NCJ Number
99948
Journal
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry Volume: 6 Issue: 3/4 Dated: (1983) Pages: 431-441
Date Published
1983
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the development of methods to accurately assess the behaviors of sexual offenders, with particular attention to instruments for measuring sexual arousal and their benefits as well as disadvantages.
Abstract
One approach to understanding sexual aggression has been to uncover factors which distinguish sexual offenders from other members of the population. One of the only reliable methods discovered involves measurement of physiological arousal to sexual stimuli. Specifically, the manner in which a man convicted of rape responds to visual or auditory depictions of rape often is markedly different from a 'normal' response. The paper explains the two methods used to evaluate penile response: true plethysmography in which the entire volume change in the penis is measured during erection, and an approximation of plethysmography using devices which measure penile circumference only. Assumptions underlying this measurement approach are discussed, as are its advantages and weaknesses. One major advantage is that the penile measure offers a reasonably precise quantification of sexual arousal using an instrument with well-defined operating characteristics. It also avoids over-reliance on self-reported sexual preference. One problem is that some men can exert voluntary control over their erectile response. Also considered are various factors which can influence the manifestation of sexually deviant response patterns. Approximately 50 references.