NCJ Number
167682
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 1 Issue: 4 Dated: (Winter 1996) Pages: 369-373
Date Published
1996
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Although sexual offending enjoys an emerging literature, thought and research in this area seem entirely divorced from that on reproduction; only recently has an evolutionary view been brought to light regarding sexual offending.
Abstract
Recent literature notes the relative rarity with which people commit crimes against their biological relatives and the differences between males and females in pursuing their romantic and sexual interests. The lens of evolutionary theory is used to explain the phenomenon of sexual abuse, and the author believes many of the differences between male and female mating strategies can be understood within an evolutionary and selectionist framework. According to tenets of evolutionary theory, close attachments between parents and offspring should produce a sense of and behaviors connected with altruism. This theory of attachments may lead to five interesting suppositions that should be empirically tested: (1) altruism should covary with genetic relatedness; (2) altruism should covary with stability of the parental bond; (3) incest is more likely between individuals with a weak familial bond; (4) incest is most likely between individuals with no familial bond; and (5) incest avoidance should covary with altruism. The ability of evolutionary theory to explain abnormal sexual behavior is discussed. 29 references