Who does it

Types of Sex Offenders

RAPE: Forced sexual intercourse

Rapists lack victim empathy. They are characterized as having low impulse control and general criminal tendencies.

a) POWER RAPE - comprises 50% of all rapes reported. Involves the need to control and overpower the victim. It is often premeditated.
b) ANGER RAPE - usually not preplanned. Desire is to inflict harm, express revenge and retaliation. Sex is used as a vehicle to abuse, humiliate, and degrade. In a study from 1984, 59% of male rapists studied reported molestation by an older female prior to age 16.

PEDOPHILES: Interested in Children

Pedophiles are interested in children primarily for sex. They tend to be emotionally immature, lonely, socially isolated, inept, shy and passive men who relate to children more comfortably than to adults. They appear to genuinely care for kids. A study completed in 1979 indicated that as many as 80% of pedophiles had been sexually abused as children. Underlying dynamics appear to be related to early unresolved trauma, such as identification with the aggressor, repetition compulsion or displaced anger.

a) FIXATED - emotionally and psychologically "stuck", usually at the same age as when their own trauma occurred. Typically deny and/or minimize their offenses to justify the behavior and shift blame to the victim.
b) REGRESSED - usually an incest offender. Most common is the father-daughter incest. Low impulse control and low frustration tolerance, thwarted dependency needs, low self-esteem and a need for immediate gratification are all signs of high risk.
c) MYSOPEDIC - an uncommon type of pedophile who engages in sadistic and lethal activities. Participates in cults where mutilation and murder are common.

EXHIBITIONISM: Exposure of genitals or nude body parts to achieve their sexual arousal. Often offenders are male. Factors associated with the deviation include marital problems, fear of women, non-assertiveness, pedophilic tendencies, unconscious homosexuality, and courtship disorder. The criminal histories of many rapists indicate their sexual offenses began in adolescence with exhibitionism and voyeurism.

VOYEURISM: Peeping at others who are naked, or undressing, or engaging in sexual activities in order to stimulate sexual excitement, and is often accompanied by masturbation. It is often associated with exhibitionism. Voyeurs like to imagine women as vulnerable or helpless. It is as if the offender is visually raping his victim.

Some Traits Of Sex Offenders

Compartmentalized feelings with little consideration of consequences for behaviors; does not easily self correct or learn from experiences.

Tends to sexualize all relationships and holds sex stereotypes; often internalize madonna-whore complex regarding women.

Limited world view and constricted behavioral-emotional repertoire; often see only a limited range of acceptable feelings for a given situation.

Behaves compulsively; tend toward addictions such as workaholic behavior or chemical abuse.

Operates from self-centered, narcissistic orientation where the world revolves around the individual's needs and wants.

Tends to objectify others and lack empathic responses; relate superficially, and often views others as being threatening to their self-worth.

Uses various defenses such as denial, rationalization, minimization and projection of blame and responsibility.

Suffers from conflicts centering around feelings of independence and need for others to care for them; they are basically immature and impatient.

Compensate for low self-worth by presenting selves as controlling, powerful and potent; see themselves as failures who need to overpower others.

Lack knowledge about interpersonal relationships, sexuality, true male-female intimacy; lack understanding ability to trust in others.

They lack self-control; have poor impulse control and low frustration tolerance; they are oriented toward action rather that thinking.

Express anger violently or passive-aggressively; do not understand the difference between assertive and aggressive behaviors or attitudes.

Have poor communication skills.

Adhere to rigid role stereotypes regarding others; believe in segregated marriages with clear male-female role divisions.

Experience psychosexual identity problems; often are homophobic due to unresolved and latent homosexual impulses, often the result of abuse.

Do not experience guilt or remorse for antisocial behaviors; need the presence of external controls for impulsive behaviors that they may or may not feel comfortable engaging in.

They lack the capacity for healthy conflict resolution, and often tend to deal in absolutes ( ' all or nothing ', ' black and white ' thinking ).

Lack social skills; often are withdrawn and isolated. They often feel incapable of dealing with the consequences of their own behaviors.

Experience conflicts with real versus ideal self-image and have poor sense of self. They frequently have a poor ability to set limits.

Lack genuine commitments interpersonally and vocationally. Relationships are often brief and surface only. There is very little openness to them.

Experience conflicts with authority. Most authority is usually seen as demanding and controlling, and is met with resentment and resistance.

Characteristics Of The Three Levels Of Sexual Addiction

For sexual addicts, an addictive experience progresses through a four-step cycle which intensifies with each repetition:

1: Preoccupation: The trance or mood wherein the addict's minds are completely engrossed with thoughts of sex. This mental state creates an obsessive search for sexual stimulation.

2: Ritualization: The addict's own special routines which lead up to the sexual behavior. The ritual intensifies the preoccupation, adding arousal and excitement.

3: Compulsive Sexual Behavior: The actual sexual act, which is the end goal of the preoccupation and ritualization. Sexual addicts are unable to control or stop this behavior.

4: Despair: The feeling of utter hopelessness addicts have about their behavior and their powerlessness.

The pain the addicts feel at the end of the cycle can be numbed or obscured by sexual preoccupation which re-engages the addiction cycle. Unfortunately, when the cycle repeats, the self-esteem also drops lower, as the addict recognizes his or her powerlessness over the addiction. Many people fail to recognize that women are as vulnerable to being victims of this addiction as are men. Society tends to minimize the shame for men, at least in the earlier stages of the addiction, at the same time it intensifies the shame for women.

Suggesting three levels of addiction does not mean that addicts cannot destroy their lives with Level One behavior. Many addicts have done just that without ever venturing into Levels Tow and Three. However, it would be unusual for an addict to be compulsive at Levels Two and Three without a significant amount of compulsivity at Level One. The following chart presents the Three levels of sexual addiction and their accompanying criteria.

	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
Behavior Exhibited	Masturbation, hetero-sexual relationships, pornography, prostitution and homosexuality	Exhibitionism, voyeurism, indecent phone calls and indecent liberties.	Child Molestation, incest and rape.
Cultural Standards	Depending on the behavior, some activities are seen as acceptable or tolerable. Some specific behaviors such as prostitution and homosexuality are sources of controversy.	None of these behaviors are considered as acceptable.	Each behavior represents a profound violation of cultural standards.
Consequences/ Legal Risks	Sanctions against those behaviors, when illegal, are ineffectively and randomly enforced. Low priority for enforcement officials generates minimal risk for addict.	Behaviors are regarded as nuisance offenses. Risk is involved since offenders, when observed, are actively prosecuted.	Extreme legal consequences create high risk situations for the addict.
Victim Perceptions	These behaviors are perceived as victimless crimes. However, victimization and exploitation are often components.	There is always a victim.	There is always a victim.
Public Opinion of Addiction	Public attitudes are characterized by ambivalence or dislike. For some behaviors such as prostitution there is a competing negative hero image of glamorous decadence.	Addict is perceived as pathetic and sick, but harmless. Often these behaviors are objects of jokes which dismiss the pain of the sexual addict.	Public becomes outraged. Perpetrators are seen by many as sub-human and beyond.

Who does it

See also Why it happens

Types of Sex Offenders