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The Evaluation & Treatment of
Sex Offenders and
Sexually Violent Predators
Cheri L. Kittrell, Ph.D.
State College of Florida
Symposium on Childhood Sexual Abuse
February 26, 2010
Pop Quiz
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True/False?
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Most sexual assaults are committed by strangers.
The majority of sexual offenders are caught, convicted, and
in prison.
Most sex offenders reoffend.
Sexual offense rates are higher than ever and continue to
climb.
All sex offenders are male.
Sex offenders commit sexual crimes because they are under
the influence of alcohol.
Children who are sexually assaulted will sexually assault
others when they grow up.
Youths do not commit sex offenses.
Treatment for sex offenders is ineffective.
The cost of treating and managing sex offenders in the
community is too high—they belong behind bars.
Definitions
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Sex Offenders
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A person who:
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has been sentenced for committing a sexual offense
has a past conviction for an offense involving sexually deviant
behavior
has displayed sexually deviant behavior in the commission of
any offense
or has admitted committing sexually deviant behavior
Sexually Violent Predators
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A person who:
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Has been convicted of a sexually violent offense and
Has a mental abnormality and
Due to this mental abnormality, they are likely to commit
another sexually violent offense, if not confined in a secure
facility for long-term control, care, and treatment
Federal Legislation
Pertaining to Sex
Offenders
Jacob Wetterling
Megan Kanka
Jesse Timmendequas
Pam Lychner
A Sampling of State Legislation
Pertaining to Sex Offenders
Jimmy Ryce
Juan Carlos Chavez
Joan D'Alessandro
Governor Pataki Signs Joan’s Law in 2004
Jessica Lunsford
John Evander Couey
Understanding the Differences in
the Sex Offender Population
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Pedophile
Psychopath/Sociopath
Rapists
Incest Offenders
Exhibitionists
Mentally Disordered Offenders
Other
Pedophile
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Preference for having sex with
prepubescent children
Higher rate of recidivism over the long
term (25 years) than rapists.
Pedophiles, also known as extra-familial
child molesters, who choose female
victims are less likely to recidivate than
those with male victims
Psychopathy
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The term “psychopath” refers to a clinical
condition, in which an individual who pursues
instant self-gratification without consideration
of the consequences of his actions.
There is no cure for this personality disorder.
It is the same condition as sociopathy (which
is often referred to by sociologists rather than
psychologists), in which the egoism of
childhood is left unresolved leaving an
undeveloped sense of empathy.
Rapist
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Have a higher recidivism rate than child
molesters (i.e. extra-familial pedophiles) in
the short term
String of rapes: likely to reoffend within
one year: about 35% recidivate
Can be a gateway crime: 43%, in a recent
study, had a reconviction for a sexually
violent offense within 4 years
Incest offenders
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Intra-familial pedophiles
Have the lowest rate of recidivism (4%)
Exhibitionists
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Have a very high rate of recidivism (41%71%) but they are rarely studies as these
are not often violent crimes
Mentally Disordered Offenders
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Are slightly more likely to reoffend in all
categories
Others
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There are other categories, like child
versus adult victims, but most of the data
relies on polygraph exams.
Understanding Violence Risk
Assessment
PCL-R: Psychopathy Checklist
Revised
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Psychopathy can be differentiated from
other personality disorders on the basis
of: its characteristic pattern of
interpersonal, affective, and behavioral
symptoms.
RRASOR: Rapid Risk Assessment
for Sexual Offense Recidivism
Age at Release (Current Age)
 Prior Sex Offenses
 Victim Gender
 Relationship to Victim
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Violence Prediction Scheme
VRAG and ASSESS-LIST
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VRAG (Violence Risk Appraisal Guide)
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Gives weights for each item and provides a table of
the relationship between VRAG scores and probability
of violent recidivism
ASSESS-LIST
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Antecedent History, Self-Presentation, Social and
Psychosocial Adjustment, Expectations and Plans,
Symptoms, Supervision, Life Factors, Institutional
Management, Sexual Adjustment, and Treatment
Progress
SORAG: Sex Offender
Risk Appraisal Guide
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Like the VRAG, but it is specifically
intended for sex offenders
HCR-20: Historical, Clinical,
and Risk Management
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20-item checklist to prompt the examiner
to cover or consider the major areas of
inquiry in risk management
MnSOST: Minnesota Sex
Offender Screening Test
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21-item screener device to determine
possible referral for civil commitment, as
well as to determine the person’s
community notification risk level.
Prevalence
“Since 1980, the average annual growth in
the number of prisoners for sex crimes
has been about 7.6%. The number of
prisoners sentenced for violent sexual
assault, other than rape, increased
by an annual average of nearly 15%-faster than any other category of violent
crime and faster than all other categories,
except drug trafficking.” –FBI websi
Recidivism
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Characteristics of recidivists include:
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Multiple victims
Diverse victims
Stranger victims
Juvenile sex offenses
Multiple paraphilias
History of abuse and neglect
Long-term separations from parents
Negative relationships with their mothers
Diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder
Unemployed
Substance abuse problems
Chaotic antisocial lifestyles
Treatment Options and Outcomes
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Prison
Physical vs. Chemical Castration
Parole
Involuntary Civil Commitment
Counseling
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Cognitive-behavioral approach
Psycho-educational approach
Pharmacological approach
Job Training
Questions?