Sex Offenders

How They Think; What They Do

Anna C. Salter
 Agenda
 Impact of Sexual Abuse on Victims

 Adolescent Sex Offenders

 How Sex Offenders Fool People

 What Works
www.annasalter.com
Impact of Sexual Abuse on
Victims
Impact of Child Sexual Abuse

Silence
 10 Retrospective Studies
Revealed abuse to anyone as children

1/3

Cases reported to authorities

10% - 18%
(London et al., 2005)
 Percentage of Sexual Abuse
Reported to Authorties

6 to 12%

(Elliott, 1993; Russell, 1984; Saunders et al.,

1992; Smith et al., 2000)
 Delayed Disclosure of Childhood
Rape
N = 388

 W/in 24 hours 18%

 > 5 years 47%

 Never before survey 28%

(Smith et al., 2000)

 Delayed Disclosure
N = 156

< One Week 24%

< One Year 21%

 Five Years 17%

 Never 39%
(Sauzier, 1989)
 Delayed Disclosure
Study Timing %

Elliott & Briere,

1994 > 1 Year 75%

> 5 Years 18%

 Percent Who Never Disclosed
 22% Bottoms et al., 2007

 46% Ussher & Dewberry, 1995

 28% Smith et al., 2000

 33% Finkelhor et al., 1990

 31% Arata, 1998

 Silence
39% of children

Never told anyone as children

(O’Leary et al., 2010)

Elliott & Briere 1994
N = 118

External evidence of abuse

Perpetrator confession
Witness
Pornographic pictures
 Elliott & Briere 1994

Many children initially disclosed only fondling

Later penetration
 Partial Disclosure
 21 studies of children with gonorrhea
gradual disclosure common
(Lyon, in press)

 118 cases with external evidence

gradual disclosure common
(Elliott and Briere, 1994)
When Did Child Rarely Disclose
Natural Parent

Immediately 17%

Later 30%

Never 55%
 Family Members as Perps
Lower rates or
Longer delays

(Goodman-Brown, et al., 2003; Hershkowitz

et al., 2005; Sjoberg & Lindblad, 2002;
Smith et al., 2000)
 Age
 Adolescents abused for the first time as
adolescents more likely to disclose than
younger children

 Disclose first to another adolescent

(Olafson & Lederman, 2006)
 Whom They Told

 Mother 21%

 Best Friend 23%

 No one 28%

(Smith et al., 2000)

 Children Who Deny
 Less likely to disclose the closer the relationship

(DiPetro et al., 1997; Smith et al., 2000)

 Recantation
Predictors

Lack of maternal support

Abuse by male caretaker

 Recantation

Cases where offender confessed

24.5% recanted fully or partially

(Malloy, Lyon, Quas, & Forman, 2005)

 Disclosure
Adolescents and children who disclosed

Greater psychological distress

Than those who didn’t

(Feiring et al., 2002; O’Leary et al., 2010)

 Impact of Disclosure
Adolescents who disclosed

Felt less supported

Perceived others’ reactions as negative

Blamed selves for abuse

(Feiring et al., 2002)
 Type of Disclosure
Children who disclosed to someone other
than mother

Poorer mental health

(Ruggiero et al., 2000)

 Response of Mother
Mothers who believed and supported

Children had fewer mental health problems

(Browne & Finkelhor, 1986; Luster & Small,

1997; Merrill et al., 2001)
 Response of Listener
If person disclosed to tells someone else
without permission

Children have more mental health problems

(Gold, 1986; O’Leary, 2010)
Discussion of Abuse
Those who discussed abuse

Not just disclosed

Within one year of abuse

Better mental health

(O’Leary et al., 2010)
Fantastic Elements in Disclosures
Gold Standard
Perpetrator Confessed

Medical Evidence Consistent

“Persuasive evidence,” e.g. Eyewitness

(Dalenberg, 1996)
Fantastic Elements in Disclosures
Severe Abuse

Perpetrator Family Member

Force or Threat

Repeated Molestation

Intercourse or Oral-Genital
(Dalenberg, 1996)
Fantastic Elements in Disclosures

Accounts with
Fantastic Elements

Severe Gold Standard (52) 15%

Nonsevere Gold Standard (8) 2%
Nonsevere Questionable (90) 0%
Severe Questionable (52) 4%
(Dalenberg, 1996)
Sequelae of Sexual Abuse

 PTSD
 Depression

 Anxiety Disorders

 Dissociation

 Sexual Problems

 Re-Victimization

 Affective Flashback
 Worse Outcome
Intrusiveness

Injury

Physical Violence

(E.g., Banyard et al., 2004; Collings, 1995;

O’Leary, 2010)
Worse Outcome
Parent

(Kendall-Tackett, 1993)
 Type of Abuse
More severe

More frequent and longer lasting

Worse outcome

(Banyard et al., 2004; Boudewyn & Liem, 1995)

 Characteristics of Abuse
Multiple abusers

Worse outcome

(Briere & Runtz, 1988; O’Leary et al., 2010)

 Affective Sequelae
 Affective Flashbacks

 Secondary to Cognitions
Internalizing Sex Offender Thinking Errors

Trauma-Based World View

 Secondary to Current Realities

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
 Intrusive Symptoms

 Avoidant Symptoms

 Arousal Symptoms
Intrusive Symptoms

 Intrusive Memories
 Affective Flashbacks
 Physical Responses to Triggers
 Nightmares
 Triggers

 Smell of aftershave
 Footsteps on the stairs
 Alone in the room with a male
 Bathroom
 Dental appointments
Avoidant Symptoms

 Refusal to talk or think about abuse

 Avoidance of reminders
 Numbing
 Post-traumatic decline
Arousal Symptoms

 Hyper-startle
 Lack of concentration
 Irritability
 Difficulty sleeping
Correlates of PTSD in Rape Victims

Life Threat
Physical Injury
Completed Rape

8.5 x
(Kilpatrick et al., 1989)
Characteristics of Assault

%
 Rape Alone 29
 Rape/Physical Injury 58
 Rape/Life Threat 69
 Rape/Injury/Life Threat 79

(Kilpatrick et al., 1989)

Sequelae of Sexual Abuse

 PTSD
 Depression

 Anxiety Disorders

 Dissociation

 Sexual Problems

 Re-Victimization

 Affective Flashback
 Affective Sequelae
 Affective Flashbacks

 Secondary to Cognitions
Internalizing Sex Offender Thinking Errors

Trauma-Based World View

 Secondary to Current Realities

Contact with Offender
 Court appearances
 Supervised visitation

 Apology sessions

 Unsupervised visitation

 Reunification