Child molestation varies substantially in how abuse is carried out, yet less is known about how this variation relates to the victim-offender relationship (VOR). Using 2,776 first-trial criminal sentencing documents from China between 2014 and 2020, this study examines associations among VOR, modus operandi (MO), offense outcomes, and offense configurations. Analyses combined regression, mediation, and cluster analysis. Three findings emerged. First, closer relationships were associated with less violence and fewer MO types. Second, closer relationships were associated with longer duration and higher frequency of abuse, and these associations were partially mediated through selected MO pathways. Violence was associated with physical harm and shorter duration, deception with shorter and less frequent abuse, and inducement with longer duration and greater frequency. Third, four offense configurations were identified: Low M.O., Violence, Deception, and Chronicity. The clearest VOR contrast involved the concentration of Chronicity in family and other known-relationship cases and its near absence among stranger cases. The findings support a relational framework in which VOR is associated with offense strategy, outcomes, and configuration membership, underscoring the importance of relationship-sensitive prevention and intervention.
Gender-responsive programming has emerged as a pivotal force behind improved therapeutic outcomes for women in the criminal justice system. Enhancing relevance of treatment provided to women sentenced for child sexual abuse (CSA) is necessary given the proposed gender-based pathways and motivations linked with this crime. This research incorporates the views of women sentenced for CSA ( n = 18) and practitioners ( n = 25) and aims to determine the key treatment targets for women sentenced for CSA, and how these might be similar or different to the needs of men sentenced for this offending. Results indicate that despite some overlap of treatment targets, there are gendered nuances in how some core topics should be addressed when delivering offense-specific correctional programming to women. Five key targets emerged that indicate notable differences warranting tailored intervention, including: the effects of past trauma, relationship toxicity, (un)healthy sexuality, lowered self-concepts, and parenting challenges. These nuances align with strengths-based and trauma-informed approaches advocated for this population, helping to guide future program development and implementation. Recommendations for practice are included.
Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) enhance community safety by supporting individuals convicted of sexual offenses as they transition back into society. We conducted exploratory interviews with COSA participants ( N = 19), using the STABLE-2007 to assess their views of how specific risk factors contributed to their offending and how COSA helped mitigate these factors. The risk factors most reported as contributing to the offense were Sexual Preoccupation ( n = 19), Capacity for Relationship ( n = 18), and Poor Problem Solving ( n = 18). Across all items, participants overwhelmingly perceived COSA as helpful, even for risk factors that participants did not consider having contributed to their offense. Thematic analysis revealed themes across risk factors, including opportunities to address them in a supportive, shame-free environment, as well as the development of genuine relationships. We recommend greater recognition of COSA as an adjunctive support for treatment progress and completion, especially in jurisdictions with mandated sexual offending programs.
Over the past 40 years, several studies have explored the developmental pathways leading to sexual aggression. However, the variability of the factors of these pathways across studies have never been examined. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to investigate the factors these pathways encompass across groups defined by the sex of the perpetrator (male/female) and the age of the victim (adult/minor). A search through 21 online databases identified 29,218 candidate studies; of these, 18 specifically examined developmental pathways to sexual aggression, and were retained. These pathways span characteristics (factors) across three developmental stages: (1) childhood; (2) adolescence; and (3) adulthood. Within these 18 studies—16 quantitative and 2 qualitative— we identified 46 developmental pathways, encompassing nearly 400 different risk factors across the three developmental stages. These risk factors were grouped into 80 categories. Only 10 of these 80 categories were present in all the studies of male perpetrators. These 10 categories were classified into three groups: (1) dysfunctional childhood environment (e.g., direct and indirect victimization); (2) antisocial orientation during adolescence and adulthood (e.g., antisocial attitudes and behaviors, criminality); and (3) deviant sexuality in adulthood (e.g., deviant sexual fantasies). The existence of many specific factors, in addition to shared factors, argues for the existence of equifinality in these pathways, suggesting that there are multiple routes or paths leading to the same maladaptive behavior, namely, the commission of sexual aggression. The theoretical and clinical implications of these results are discussed.
The STABLE-2007 is a risk assessment tool used in sexual offending treatment programs to identify and monitor changes in criminogenic needs. We conducted multilevel growth curve analyses to examine changes in STABLE-2007 scores over a four-year period among 873 parolees participating in treatment programs for sexual offending in California. We observed a small yet significant decline in STABLE-2007 scores over the course of treatment, though the magnitude of this decline did not result in changes in the combined Static-99R/STABLE-2007 risk levels. Higher Static-99R scores at the start of treatment were associated with a weaker decline in STABLE-2007 scores over time, whereas higher STABLE-2007 scores were associated with a stronger decline in STABLE-2007 scores over time. We contextualize our findings by considering treatment program factors that may affect the extent of change in criminogenic needs, as well as the limitations of the STABLE-2007 in detecting meaningful clinical change. These findings suggest that STABLE-2007 scores may change gradually in routine treatment settings, while highlighting the importance of distinguishing score change from meaningful changes in overall risk.
