Nonsex Offences Committed by Child Molesters: Findings From a Longitudinal Study

• NCJ Number: 204033
• Journal: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 48 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2004 Pages: 28-39
• Author(s): Patrick N. Parkinson; Sandra Shrimpton; R. Kim Oates; Heather Y. Swanston; Brian I. O'Toole
• Date Published: February 2004
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article examines criminal records of child molesters for levels of nonsex offenses.

Abstract

This study examined the criminal records of 30 offenders convicted of sex offenses against children. Offenses were noted prior to the index event of sexual abuse for which they were convicted, and for up to 10 years after the index event of abuse. The study also examined whether offenders had been convicted for nonsex offenses as well as sex offenses. The results demonstrate that a substantial majority of sex offenders against children have other convictions, for sex offenses and nonsex offenses. Of those that were convicted for the index event, 73 percent had committed other offenses either prior to the index event or in the subsequent 10 years; 23 percent were known to have had a history of other sexual offenses against children. This indicates that, for many of the offenders, the index event was one of a series of sex offenses committed against children, and conviction did not lead to a cessation of sex-offending activity. This is so, even though 66 percent received custodial sentences for the index event. Therefore there were periods of time in which they were not at liberty to commit further offenses in the 10 years following the index event. The extent to which child molesters engage in other forms of criminal behavior has implications for understanding the nature of sex offending against children. Although incarcerated criminal offenders that do not have a history of sex offending are very unlikely to commit sexual offenses after release, the number and range of other offenses committed by child molesters raises questions about the categorization of this group of sex offenders as specialists. Concentrating on sex offenders as a discrete category may obscure the extent to which sex offending against children shares common ground with other forms of criminal behavior. 3 tables, 35 references