NCJ Number
64765
Date Published
1977
Length
263 pages
Annotation
THE NATURE OF SEXUAL OFFENSES OF ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS AGAINST CHILDREN OR JUVENILES, SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF SUCH OFFENSES, AND THE ESTIMATED DARK FIGURE ARE ASSESSED.
Abstract
DATA ARE BASED ON A SURVEY AND ON 483 INVESTIGATIONS OF SEXUAL OFFENDERS OVER 55 YEARS OF AGE IN FRANKFURT/MAIN FROM 1960 TO 1969. ANALYSIS OF DOCUMENTS FACILITATES PORTRAYAL OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE OFFENSES, THE VICTIMS' SITUATIONS, THE PERSONALITIES OF THE ELDERLY OFFENDERS, THE CHILDISH PERSONALITIES OF THE VICTIMS, AND THE VARIOUS CONSEQUENCES OF THE OFFENSES. FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT ELDERLY OFFENDERS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY MANY FACTORS, BUT ESPECIALLY BY PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND SOCIAL CHANGES OF AGING COMBINED WITH ISOLATION AND THAT VICTIMS TEND TO BE CHILDREN OF LITTLE TALENT FROM LOWER-CLASS BROKEN HOMES. NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON CHILDREN SUCH AS DEPRESSION, INSOMNIA, SCHOOL PROBLEMS, AND ALIENATION GENERALLY APPEAR AFTER COURT PROCEEDINGS WHICH BRAND 'GAMES' AS CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. ALTHOUGH THE COURTS SEEK TO PREVENT RECIDIVISM WHILE CONSIDERING THE EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES OF AGE, THEY DO NOT ACTUALLY COME TO TERMS WITH THE PROBLEM OF RESOCIALIZATION. BOTH THE AGED OFFENDERS AND THE YOUTHFUL VICTIMS ARE VIEWED AS THE VICTIMS OF SOCIETY'S NEGLECT. A CRIMINAL CODE FOR THE AGED WHICH DEFINES SPECIAL MEASURES (E.G., CHANGES IN PROFESSION OR LIVING ARRANGEMENTS TO AVOID DANGEROUS SITUATIONS), SOCIAL THERAPY, AND IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SOCIAL STUDY OF BOTH THE ELDERLY AND CHILDREN ARE ADVOCATED AS MEANS OF PREVENTING FURTHER CRIMES. A SURVEY OF 619 WEST GERMAN CITIZENS INDICATES THAT 30 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE IS WILLING TO REPORT SEXUAL CRIMES, WHICH WOULD PROBABLY AMOUNT TO 15 PERCENT IN PRACTICE, AND THAT ONLY A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE SEXUAL OFFENSES (AS LITTLE AS 1 IN 100,000) WHICH OCCUR ARE ACTUALLY REPORTED. TABLES, ILLUSTRATIONS, EXAMPLES, NOTES, AND A VERY EXTENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE SUPPLIED. --IN GERMAN. (KMD)