CHILD MOLESTER RECIDIVISM
Question: How does the recidivism of child molesters differ from that
of nonsexual criminals?
Method: The RCMP records of 191 child molesters and 137 nonsexual
criminals were examined 15-30 years after their release from a maximum
security provincial institution. The child molester sample was the same
as that previously examined by Hanson, Steffy & Gauthier (1992, 1993).
Answer: The initial follow-up of the child molesters found that 42%
were reconvicted of a sexual or violent crime during the 15-30 year
follow-up period. Ten percent of the total sample of child molesters
were first convicted for a sexual/violent crime between 10 and 31 years
after release. Not all child molesters recidivated at the same rate.
The highest rate of recidivism (77%) was for those with previous sexual
offenses, who selected extrafamilial boy victims, and who were never
married. In contrast, the long-term recidivism rate for the low risk
offenders was less than 20%.
Although the long-term recidivism rates for the child molesters were
substantial, the recidivism rates for the nonsexual criminals were even
higher, 61% versus 83.2%, respectively, for any reconviction. That
nonsexual criminals have higher recidivism rates than child molesters
runs contrary to the common assumption that child molesters are a
particularly high risk group of offenders. Nonsexual criminals tended
to be reconvicted for property offenses and for nonsexual violent
offenses. In contrast, child molesters had much higher rates of sexual
recidivism (35%) than did the nonsexual criminal group (1.5%). The
predictors of sexual recidivism (e.g., prior sexual offenses, victim
type) were different from the predictors of nonsexual recidivism (e.g.,
low education, youth, nonviolent offenses).
Policy Implications:
Child molesters have different programming needs than do nonsexual
criminals. This result supports the practice of offering specialized
treatment programs to sexual offenders.
Since not all child molesters are at high risk to reoffend, a range of
information is required to identify those child molesters who truly are
at high risk. A record of a single conviction for child molestation is
insufficient for identifying the high risk offenders.
The risk factors for predicting sexual reoffending are different from
the factors that predict general reoffending. Consequently, attention
to different factors is required in the applied risk assessment of
different offender groups.
Special policies concerning pardons for child molesters may be needed,
since child molesters remain at risk for recidivism for many years, and
there appears to be no critical time period after which their risk is
substantially reduced.
Special provisions may be required for the long-term supervision of
certain high risk child molesters in the community.
Source: Hanson, R. K., Scott, H., & Steffy, R. A. (1995). A Comparison
of Child Molesters and Non-Sexual Criminals: Risk Predictors and
Long-term Recidivism. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency,
32(3), 325-337.\
Other references:
Hanson, R. K., Steffy, R. A., & Gauthier, R. (1993). Long-term
recidivism of child molesters. Journal of Consulting and Clinical
Psychology, 61, 646-652.
Hanson, R. K., Steffy, R. A., & Gauthier, R. (1992). Long-term
follow-up of child molesters: Risk prediction and treatment outcome.
(User Report No. 1992-02.) Ottawa: Corrections Branch, Ministry of the
Solicitor General of Canada.
For further information:
James Bonta, Ph.D.
Solicitor General Canada
340 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0P8
Tel (613) 991-2831
Fax (613) 990-8295
e-mail bontaj@sgc.gc.ca
|
|