NCJ Number
145820
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 8 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1993) Pages: 486-501
Date Published
1993
Length
16 pages
Annotation
The age and gender preferences of sexual offenders were investigated.
Abstract
One hundred seventy-two males incarcerated for sexual offenses were shown slide photographs, and their penile responses were measured. They responded significantly more to slides that depicted persons of the same gender as their most recent victim. Molesters of prepubescent children showed greater preference for prepubescent models than did molesters of pubescent children or adults. Surprisingly, familial and extrafamilial offenders did not differ in age preference. Of the 152 subjects who were examined for a second time, an average of 4.21 years after their first examination, 37 percent recidivated; 14 percent were convicted of a new sexual offense. Recidivists had significantly more deviant age preferences than did nonrecidivists; sexual recidivists were significantly more deviant than were nonrecidivists. Child molesters showed particularly deviant age preference. Nonsexual recidivists did not differ from nonrecidivists on this measure. Considering the possibility that some subjects could produce faked responses, the data support the validity of the penile response measurement method toward predicting sexual recidivism. 3 tables, 3 figures, and 25 references