Explanations of Sexual Offending

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Explanations of Sexual Offending

• Joanne Wood
• Trainee Forensic Psychologist
• Greater Manchester Probation Area

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Aim of the session

• Explore the reasons why men sexually offend
• Consider these reasons in the context of
  treatment strategies

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My Background

• Accredited group facilitator
• Accredited treatment manager
• One to one assessment and intervention work
• SARN trained
• RM 2000 trained

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Caution

• Pop psychology
• Cannot generalise
• Not a heterogeneous group
• Some common themes different intensity
• Static and dynamic risk factors

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How do we know these factors are relevant?

• Static factors that predict re-conviction rates
  over a 20 year period
• Dynamic factors that if targeted appear to reduce
  the likelihood of reconviction

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Dynamic Risk Factors

• Cognitions
• Emotions
• Behaviours
• How we think and feel predicts our behaviour. The
  three are interlinked

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Exercise

• In small groups Reflect on your first few
  lectures and consider possible explanations for
  sexual offending against
• An Adult
• A Child
• What theoretical explanations may apply?

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Cognitions

• Thoughts thinking styles
• Core Beliefs
• Attitudes

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Emotions

• Feelings
• Relationship to thoughts and behaviours

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Behaviour

• Offence related behaviours
• Grooming
• Stalking
• Sexualised act
• Victim

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Four Domains

• Sexual interests
• Distorted thinking
• Socio-affective functioning
• Life management

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What factors predetermine the existence of these
risks?

• Using the list of dynamic risk factors identify
  possible theories/factors that are of relevance.

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Sexual Interest

• Single best predictor (Hanson and Bussiere 1998)
• Managing and controlling thoughts and feelings
• Targeting self esteem and problem solving can be
  effective

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Sexual arousal

• Situational
• Mood state
• Inappropriate problem solving

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Distorted thinking

• Justifications
• Examples
• Specific to offending
• Generalisable to life in general
• Schemas
• Cognitive reconstructing

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Feelings

• Empathy deficits
• Self esteem
• Emotional loneliness

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Behaviour

• Sexual outlets to cope with non-sexual problems
• Attachment styles
• Emotional congruence

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Socio affective functioning

• Which theories link to this area?
• What thoughts, feelings and behaviours link to
  this area?

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Life style management

• Which theories link to this area?
• What thoughts, feelings and behaviours link to
  this area?

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Offence Cycle

• Intense feelings
• Bad feelings
• Justifications
• Anticipation and arousal
• Targeting grooming
• To recognise how the relevant thoughts and
  feelings and behaviours were reinforced at the
  time of the offending

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What questions would you ask in interview?

• For the domain you have been given
• What areas would you focus on in the interview?
• How would you elicit information of relevance to
  this area?
• What style of questions would you use?

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Any Questions?

• Joanne.wood_at_manchester.probation.gsx.gov.uk
• 0161 8563632