NCJ Number
219739
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 22 Issue: 6 Dated: August 2007 Pages: 449-463
Date Published
August 2007
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the criminal methods used by serial sex offenders to select their victims tested the principles of the rational choice theory of criminal behavior.
Abstract
The study findings show that serial sex offenders do not use a consistent method in selecting victims. Rather, their hunting for and selection of victims is a dynamic process more influenced by situational factors than the personal characteristics of the offender or prospective victim. The "hunting model" developed from the study findings includes the following factors, the routine activities of offenders and victims prior to the crime; distinguishing between the method of approach to the victim, the method of bringing the victim to the crime site, and the method of committing the crime; and exploring the various locations associated with the crime (encounter, attack, crime, and victim release). Qualitative data were obtained from the descriptions of crimes provided by 69 serial sex offenders incarcerated in Canada. All of the men had committed two or more sexual assaults or sex-related crimes against victims who were strangers. The rational choice perspective provided the main set of theoretical principles that guided the data collection. A specially constructed instrument was developed for collecting information from police investigative reports and for conducting semistructured interviews. The questionnaire contained five sections that guided the collection of information on precrime factors, "hunting" patterns, methods of crime planning and commission, postcrime factors, and behavior related to geography. 2 tables, 2 figures, and 51 references