 Myths and Facts About Sex Offenders
August 2000
Statistics indicate that the majority of women who have been raped knowtheir assailant. A 1998 National Violence Against Women Survey revealedthat among those women who reported being raped, 76% were victimized bya current or former husband, live-in partner, or date (Tjaden and Thoennes,1998). Also, a Bureau of Justice Statistics study found that nearly 9 outof 10 rape or sexual assault victimizations involved a single offenderwith whom the victim had a prior relationship as a family member, intimate,or acquaintance (Greenfeld, 1997). Child Victims: Approximately 60% of boys and 80% of girls who are sexually victimizedare abused by someone known to the child or the child's family (Lieb, Quinsey,and Berliner, 1998). Relatives, friends, baby-sitters, persons in positionsof authority over the child, or persons who supervise children are morelikely than strangers to commit a sexual assault.
Annual crime victim reports indicate that approximately 30% of all reportedrapes and sexual assaults involve alcohol use by the offender (Greenfeld,1998). Alcohol use, therefore, may increase the likelihood that someonealready predisposed to commit a sexual assault will act upon those impulses.However, excessive alcohol use is not a primary precipitant to sexual assaults.
The Center for Sex Offender Management (CSOM) would like to thank RobFreeman-Longo for principal authorship of this brief. We would also liketo thank Donna Reback for her contributions to this document. Kristin Litteland Scott Matson edited the document.
Center for Sex Offender Management
8403 Colesville Rd., Suite 720
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: (301) 589-9383
Fax: (301) 589-3505
E-mail:
Internet:www.csom.org
Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, "Reducing Sexual Abusethrough Treatment and Intervention with Abusers," Policy and Position Statement(Beaverton, OR, 1996). Barbaree, H., Hudson, S., and Seto, M., "Sexual Assault in Society:The Role of the Juvenile Offender," in H. Barbaree, W. Marshall, and S.Hudson (Eds.), The Juvenile Sex Offender (1993): 10-11. Becker, J. and Murphy, W., "What We Know and Dont Know about Assessingand Treating Sex Offenders," Psychology, Public Policy and Law 4 (1998):116-137. Bureau of Justice Statistics, "Criminal Offender Statistics: SummaryFindings," available on BJS website (www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs). Center for Sex Offender Management, "Understanding Juvenile Sexual OffendingBehavior: Emerging Research, Treatment Approaches, and Management Practices"(Silver Spring, MD, 2000). Federal Bureau of Investigations, "Uniform Crime Reports for the UnitedStates, 1997," U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Federal Bureau of Investigations, "Uniform Crime Reports for the UnitedStates, 1998," U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC. Greenfeld, L., "Sex Offenses and Offenders: An Analysis of Data on Rapeand Sexual Assault," U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics(Washington, DC, 1997). Greenfeld, L., "Alcohol and Crime: An Analysis of National Data on thePrevalence of Alcohol Involvement in Crime," National Symposium on AlcoholAbuse and Crime, U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics(Washington, DC, April 5-7, 1998). Hall, G.C.N., "Sex Offender Recidivism Revisited: A Meta-Analysis ofRecent Treatment Studies," Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology63 (1995): 802-809. Hanson, R. and Bussiere, M., "Predicting Relapse: A Meta-Analysis ofSexual Offender Recidivism Studies," Journal of Consulting and ClinicalPsychology 66 (1998): 348-364. Hunter, J. and Becker, J., "Motivators of Adolescent Sex Offenders andTreatment Perspectives," in J. Shaw (Ed.), Sexual Aggression, AmericanPsychiatric Press, Inc. (Washington, DC, 1998). Hunter, J. and Figueredo, A., "The Influence of Personality and Historyof Sexual Victimization in the Prediction of Offense Characteristics ofJuvenile Sex Offenders," Behavior Modification (in press). Kilpatrick, D., Edmunds, C., and Seymour, A., "Rape in America: A Reportto the Nation," National Victim Center (Arlington, VA, 1992). Lieb, R., Quinsey, V., and Berliner, L., "Sexual Predators and SocialPolicy," in M. Tonry (Ed.), Crime and Justice (University of Chicago, 1998):43-114. Lotke, E., "Sex Offenders: Does Treatment Work?" Corrections Compendium21 (1996). Quinsey, V., Rice, M., and Harris, G., "Actuarial Prediction of SexualRecidivism," Journal of Interpersonal Violence 10 (1995): 85-105. Sickmund, M., Snyder, H., and Poe-Yamagata, E., "Juvenile Offendersand Victims: 1997 Update on Violence," Office of Juvenile Justice and DelinquencyPrevention (Washington, DC, 1997). Tjaden, P. and Thoennes, N., "Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequencesof Violence Against Women: Findings from the National Violence AgainstWomen Survey," U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice(Washington, DC, 1998).
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