sexual misconduct in 2014. After experiencing incidents of school employee sexual misconduct school district participants in this study reported reformulation of some policies and procedures to address gaps highlighted by the incidents and improvements in awareness, communication, and district leadership. Although participants reported improvements, a lack of understanding and various challenges and fears continued to affect school district policy development and implementation in spite of Title IX requirements. Districts in this study lacked one or more of the key elements of Title IX; the study identified gaps in policies with regard to 1) having comprehensive policies and procedures, 2) providing trainings for staff, students, and parents, and 3) properly responding to and investigating cases. Participants reported various challenges that affected their implementation of the key elements of Title IX, including district budget limitations, low parent engagement, fear of the consequences of reporting, and poor responses by criminal justice and child welfare agencies. To prevent or respond effectively to incidents, participants recommend that districts 1) be proactive, 2) develop clear and comprehensive policies and procedures, 3) improve communication about policies and procedures, 4) offer annual in-person staff, student, and parent trainings, 5) have clear guidance for reporting procedures, 6) develop protocols and checklists, 7) establish accountability measures, 8) have strong leaders communicate and enforce policies and procedures, and 9) develop collaborative relationships with criminal justice and child welfare agencies. Researchers recommend that school districts review their policy and implementation efforts to determine if they are compliant with the key elements of Title IX guidance. Researchers also recommend that the federal and state departments of education establish accountability measures to track policy implementation and ensure school districts comply with Title IX guidance and provide high-quality low-cost training options. Further examination of prevalence data, victim and offender characteristics, effects on victims and school communities, criminal justice responses, and the effectiveness of prevention efforts are also recommended. Details: Charlottesville, VA: Magnolia Consulting, 2017. 74p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 14, 2019 at: https://magnoliaconsulting.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Full-Report-Department-of-Justice-School-Employee-Sexual-Misconduct-Case-Study.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://magnoliaconsulting.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Full-Report-Department-of-Justice-School-Employee-Sexual-Misconduct-Case-Study.pdf Shelf Number: 154604 Keywords: Child Protection Child Sexual Abuse Employee Misconduct School Crime School Safety Sex OffendersSexual Misconduct |
Author: Florida. Legislature. Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability Title: Sex Offender Registration and Monitoring Triennial Review - 2018 Summary: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Beginning in the early nineties, both federal and Florida law have facilitated oversight of sexual offenders and predators living in Florida communities. Several entities have a role in monitoring sex offenders in Florida, including the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Florida Department of Corrections (FDC), Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV), and local law enforcement. The agencies' various activities include monitoring, registering, verifying, and providing information about sex offenders. FDLE's sex offender registry lists more than 73,000 offenders and predators, of which, just over 28,000 reside in Florida communities. Since 2005, when the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) was first statutorily required to review the registry, the number of registered sexual predators and sex offenders in Florida communities has grown by 53%. Sheriffs' offices monitor all registered sex offenders and are meeting statutory requirements, adopting various strategies to fulfill them. Additionally, FDC supervises offenders sentenced to community supervision and those who have been conditionally released from prison. Also, some sex offenders are conditionally released into the community from the Sexually Violent Predator Program's Florida Civil Commitment Center. Some sex offenders are required to participate in specialized treatment as a term of their community supervision. OPPAGA's review found a wide range of treatment costs as well as cost variability by both provider and geographic area. To help ensure reasonable rates and set standards for treatment quality, FDC entered into contractual agreements with treatment providers throughout its four regions to provide sex offender treatment services. However, many sex offender treatment providers do not operate under the parameters of a contract and are not monitored for quality assurance. Sex offenders in Florida may face barriers to housing including residence restrictions, unwelcoming property managers, lack of affordable housing, and issues with employment and income. Transient offenders continue to present monitoring challenges. While the overall percentage of registered sex offenders living in Florida communities with a transient address is small (6%), some counties have higher than average rates. In addition, barriers to housing have contributed to sex offender enclave communities. Enclaves include apartment complexes, rooming houses, trailer parks, and motels that were established expressly for, or are willing to rent to, sex offenders. There are local variations in emergency shelter access for sex offenders, with most communities designating a specific shelter or area of a shelter for sex offenders. In addition, some communities have ordinances that require sex offenders to self-disclose their registration status at shelters. In support of this project, OPPAGA conducted fieldwork in Hendry, Lee, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties, including - meeting with FDC, Community Corrections probation officers, and staff; - meeting with sheriff's office staff and accompanying officers on address verifications to multiple sex offender residences; - visiting the Pelican Lake Community, a sex offender enclave near Pahokee in Palm Beach County that is run by Matthew 25 Ministries and houses 125 sex offenders; - facilitating a focus group attended by 31 individuals required to register as offenders and predators; and - attending a meeting of the Palm Beach County Re-Entry Taskforce's Sex Offender Subcommittee. Details: Tallahassee, Florida, United States: Florida Legislature, 2018. 37p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2019 at: http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/summary.aspx?reportnum=18-08 Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/MonitorDocs/Reports/pdf/1808rpt.pdf Shelf Number: 154742 Keywords: Registered Sex OffendersSex Offender RegistrySex Offender Treatment ProgramsSex OffendersSexual PredatorsTransient Offenders |
Author: Henry, Nicola Title: Image-based sexual abuse: Victims and perpetrators Summary: Image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) refers to the non-consensual creation, distribution or threatened distribution of nude or sexual images. This research examines the prevalence, nature and impacts of IBSA victimisation and perpetration in Australia. This form of abuse was found to be relatively common among respondents surveyed and to disproportionately affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with a disability, homosexual and bisexual people and young people. The nature of victimisation and perpetration was found to differ by gender, with males more likely to perpetrate IBSA, and females more likely to be victimised by a partner or ex-partner. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2019. 19p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 14, 2019 at: https://aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi572 Year: 2019 Country: Australia URL: https://aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi572 Shelf Number: 154962 Keywords: Computer Crime Online Victimization Pornography Sex Crime Sex OffendersSextortion Sexual Abuse Social Media |
Author: International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children Title: Child Pornography: Model Legislation & Global Review. 9th ed. Summary: As global accessibility to technology platforms and the Internet has increased, so too has children's online presence. According to UNICEF, one in three Internet users worldwide is a child. And while the digital world offers countless benefits and opportunities, it also vastly multiplies the risks to children. As ICMEC enters its 20th year, we still believe that protecting children is a global imperative. We recognize the continued need for ever stronger laws, policies, and mechanisms; increased coordination across sectors; and the value of sharing ideas, perspectives, and best practices to positively influence child protection responses. We also celebrate the progress of recent years as organizations and institutions around the world have come together in collaborative initiatives such as the WePROTECT Global Alliance, utilizing tools like the Model National Response and the World Health Organization's INSPIRE Strategies to fulfill the UN Sustainable Development Goals and enhance support for children on all fronts. We are particularly excited that adoption of our Model Legislation has been included as a key recommendation of the recent Child Dignity Alliance Technology Working Group Report. Twelve years ago, in an effort to better understand the global legislative landscape as it related to child sexual abuse material (then referred to as "child pornography"), ICMEC launched an initiative that some have called our "Rule of Law" project. We developed model legislation, after careful consideration and consultation, to increase global understanding and concern, and enable governments around the world to adopt and enact appropriate legislation necessary to combat this crime and better protect children. Since we first published the Model Legislation report in 2006, 150 countries have refined or implemented new legislation combating child sexual abuse material. We have seen tremendous progress during the 9th Edition review period, nearly the most we have seen to date. This does not, however, mean that there is nothing left to do - rather, this is the time to be diligent, to persist and push forward to help bring the remaining countries into the fold. As always, it is important to note that the legislative review accompanying our model legislation is not a scorecard or a scold, but an effort to assess the current state and awareness of the problem. Realizing the importance of taking into consideration varying cultural, religious, socio-economic, and political norms, our model legislation continues to resemble a menu of concepts that can be applied universally, as opposed to actual statutory language. With this latest edition, we continue our efforts to improve the legislative landscape and strengthen child protection efforts by introducing new and updated sections in the model law, incorporating additional international and regional legal instruments, and featuring new initiatives related to implementation. Details: Alexandria, VA: The Centre, 2018. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 18, 2019 at: https://www.icmec.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/CSAM-Model-Law-9th-Ed-FINAL-12-3-18.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.icmec.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/CSAM-Model-Law-9th-Ed-FINAL-12-3-18.pdf Shelf Number: 155029 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual ExploitationChildren, Crimes AgainstInternet CrimesOnline GroomingOrganized CrimeSex CrimesSex Offenders |
Author: UC San Diego Center on Gender Equity and Health Title: Measuring #MeToo: A National Study on Sexual Harassment and Assault Summary: This study released by UC San Diego's Center for Gender Equity and Health (GEH) and the nonprofit organization Stop Street Harassment (SSH), with inputs from Promundo and other partners, presents data confirming that sexual harassment and assault are widespread problems in the United States - causing pain, limiting people's lives, and negatively affecting communities and society. Study results show that most women and many men have experienced one or more forms of harassment and assault, while a comparably smaller proportion tells us that they've ever committed these acts. The findings add to the large evidence base demonstrating that nearly all instances where someone is accused of sexual harassment are based in fact, and most respondents believe those who make high-profile accusations. This report presents the findings of a nationally representative survey of 1,182 women and 1,037 men, ages 18 and up, conducted online in February and March of 2019. Details: Davis, CA: Author, 2019. 43p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2019 at: https://promundoglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-MeToo-National-Sexual-Harassment-and-Assault-Report.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United States URL: https://promundoglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-MeToo-National-Sexual-Harassment-and-Assault-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 155727 Keywords: Sex Crimes Sex OffendersSexual Assault Sexual Harassment |
Author: California. Office of the Inspector General Title: Special Review: Assessment of Electronic Monitoring of Sex Offenders on Parole and the Impact of Residency Restrictions Summary: Proposition 83 ("Jessica's Law"), passed by California voters in 2006, requires that all convicted sex offenders paroled from prison and required by law to register with local law enforcement shall be subjected to monitoring by global positioning technology (GPS) and to restrictions on where they may reside. The Office of the Inspector General conducted a review of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation's electronic monitoring of sex offender parolees and the impact of residency restrictions on sex offender parolees at the request of the Senate Rules Committee. The review found: - The annual costs of GPS tracking has decreased over the past five fiscal years. In fiscal year 2009-10, the department spent $12.4 million to monitor sex offender parolees with GPS. By fiscal year 2013-14, these costs were $7.9 million. - There exists little objective evidence to determine to what extent, if any, GPS tracking is a crime deterrent, although a small 2012 study funded by the National Institute of Justice of 516 high-risk sex offenders found that offenders who were not subjected to GPS monitoring had nearly three times more sex-related parole violations than those who were monitored by GPS technology. Despite the rarity of studies defending GPS as a crime deterrent, the OIG's interviews with parole agents and local law enforcement personnel found that they value GPS technology as a tool for its ability to locate parolees, track their movements, and provide valuable information in solving crimes. - GPS technology adds to parole agents' workloads in certain aspects, while affording time-savings in others. For example, agents spend approximately two hours reviewing and analyzing parolees' tracks for a single-day period. On the other hand, GPS facilitates mandatory face-to-face contacts between parole agents and parolees by allowing the agent to locate parolees more quickly than might be the case in locating a non-GPS parolee. - Over 60 percent of parole agents who supervise sex-offender parolees have caseloads exceeding established departmental ratios (parolee-to-agent) when taking into consideration the mix of high-risk vs low-risk parolees per caseload. In addition, the department has a disparity of caseloads across its parole units, with 14 of the 37 parole units that supervise sex offenders reporting caseload sizes exceeding the department's established ratios for all agents assigned to those units. Simultaneously, five other parole units report caseload sizes below the department's established ratios for all of their parole agents. - Field agents whom the OIG interviewed consistently expressed their concerns that the department-issued laptops used for tracking parolee movements in the field should be replaced by smaller hand-held devices such as smart phones, stating that the laptops were not only cumbersome, but may inhibit officer safety in certain situations. Many agents the OIG encountered were using their personal smart phones for GPS mapping and tracking in the field. - The residency restrictions imposed by Jessica's Law, which prohibit paroled sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of a school or park where children congregate, contribute to homelessness among paroled sex offenders. According to the California Sex Offender Management Board, there were only 88 sex offenders on parole statewide who were registered as transient when Proposition 83 was passed in November 2006. As of June 2014, there were 1,556 sex offender parolees identified as transient by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. While this represents 3.38 percent of all parolees, the incidence of homelessness is 19.95 percent (approximately one in five) among the subset of parolees who are sex offenders. - Transient sex offender parolees are more "labor intensive" than are parolees who have a permanent residence. The OIG interviewed parole administrators in 12 parole districts, who said that because transient sex offenders are moving frequently, monitoring their movement is time consuming. Transient sex offenders must register with local law enforcement monthly (as opposed to yearly for those with permanent residences), thus requiring more frequent registration compliance tracking by parole agents. Adding further to the workload associated with monitoring transients, agents are required to conduct weekly face-to-face contacts with them. - Transient sex offender parolees are more likely to violate the terms of their parole than those who have a permanent residence. Transient sex offenders have committed a majority of parole violations (which include technical violations as well as new crimes) among parolee sex offenders over a recent five-year period. Less than 1 percent of those violations were for sex-related crimes. In the most recently completed fiscal year (2013-14), over 76 percent of the sex offender parolees whom the department charged with violating their parole terms were transient. - While Jessica's Law leaves open the option for local governments to impose their own restrictions on paroled sex offenders, parolees are finding relief from residency restrictions through the courts. Several counties have issued stays suspending the blanket enforcement of residency restrictions to those who petition the local court, and San Diego County has issued a stay suspending the blanket enforcement of residency restrictions on sex offenders pending the outcome of the California Supreme Court's decision of the matter In re Taylor (2012) 209 Cal.App.4th 210, review granted January 3, 2013, S206143. - The California Sex Offender Management Board's findings and recommendations remain largely unaddressed. While some of the board's recommendations have been implemented, most recently with CDCR's implementation of the sex offender containment model, major recommendations, such as tiering registration requirements, reevaluating residency restrictions, and applying best practices for GPS monitoring, have not. Details: Sacramento: Author, 2014. 85p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed May 15, 2019 at: https://www.oig.ca.gov/media/reports/Reports/Reviews/OIG_Special_Review_Electronic_Monitoring_of_Sex_Offenders_on_Parole_and_Impact_of_Residency_Restrictions_November_2014.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: https://www.oig.ca.gov/media/reports/Reports/Reviews/OIG_Special_Review_Electronic_Monitoring_of_Sex_Offenders_on_Parole_and_Impact_of_Residency_Restrictions_November_2014.pdf Shelf Number: 155844 Keywords: Costs of Criminal JusticeElectronic MonitoringGlobal Positioning Technology (GPS)Offender MonitoringParoleesProposition 83Residency RestrictionsSex Offender RegistrationSex Offenders |
Author: Newman, Nick Title: A Tangled Web: Rethinking the Approach to Online CSEA Summary: Child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) is a deeply emotive and troubling issue, and in recent years we've witnessed the worrying emergence of a much more insidious version of the threat. Online CSEA is changing the scope and scale of offending - with the internet increasing the exposure of victims and offering a safe haven for offenders to access imagery and stream live abuse on demand. Details: London, UK: PA Consulting, 2018. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 6, 2019 at: https://www.paconsulting.com/insights/2019/protecting-our-children/ Year: 2018 Country: International URL: http://www2.paconsulting.com/TheTangledWeb.html?_ga=2.254335816.1953190354.1559851398-1800249135.1559851398 Shelf Number: 156203 Keywords: Child PornographyChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual Exploitation and AbuseChild VictimsOn-lineSex Offenders |
Author: Mouser, Meredith Title: An Analysis of Sex Offenses in Oklahoma Using Incident-Based Reporting Data Summary: The Oklahoma Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) conducted an analysis of sex offenses reported by local law enforcement to the Oklahoma State Incident-Based Reporting System (SIBRS) in 2015. The statewide analysis included four sex offenses: forcible rape, forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object, and forcible fondling. Researchers analyzed 1,315 reports that included 1,489 separate offenses (some reports included multiple offenses). The reports included 1,423 unique victims of a sex offense and 1,440 offenders. Key findings: - In 2015, 199 law enforcement agencies submitted reports through SIBRS containing at least one sex offense; - June had the largest (127) number of sex offenses reported, while February had the least (93); - In the majority of reports (82%), the victim(s) were known to the offender(s); - The majority of offenses (75.9%) took place in a residence; - The most frequently used weapons reported were personal weapons (hands, feet, fists, ect.). Details: Oklahoma City: Oklahoma Statistical Analysis Center, 2017. 22p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 24, 2019 at: https://osbi.ok.gov/sites/g/files/gmc476/f/publications/2018/09/An_Analysis_of_Sex_Offenses_Using_SIBRS_-_Final.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://osbi.ok.gov/sites/g/files/gmc476/f/publications/2018/09/An_Analysis_of_Sex_Offenses_Using_SIBRS_-_Final.pdf Shelf Number: 156619 Keywords: Crime StatisticsSex CrimesSex OffencesSex Offenders |