A sexual offender is a person who has committed a sex crime, which is punishable by law. Sex crimes, on the other hand, are determined by a particular area’s laws and jurisdiction and they determine whether a person’s actions fall under sexual offense or otherwise. In many countries, sex crimes are in fact major crimes which are kept side by side with other crimes like physical assault or breaking traffic rules. While some crimes committed by sex offenders are strictly sexual in nature, others might be those that are a violation of those who are chosen by the jurisdiction, and they happen to fall amongst the various sex crimes listed. It is a known fact that sex is a biological and human need and is one of the main drives of the human body. Psychology clearly defines the presences of the sex drive in humans even in an early age. However, the sex drive surfaces at the onset of puberty. The tendency to exploit the sexual urge in oneself and to exploit others with this urge seems to be a natural phenomenon. However, it is inappropriate and against the norms of society. Any civilized society would condemn sexual offense, even if it is in the form of inappropriate touching or conversation. Many people with controlled sexual impulses throughout the course of their lives turn out to become sexual offenders and at times, their actions can be dangerously criminal. A sexual offense is not a light matter because it has psychological and physical implications and people who turn out to be sexual offenders are a hazard to the society they belong to.
Psychology provides various theories for this as to why certain people become sexual offenders while breaking the norms of their everyday life and routine and become a stigma in society. Usually, the answer as to why people become sex offenders lies in the traits, characteristic, demographics and possible personality of the sexual offender. This is an aspect of detecting sex offenders in the criminal justice system as well (Connolly, 2004).
As far as psychological references are concerned, psychology has tried to explain the reason for people turning into sex offenders under several theories. There are theories which try to explain why people become sex offenders which are termed as the ‘single factor’ theories, whereby there is one specific cause for their change of behaviour and deviance. Single factors include one possible reason for sex offending in people, such as a genetic or biological cause, behavioral change, societal change, any intimacy issues and the like. There are, on the other hand, ‘multifactor’ theories which tend to explain why people become sex offenders by integrating more than one cause which could have led to their deviant behaviour. On the whole, however, the various theories can only help to provide information as to why a person would commit a sex crime and become a sex offender, whereas, on the whole, there is no one single theory explaining why people commit sex crimes. Rather, it is believed that there is an amalgamation of circumstances and reasons which cause such behaviour. There is no particular age of a sex offender; a person can be a sex offender as a minor and can even step into deviance in adulthood and old age. However, this is explained by several theories.
According to Tony Ward (2014), the concept of the single factor theories is outmoded and very simple in order to explain why people turn to sexual offense. It is a concept of the 1960s and 1970s whereby the major reasons for sexual offending were antisocial behavior and unusual sexual behavior. As far as the biological reasons are concerned, it is proven that there might not be one gene for sexual offending in humans, and a child may not be born with a specific gene for committing rape or molesting other people. However, there are high chances that a child may have certain cognitive predispositions to the offense, and there might be an abnormality of cognitive functions in certain individuals related to their sexuality which surfaces at given point in life (Ward, 2014).
The simpler biological explanation for the neurological effects in adolescents or adults is the high testosterone levels that can lead to increased sex drive and sexual aggression in an individual. This is coupled with the idea that when an individual is not sexually satiated with their partner or cannot have a better sexual experience to provide satisfaction, then they may turn to sex offense as another way of letting out their pent up frustration. If a person is not checked or caught the first time, then it may result in criminal sexual offense. Moreover, there might be a genetic predisposition of a high sexual appetite and deviant sexual preferences in certain individuals that might lead people into becoming sex offenders (Ward, 2014). There are also chances of individual becoming sex offenders sue to physiological reasons which can trigger a large sexual appetite in them. For example, a tumor in the brain can cause uncalled for sexual behavior in some people, and they might behave or speak in a ribald manner because they do not have any control over their physiological problem. Moreover, it might be a developmental issue with some people such as early sexual onset or early puberty which might make some individuals sexually mature at an early age, thus creating a large sexual appetite at the wrong time in their lives (Grady, Levenson, and Bolder, 2016).
The behavioral factor is another reason why people become sex offenders. As mentioned by Helmond et al., (2014), it is possible that cognitive problems that cause such sexually offensive behaviour in individuals. This behaviour is termed as ‘externalizing behaviour’ which refers to the delinquency, antisocial predisposition and the sexually aggressive behavior in individuals. According to this theory, there is a belief that individuals develop such rash behavior out of their self-centered conception about their existence, and they fail to recognize the needs and preferences of the other person when they start behaving aggressively (Helmond et al., 2014).
Deviant behaviour is also an outcome of the learned behaviour that is at times transferred from generation to generation. At times, people fail to recognize that behavior is an unacceptable behaviour largely because of the distorted and misconceived outcomes. For example, usually, a person has high chances of becoming a sex offender in a case where they have seen and experienced sexual or physical assault by a family member holding an important position in the home (Grady, Levenson, and Bolder, 2016).This is the father, usually and his actions barely have any consequences because of his hold on the family. Moreover, it is learned behavior which affects the individual the most. In cases where the father beats the mother, and the child sees domestic violence as a norm in the home, it can lead to an aggressive and perhaps criminal approach toward dealing with women. Therefore, an individual might inhabit such tendencies in themselves (Helmond et al., 2014).
There is, however, a cognitive and behavioral interrelationship as well which means that there can be a behaviour adopted by an individual which may lead to a strengthening of another kind of deviant behaviour. This is termed as conditioning. For example, an individual may feel an early arousal of feelings because they have gone through sexual experiences or when such experiences are reinforced upon them. This can be understood by the concept of masturbation or by fantasizing deviant sexual thoughts which can lead to a strengthening of one’s sexual behavior. When these are continued without any suppression, they may eventually cause sexual offending, and people can become sexual offenders.
On the other hand, related to this very conception, is the sociocultural approach which also related to the moral framework of society and inherent morality in humans. Sociocultural dimensions explain the societal as well as the cultural setups of society which includes the norms and the messages which are conveyed by the members and constituting factors of that very society. A common example of this is the media of the society. If a person is exposed to watching pornographic or sexually explicit material and is exposed to watching violent games or vides, then they can condone violence and actually adapt its various features. There are many people who learn from material they watch or observe, and when this is unchecked, they can begin to copy it as well (Heilbrun, 1998).In this case, sexually explicit material is learned passively and later on, inspired by any particular event, it is usually imitated, and the perpetrators role-play the same actions. Cultural impacts are also visible in societies where women and children are mistreated or where the incidence of sex crimes is high which may trigger the same emotions in other people (Heilbrun, 1998).
Another important factor, which singularly governs the feelings of many sex offenders, is intimacy and attachment. In the case of juveniles as well as several adult offenders, it has been seen that the lack of proper and sufficient intimacy can lead to attachment issues. Moreover, it is highly problematic in adulthood when an individual cannot carry normal relationships with people they wish to be intimate with (Heilbrun, 1998). There remain certain deficits in their ability to pursue normal sexual relationships with others, and these deficits resultantly emerge as abnormal and aggressive sexual behavior with other people. It can be a sexual offense with their intimate partner, like a wife or girl friend or it can be deviant sexual behavior with other individuals (Campbell, 2007).
It has been stated by Bowlby (1997), that when there remain attachment issues and intimacy is not comfortably set with one’s partner, then it can definitely lead to abnormal and anti-social behaviour, especially one that is sexual in nature. Moreover, adolescents feel the brunt of it in their development and their young minds are often unable to understand the acceptable limit of intimacy which may lead to deviant behavior and inappropriate sexual contact with others.
As stated by Campbell (2007), Bowlby (1997) gives an overview of the attachment theory, which is a complex one, in simpler terms. He describes attachment as a very crucial part of the lifespan of the individual which he carries with him all his life. Also, it needs to be understood that attachment is not a procedural concept, and it does not have any stages of development; it does not move on a scale of simple to complex, rather, if it is developed as complex, it will remain so until an individual starts realizing the issue with their behavior. Furthermore, he explains that when there is a maladapted concept of attachment in the mind of an individual, it can lead to pathological responses in the person affected. This is more strongly felt when a person lacks how to deal with the external world (Connolly, 2004).
Moreover, Bowlby discusses another concern in the paper regarding the attachment theory. He says that childhood attachment is preeminently measured by the parent-child relationship and adult attachment is a result of the self-conceived measures of oneself. However, there is a concern of what kind of attachment is necessary for adolescence remains questionable. He answers this by saying that attachment does not remain the same from childhood to adolescence, rather it changes (Connolly, 2004).This is with respect to the changing biological and psychological needs of the individual. There are patterns of attachment that need to be studied to reveal how people turn to abnormal sexual behavior. He also explains that there are two kinds of attachments measured in society; a secure attachment and insecure attachment. A secure attachment is one that is measured by cultural influence, and it is largely present, whilst the insecure attachment is harbored and kept private (Connolly, 2004).
Another noteworthy point in the discussion is the cultural bias which is prevalent in many societies, primarily a gender difference that is widely observed. Women and girls are not kept in question there is no mention of the cultural expectations of them which is a barrier in understanding how attachments develop and are affected later on in life.
This is also explained by example. People who have secure attachments will know where to draw the line when they are sexually involved with others or how to control their impulses when they are lured into deviant behavior. On the other hand, those people with insecure attachments will have intimacy issues, and when their insecurity overcomes them, they might indulge in sexually abusive behavior. For example, if a person did not have a secure attachment with parents as a child or with other children or siblings, as a grown up or adolescent, they might be inclined to get sexually or emotionally drawn to children when they are around them (Grady, Levenson, and Bolder, 2016). This is a response to their own feelings because they have developed such a bond in order to feel safe and secure; moreover, it offers a gratification to their sexual needs- which is an inappropriate action that is developed as a consequence of their insecure attachment.
There is another side to insecure attachment as well. There might be some individuals that have never experienced the feeling of getting attached to anyone, or they have not been rewarded in the manner they would have expected to. Resultantly, they remain impassive and aloof from partners for sexual gratification or forming a relationship of any kind, but they become episodically enraged at times because of harboring a negative emotion or loss, and this is vented out in the form of sexual frustration; at times only at adult or middle-aged women and this anger is mostly hostile, aggressive and sexually offensive in nature (Connolly, 2004).
Moving on to the pluralistic approach on the matter, there is the integrated theory. This coerces several aspects of the matter into one, forming a theory based on the fact that multiple causes can result in sexual offending in people. There is Finkelhor’s Precondition Model, (Thakker and Ward, 2012), which describes how people sexually offend children. There is the emotional correspondence, sexual stimulation, an impasse and ‘disinbition’ (Thakker and Ward, 2012). Emotional correspondence is when children themselves struggle to reach and understand the emotional level of adults and in order to make themselves feel comforted and understood, they reach out to other children for sexual gratification (Thakker and Ward, 2012). Sexual stimulation is when people are sexually aroused by children hence they are attracted to them and become sex offenders (Thakker and Ward, 2012). The impasse is when the child sex offender is not able to have his or her sexual needs met and fulfilled, and it leads to emotional and sexual frustration in their life, whereby they surpass the sexual company of adults (Thakker and Ward, 2012). And lastly, disinhibition is when a person has poor self control and grows up to be unable to help curb their unhealthy desires which can lead them to commit sex crimes and violate the sexual rights of others (Thakker and Ward, 2012).This is a precondition model because these are the conditions that need to be present before a person can be termed as a child sex offender.
There are several other factors included in this proposition which surrounds the difficulties and problems that are experienced during adolescence such as problems with friends and the inability to adjust to the rest of the people as well as low self-esteem, lack of confidence and being socially isolated (Harris, Mazerolle, and Knight, 2009). This makes adolescents more vulnerable, emotionally and if they get to seek the company of people they have more control over, such as children, then they feel comfortable and at ease in using them for sexual gratification and making them fulfill their needs accordingly. This is assisted by biological tendencies such as hormonal issues, rising sexual drives during puberty and physiological changes as well (Harris, Mazerolle, and Knight, 2009). Furthermore, the objectification of women as sex symbols and the erotic fantasies that are bound to occur at this stage of life make it even more difficult for adolescents to control their urge and they can result in sexual offense, in the form of rape, molestation or sexual harassment of vulnerable targets (Figueredo et al., 2000).
The Confluence Model is another harbinger to measure the cause of people becoming sexual offenders. It is a theory incorporating multiple factors in the cause such as the presence of various motivators, opportunities present for committing the offense and disinhibitors in the person’s life. With these factors present, there are more chances of a person becoming sexually aggressive and volatile especially with women. There are two specific ways that can be taken by a person when this behaviour is adopted- particularly becoming sexually promiscuous or to become aggressive and hostile (Abbey, Jacques-Tiura, and LeBreton, 2011). These are also termed as the risk factors for becoming sexual offenders in life. An example given is the way men turn promiscuous and start taking wrong signals from women when they are told to stay away- no from a woman is interpreted as a yes. Men who have developed such sexuality will be more hostile and aggressive toward women- particularly in taking them as sex objects and forsaking their integrity at every chance, they get (Abbey, Jacques-Tiura, and LeBreton, 2011). Men who have the higher chance of being on the promiscuous scale are those who take sex as a game to be won and a matter of unemotional concern, rather than a serious matter which can involve many lives. Thus, for sexual gratification, they will turn to forced sexual contact and rape, assault and molestation as ways of venting their sex drive (Abbey, Jacques-Tiura, and LeBreton, 2011).
However, such people are not born with such orientations; rather they likely tend to be victims of abuse themselves, like children. This has a detrimental impact on their psychological and sexual orientation, and many might turn to homosexuality and assault the people of their own sex as means of sexual gratification (Abbey, Jacques-Tiura, and LeBreton, 2011).
Lastly, it is the model of self-regulation which is a nine phase model in the theory, with four stages, which explain the aims of the individual as he goes on to become a sex offender and what comes out of their actions (Kingston, Yates, and Olver, 2013). The first is the avoidant-passive pathway. In this stage, the sex offender will try to prevent his relapse by trying to prevent the offense from being committed . However, they will be stopped from doing so by disinhibitors (Yates and Kingston, 2006). Such people are unable to suppress their desires and feelings and cannot help their abnormal sexual distraught. Thus they do not try to hide it once it is exploited. The second is the avoidant-active pathway. This is also a similar stage where the desire of committing the offense is being suppressed, but it cannot be regulated by the perpetrator. Therefore, in order to achieve the same results, the offender will take another path to achieve the same goal such as taking drugs or substance abuse as a refuge. At a certain point, he will lose control and will commit a sex crime (Yates and Kingston, 2006). The third is the approach-automatic pathway. This is a way in which the offender will take advantage of the situation and will make a move when the circumstances allow them to. The plan to commit an offense is disorderly and not well-thought-of. Thus it can be considered as random, but only prompted by the situation (Yates and Kingston, 2006). The fourth stage is the approach –explicit which means that these individuals have been exposed to the belief system that being sexually aggressive is acceptable. Thus, they are groomed to treating the victim well before they commit the abuse, and they have a form of self-regulation imposed upon them as a means to carry out the offense in a well-planned and tactical manner (Yates and Kingston, 2006).
Therefore, there are various theories which prove how people can become sex offenders even though they might not be exposed to a sexually abusive environment at a young age. However, there are many factors that can prompt a person to become a sex offender and there is not one single theory that can specifically take the claim, rather an amalgam of theories can help in providing a detailed explanation of this deviance in behaviour.
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