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Summary: Abel studied 411 sex offenders and found that on average over a twelve year period EACH offender had attempted 581 sex crimes, completed 533 sex crimes, had 336 victims, and committed an average of 44 sex crimes a year. Study:
Gene Abel et. al. conducted a breakthrough study in 1983 which
gave us information on the frequency and variety of sexual
offending behaviors sex offenders have committed. He received
a federal certificate of confidentiality to study sex offenders.
Individuals in this study could admit to current offending
behaviors without fear that the information would be reported
to law enforcement. He studied 411 sex offenders and found
that on average over a twelve year period each offender had
attempted 581 sex crimes, completed 533 sex crimes, had 336
victims, and committed an average of 44 sex crimes a year.
These crimes included hands off sex offenses such as exposing,
peeping and obscene phone calls. Additionally, he found that
50.6% of the rapists involved in the study had also molested
children. (Retraining Adult Sex Offenders: Methods and Models,
Safer Society Press, by Fay Honey Knop) Study:
In 1985, Rob Freeman-Longo reported on a group of 23 rapists
and 30 child molesters involved in an institutional forensic
mental health sex offender program. Arrest records indicated
rapists had an average of 1.9 offenses each for a group total
of 43 arrests for sex offenses. The 23 rapists as a group
admitted committing a total of 5090 various incidents of sex
offending behaviors which included 319 child molestations
and 178 rapes. Arrest records indicated child molesters had
an average of 1.5 arrests each. While in treatment, the 30
child molesters as a group admitted 20,667 offenses which
included 5891 sexual assaults on children and 213 rapes on
adult women. ( Sexual Abuse in America: Epidemic of the 21st
Century, Freeman-Longo and Blanchard, 1998, Safer Society
Press, Brandon, VT) Summary: On average, for EACH sex offender there were 2 known victims documented in official records. After the first polygraph exam inmates disclosed on average 165 victims per offender. By the second polygraph exam the same inmates, on average, disclosed 184 victims per offender. Study:
Colorado Department of Corrections Sex Offender Treatment
Program has found similar patterns to those reported by Gene
Abel with the sex offenders participating in treatment and
polygraph assessment. The program collected data in 1998 on
the number of known victims of the first 36 sex offenders
to participate in two polygraph evaluations. On average, for
each offender there were 2 known victims documented in official
records. After the first polygraph exam inmates disclosed
on average 165 victims per offender. By the second polygraph
exam the same inmates, on average, disclosed 184 victims per
offender. These crimes included hands-on sex offenses such
as rape and pedophilia as well as hands-off sex offenses such
as exhibitionism, voyeurism and obscene phone calls. Approximately
80% of these offenders were still deceptive on their polygraph
examinations, suggesting that even more offenses were committed.
(The Impact of Polygraphy on Admissions of Victims and Offenses
of Adult Sex Offenders by Sean Ahlmeyer)Summary: 48% of the
sex offenders had crossed over in either age (36%) or the
gender (25%) of the victims they offended against-- they had
committed offenses with either victims of different ages (adults
and children) or victims of different sexes (males and females).Study:
In 1998, Kim English analyzed a sample of 83 sex offenders
who had participated in polygraph evaluations at the Colorado
Department of Corrections . This sample included inmates and
parolees. She determined that 48% of the offenders had crossed
over in either age (36%) or the gender (25%) of the victims
they offended against-- they had committed offenses with either
victims of different ages (adults and children) or victims
of different sexes (males and females). Again, 80% of this
sample were still scoring deceptive on their polygraph evaluations.
(Presentation at the Association for the Treatment of Sexual
Abusers 17th Annual Research and Treatment Conference, Maximizing
the Use of the Polygraph with Sex Offenders: Policy Development
and Research Findings, Vancouver 1998) Summary: 69% of the sample acknowledged crossing over in the age of the victims they assaulted. Of the offenders who were only known to have child victims in official records, 77% later admitted to also having adult victims. Of the offenders who were only known in official records to have adult victims, 50% later admitted to having child victims during the process of polygraph examination. Study: In 1999, Sean Ahlmeyer analyzed a larger sample of 117 inmates who participated in polygraph evaluations at the Colorado Department of Corrections. In this sample, 74 % of the inmates self reported that they had committed offenses with either victims of different ages (adults and children) and/or victims of different sexes (males and females). It was determined that 69% of the sample acknowledged crossing over in the age of the victims they assaulted. Of the offenders who were only known to have child victims in official records, 77% later admitted to also having adult victims. Of the offenders who were only known in official records to have adult victims, 50% later admitted to having child victims during the process of polygraph examination. It was
also determined that 32% of the sample acknowledged crossing
over in the sex of the victims they assaulted. Of the offenders
who were only known to have male victims in official records,
58% later admitted to having female victims. Of the offenders
who were only known to have female victims, 22% later admitted
to having male victims. Again the majority of the individuals
in this sample were still scoring deceptive on some areas
of their polygraph evaluations, indicating that the percent
of cross over may be higher than the numbers self reported
by these offenders. Summary: Abel found that 44% of incest offenders had offended against unrelated female children and 11% had offended against unrelated male children. Study:
In 1983, Abel et. al. studied incest offenders who had involved
themselves sexually with female children. He found that 44%
of these offenders had offended against unrelated female children,
11% had offended against unrelated male children, 18% had
committed rapes, 18% had committed exhibitionism, 9% had engaged
in voyeurism, 5% had engaged in frottage, 4% had engaged in
sadism, and 21% had other paraphilias. In this study it was
determined that 59% of the child molesters developed deviant
sexual interest during adolescence. (Information reported
in an article by Judith Becker and Emily Coleman in the Handbook
of Family Violence.) Summary: Of the child sex offenders who were permitted supervised contact with children, 60% were having deviant fantasies and masturbating while thinking about a known minor. Study:
In a 1996 study by Gary Davis, Laura Williams and James Yokley,
142 child molesters were polygraphed to determine if they
were having deviant fantasies and masturbating while thinking
about a known minor. Only 3% of offenders who were not permitted
contact with children were having deviant fantasies and masturbating
while thinking about a known minor. Of the child sex offenders
who were permitted supervised contact with children, 59.5%
were having deviant fantasies and masturbating while thinking
about a known minor. (An Evaluation of Court-Ordered contact
Between Child Molesters and Children: Polygraph Examination
as a Child Protective Service by Gary Davis, Laura Williams,
and James Yokley. Paper presented at 15th Annual ATSA Conference,
November 1996.) Summary: Almost 100% of children who had reported molestation by a relative, answered "no" when asked if they would report the incident if they were molested again. The reasons they gave included the following: practically no one believes them when they tell, or, if they do believe, they become hostile to the victim for getting the perpetrator in trouble and removing him from where he was needed. Study:
William Marshall has reported findings from an unpublished
project conducted within child protective agencies in Ontario
in the mid-1970's. The project was unsystematic in the sense
that some, but not all, victims of incest over approximately
a three year period were contacted. A child protective services
caseworker located a number of children who had reported molestation
by a relative. She found that many cases were recanted when
the family did not believe the victim, or when the victim
was believed but was poorly treated by family members. Once
the children had been located, the caseworker asked the children
if they would report the incident if they were molested again.
Almost 100% answered "no". The reasons they gave
included the following: Practically no one believes them when
they tell or, if they do believe, they become hostile to the
victim for getting the perpetrator in trouble and removing
him from where he was needed; the child held him/herself responsible
for the father=s absence from the family; or the outcome almost
always ended up being more devastating to the child than to
the perpetrator. (Information presented at the Association
for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers annual research and treatment
conference; personal communication with William Marshall 11/6/98) Study:
In 1995, Marshall reported that family reunification provides
the following risks: Victims may not want the family to reunify,
but may feel pressured into it; even after treatment, 80%
of families separate within 5 years; there is an increased
chance the victim will not report if victimized again; or
the victim may get the impression that the family is important
and that he/she is not. (Wisconsin Sex Offender Treatment
Network, Inc. training tapes; personal communication with
William Marshall 11/6/98) Summary: Polygraph results revealed that 86% of sex offenders were engaging in new high risk behaviors and/or new crimes after more than a year in treatment. Study:
In 1998, Jim Tanner conducted a research study on the polygraph
results of 128 sex offenders who were participating in offense
specific treatment in the community. Each of the offenders
had participated in one baseline and at least one maintenance
polygraph examination. The study looked at the offender=s
behavior between the time period of the baseline polygraph
and maintenance polygraph. Based on the polygraph examination
results, 31% of the offenders had sexual contact with a minor,
25% had unauthorized contact with a minor, and 12% of the
offenders had forced someone to have sex since the baseline
examination. Overall, 86% of this sample were engaging in
new high risk behaviors and/or new crimes. On average, each
offender was engaging in 2.5 different high risk behaviors.
This would indicate that many offenders continue their patterns
of perpetration while participating in sex offender treatment.
(Incidence of Sex Offender Risk Behavior During Treatment,
Research Project Final Report, by Jim Tanner, funded by Teaching
Humane Existence, Inc. 2/4/99) Summary: ACCESS TO VICTIMS has been found to be a predictor of sexual reoffense. Study:
In 1997, Karl Hanson and Andrew Harris conducted research
on dynamic predictors of sexual reoffense. The following factors
were significantly associated with reoffense: General excuses/justifications/low
victim empathy, sexual entitlement, attitudes tolerant of
rape, attitudes tolerant of child molesting, sees self as
no risk, sexual risk factors (pornography, excessive masturbation,
deviant sexual fantasies, preoccupation with sex), access
to victims, negative social influences. (Dynamic Predictors
of Sexual Reoffense Project 1997 presented at The Association
for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers 16th Annual Conference,
October 16, 1997, Arlington, Virginia) For more information, please contact: Teaching
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