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The purpose of this study is to identify factors in sex offenders that act to facilitate or inhibit confession to police. Moreover, it aims to assess possible interactions and differences among factors related to confession specifically for child molesters and those who attack adult victims (rapists).

The authors use a combination of CHAID and conjunctive analysis to analyze interactions and factors significantly associated with confession to police in a sample of 624 sex offenders.

The study identifies several factors, as well as interactions among those factors, related to confession to the police. Moreover, rapists and child molesters present different factors related to confession, the former being more related to the criminal event as to the latter being more related to the offender characteristics.

The findings point to the conclusion that investigators need to pay careful attention to the type of victim when preparing the interrogation. Moreover, these crime event characteristics are readily observable factors that can improve the estimation of the likelihood of obtaining a confession. Finally, the several interactions identified confirm the complexity of the decision making leading to confession to police as well as the need to look at the factors in combination as opposed to individually.

This paper is the first attempt to apply a combination of innovative multivariate statistics (CHAID) and a qualitative technique (conjunctive analysis) to investigate factors leading to confession for two specific types of sex offenders.

Sex offender registration and notification act (SORNA) offenders are a source of scholarly study across the social, behavioral, forensic and legal sciences with the bulk of literature focusing on the legal standing and deterrent value of sexual offender registries. Less research focuses on the offending careers of current SORNA offenders relative to other types of sexual offenders whose current offense is not SORNA. The purpose of the current study is to examine this issue empirically.

Using cross-sectional data from a census of male federal offenders who ever perpetrated a sexual offense from the central USA between 2016 and 2020, the current study used t-tests, logistic regression and negative binomial regression to compare current SORNA offenders to other federal correctional clients in terms of their lifetime offending history, sexual violence and compliance on federal supervision.

Current SORNA offenders are significantly more severe and versatile in their sexual offending, have more extensive criminal careers and criminal justice system involvement, and exhibit significantly increased odds of revocation on supervised release despite controls for age, race and ethnicity. However, sensitivity models that specified the federal Post-Conviction Risk Assessment reduced the effects of SORNA status to non-significance in all models.

SORNA offenders are potentially a significant offender group with evidence of both and given their versatile and specialized lifetime offending and noncompliance on federal supervision. However, current SORNA status is rendered spurious once a risk assessment is controlled suggesting more research is needed to evaluate whether sex offender registries posit greater crime control benefit.

The prevalence of thyroid abnormalities among 831 sexual, violent, and non‐violent non‐sex offenders was found to be greater than found in the general population. Thyroid abnormalities were most common among violent offenders and among sex offenders who victimized children. Thyroid disorders were associated with psychotic diagnoses, delusions, mania, suicidal thoughts, and showed a trend to more suicide attempts. These disorders were undiagnosed in 49.1% of the cases prior to the present clinical assessment. Of these, 59.3% faced their first criminal charges, and the undiagnosed thyroid abnormalities may be important in the offenders’ treatment and may be possible legal mitigating factors in some offenses. Results indicate that a routine endocrine evaluation with blood tests would be a valuable addition to the assessment of violent and sexual offenders.

This paper reviews several issues in relation to offenders with intellectual disabilities. Although some authors have indicated an increased prevalence of offenders amongst the population of individuals with intellectual disabilities, other carefully controlled studies using recognised IQ tests have found only slightly increased incidences. Studies conducted in forensic settings have reported results somewhat different to those conducted in clinical settings with respect to both prevalence and characteristics. It is noted that individuals with learning disabilities commit offences across the spectrum of criminal behaviours but there may be some over‐representation in sexual offences and arson. Issues of assessment and treatment are also addressed with comments being made on extensions of interventions into community settings. With the amount of research increasing over the last 10 years, we are becoming clearer about the relevant issues involved in designing studies, developing assessments and providing treatment to this client group.

The aim of this paper is to provide up‐to‐date discussion of the types of factors used to assess sexual offenders risk.

The current status of the factors used to assess risk in sexual offenders is examined.

Risk factors broadly fall into two categories: static factors (i.e. generally unchangeable information such as previous offence history) from which a number of actuarial scales have been developed; and dynamic factors (i.e. psychological dispositions) that are typically identified in treatment. It is suggested that these risk factors are artefacts of the same behavioural and psychological vulnerabilities at different stages of assessment, with static factors acting as markers for underlying dispositions, while dynamic factors are the underlying dispositions.

The paper discusses in some detail the status of age as a risk factor, where even though it is typically considered a static risk factor in a number of actuarial scales (allowance typically being made if individuals are over/under 25), there is a dynamic element (i.e. change with age or the passage of time) to this aspect of assessment.

This paper may be useful to practitioners working in the field, in terms of providing a useful heuristic framework for risk conceptualisation.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the attitudes of staff members in secure hospitals and the general population towards pornography use and their decision-making regarding access to pornography.

A between participants design was used whereby 324 participants, including 162 staff members and 162 people of general population, answered an online questionnaire. Vignettes were presented of six hypothetical patients in a secure hospital, based on gender (male/female) and offence type (sexual/violent/non-offender). Participants were required to decide whether the individual depicted in the vignette should have access to pornography. Finally, participants were given a psychometric assessment of their own attitudes towards pornography.

Participants were less likely to decide that the sex offender should have access to pornography than the violent or non-offender, thus the offence type of the patient was a significant predictor. There was a significant relationship between attitudes to pornography and whether the individual in the vignette should be given access to pornography. There was no significant difference between attitudes towards pornography of the general public and staff members or for male and female participants. Gender of the patient described in the vignette was not a significant predictor.

The research highlights the importance of our own attitudes towards pornography, our possible beliefs about sexual offenders and the effects these may have on decision-making.

The research determines attitudes towards pornography and explores how attitudes influence decision-making.

In this paper, readers are introduced to the stories of Sarah, Ashley, and Chanelle, who represent different racial categorizations, class backgrounds, entryways into sex work, and histories of sexual victimization. These three women were each convicted as sex offenders because of their involvement in the prostitution of women or girls. This paper demonstrates that these women did not view their actions as sex offenses because their perceptions of themselves, men, women, sexuality, and prostitution were profoundly influenced by interconnecting experiences in their life histories. Child sexual abuse, economic needs, and abusive interpersonal relationships all impacted how these women viewed themselves and their actions. This paper briefly reviews the historically divisive and ultimately detrimental debate between feminists who frame all prostitution as sexual violence and feminists who advocate for full legalization of sex work. Sarah, Ashley, and Chanelle’s stories illustrate the complexities that exist within the lives of women who become involved in prostitution due to a variety of circumstances and social inequalities. Sarah, Ashley, and Chanelle were not completely hapless victims disenfranchised by their pimps, nor were they fully agentive sexual entrepreneurs unfairly targeted by the state. These women made a series of decisions based on their needs for survival, their personal economic desires, and their beliefs about men, women, and sexuality. This paper provides ample room for the women’s voices, and documents their explanations for why and how they became involved in prostitution, as well as the prostitution of other women and girls.

The purpose of this paper is to review the status of biosignal measures of female sexual arousal with a view to examining the feasibility of such procedures in a forensic context. Although adult women represent the minority of sexual offenders, female perpetrated sexual abuse has been gaining increasing attention in the forensic psychological literature as criminal justice is confronted with female offending populations to a greater extent than previously recognised.

Psychological assessments of sex offenders have tended to be over-dependent on the use of self-report measures (i.e. an individual's appraisal and report of their emotional state of sexual arousal). There is a dearth of empirical knowledge concerning the psychophysiological assessment of female sexual interest in general and especially so for female sex offenders. Physiological measures are those that rely on directly observable physiological responses of the individual in order to identify patterns of sexual interest or arousal.

Because deviant sexual interest (in children or the use of violence) as assessed by penile plethysmography, has been established as one of the strongest predictors of recidivism in male sex offenders (and as a viable alternative to self-report methodologies), an analogue measurement approach for female sex offenders is desirable. This paper considers: first, theoretical problems (e.g. what does female physiological arousal mean in terms of sexual arousal/desire?; second, technical measurement problems (e.g. reactivity of the measure in within subject designs); and third, procedural/ethical problems (e.g. invasiveness of the application).

While a number of physiological assessment devices are considered in this paper, the paper discusses the labial photoplethysmograph as a promising method for female sexual offender populations.

Sex Offenders with a Major Mental Illness (SOMMI) are doubly stigmatized, as these individuals are members of two highly marginalized social groups (Guidry and Saleh, 2004). Within each of these groups SOMMI only represent a small minority. For professionals seeking to base their practice in empirical research this has led to a significant problem since the literature related specifically to this group is both limited and hard to locate. Additionally, intensity of psychological risk factors varies as a function of psychiatric decompensation for some SOMMI making it hard to apply certain procedures that work with ordinary sexual offenders. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the relevant literature and recommendations for clinical practice that are responsive to the particular challenges posed by this unusual group of sexual offenders.

The current paper provides a review of literature on risk factors for sexual recidivism and validity of current risk tools as it pertains to SOMMI. Recommendations for risk assessment with SOMMI are provided.

The static actuarial tools appear to be useful with SOMMI. However, risk assessments measuring dynamic risk factors have poorer predictive validity. Additional factors that will need to be considered involve a possible higher recidivism rate for SOMMI and a variable relationship between major mental illness and sex offending with it sometimes predisposing, sometimes exacerbating existing risk factors, and sometimes mitigating risk.

There is a paucity of research and guidance in assessment and risk management of SOMMI. The current paper is the first to thoroughly explore the efficacy of current sex offender risk assessment tools with SOMMI and provide structured guidance for making decisions about risk and risk management needs for this challenging population.

Although literature surrounding sexual criminality is growing; with recent research, this paper aims to focus more upon burnout and emotional impact in therapists who study with sex offenders, little is known about possible gender differences in their experiences.

The study presents a systematic review that aims to provide an impartial critical examination of relevant existing literature, with the main aim of exploring the role of gender (both the staff members and the clients) in staffs’ experience of working with sexual offenders.

Findings retrieved 10 eligible studies indicating evidence of the influential role in which gender plays in the experienced staff may have when working with sexual offenders. Studies within the review demonstrated variability in views towards sexual offenders across genders; with studies finding female staff to hold more positive perceptions of sexual offenders. Further evidence suggested a global impact of working with the client group; with professionals holding differential and largely more positive views of sexual offenders than the general public. However, an adverse impact of working with sexual offenders was highlighted, particularly for staff who have worked longest within their role or have increased frequency of contact.

Limitations were highlighted in relation to the reviews ability to truly explore gender; given there are no current studies within this research area defining gender beyond male and female, losing the voices of those non-binary and transgendered individuals.

The paper includes implications for staff working with sexual offenders; including adverse affects of the clinical contact and the impact of working with same/opposing gendered clients. Research also takes a gender informed stance in exploring how staff gender impacts the relationships with sexual offenders, and the effect this may have on client outcomes.

Research is the first of its kind in taking a systematic approach to exploring the current literature surrounding staffs experiences of working with sexual offenders, through a gender informed lens.