NCJ Number
248196
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 42 Issue: 5 Dated: September/October 2014 Pages: 375-383
Date Published
October 2014
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Using an analysis based on rational choice theory, this study examined the impact that the environment and offending behavior have on serial sexual crime event outcomes.
Abstract
Within the rational choice framework, the decision making processes of offenders differ depending on the type of crime they choose to commit (Clark & Cornish, 1985). Despite these varying decisions, the underlying assumption is that offenders exercise a degree of rationality within the constraints of time, ability, and the availability of information. They also base their criminal behaviors on what will produce the greatest reward at a minimum of risk. Based on its findings, this study concludes that serial stranger sexual offenders are rational decision makers who adapt their strategies to the physical environment in which they commit their crimes; however, their degree of rationality can vary, since some outcomes of a sexual assault event are more dependent on the context of the crime than the offender's actions. A number of factors in the course of the assault affect whether the offender completes the rape and the degree of physical injury the offender inflicts on the victim, such as the intensity and manner of victim resistance. The 72 sexual offenders who participated in this study were serving 2 or more years of imprisonment in Quebec Province in Canada. These offenders had committed an average of five sexual assaults each. The study involved in-depth, semi-structured interviews with each offender that focused on the circumstances and behaviors in each crime. In addition, a content analysis was conducted on police reports for each crime. 3 tables, 12 notes, and 53 references