Jean Proulx

Script Analysis of the Hunting Process of Serial Sex Offenders

This study identified hunting process scripts in a sample of 361 serial sex crimes committed by 72 serial sex offenders, using multiple correspondence analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis. Three hunting process scripts that take into account both behavioral and geographic aspects of crime were identified. These three scripts included different tracks of the hunting process. The coercive script includes the home-intrusion rape track and the outdoor rape track. The manipulative script includes the sophisticated rape track and the family-infiltrator rape track. The nonpersuasive script includes only the direct action rape track. The theoretical relevance of these three scripts and their practical implications for crime prevention strategies and geographic profiling are discussed.

Pathways in the offending process of extrafamilial sexual child molesters

The aim of the current study was to investigate specific pathways in the offending process of extrafamilial sexual child molesters. Forty-four men who had committed at least one sexual offense against a nonfamilial prepubescent child were included in this study and were classified using cluster analysis. Subjects using the coercive pathway (n=30) had generally used psychoactive substances before their offenses. Furthermore, they had molested a female victim without perceived vulnerability and whom they had already well known. These molesters had not planned their offense, which was of short duration (less than 15 min), and involved coital activities and coercion (verbal and/or physical). Subjects using the noncoercive pathway (n=14) had generally used pornography and deviant sexual fantasies before their offenses. Moreover, they had molested a male victim, in whom they perceived a psychosocial vulnerability and who was not familiar to them. These molesters had planned their offense, which was of longer duration (more than 15 min) and involved noncoital activities without coercion. These two pathways were compared to the two pathways in the offending process identified by Ward and his colleagues.

A Descriptive Model of the Hunting Process of Serial Sex Offenders: A Rational Choice Perspective

A rational choice theory approach was used to analyze the offense behavior of serial sex offenders. Qualitative data were obtained through the descriptions of the crimes provided by 69 serial sex offenders who were incarcerated in a Correctional Service of Canada institution. Based on the offenders’ accounts, a descriptive model specific to the hunting process was identified. This model contained the following nine phases: offender and victim routine activities, choice of hunting ground, victim selection, method of approach, attack location choice, method to bring the victim to the crime site, crime location choice, method to commit the crime, and the victim release location choice. The model is discussed according to existing research on serial sex offenders and environmental criminology. Implications for clinical practice, crime prevention, offender profiling, and future studies are discussed.

Static and Dynamic Predictors of Recidivism in Sexual Aggressors

The aim of this study was to vefify whether static factors (criminal history, age, relationship status) and dynamic factors (deviance index based on phallometric data, score of psychometric testing) permit prediction of recidivism in sexual aggressors. Three types of recidivism (sexual, violent, criminal) were determined in 113 rapists and in 269 child molesters over an average follow-up of 64.5 months. The sexual reconviction rate was 21.2% in rapists and 13% in child molesters. Reconvicted rapists were younger and had more previous convictions than those who were not reconvicted, Compared with those who did not reoffend, the child molesters who were reconvicted for a sexual offense had higher pedophilic indices, had more previous sexual charges, were younger, more frequently had male victims, had more frequently extrafamilial victims, and a higher percentage of them were living alone. Psychometric data did not predict recidivism in either rapists or child molesters.

Profiles in the Offending Process of Nonserial Sexual Murderers

The aim of this study was to investigate specific pathways in the offending processes of nonserial sexual murderers and to examine possible relationships with different precrime, per-crime, and postcrime factors. Included in this study were 36 offenders who have committed at least one sexual murder against a female victim and they were classified using cluster analysis. Participants using the sadistic pathway planned their offenses and used physical restraints during the offenses. Furthermore, they mutilated and humiliated their victims. Finally, they hid the bodies of the victims. Participants using the anger pathway had not premeditated the homicide. Mutilation, humiliation, and physical restraints were less predominant with these participants than with those using the sadistic pathway. Moreover, these offenders were more likely to leave the bodies at the crime scenes after the killings occurred. These two profiles are compared with empirical studies addressing sexual homicide.

Victim-choice polymorphia among serious sex offenders.

The victim-choice polymorphia of 178 sexual aggressors divided into six subtypes, incest offenders, pseudoincest offenders, sexual aggressors of familiar children, sexual aggressors of unfamiliar children, sexual aggressors of familiar women, and sexual aggressors of unfamiliar women, was compared. Results showed that sex offenders remained stable in their choice of victim from one offence to another in terms of victim age, victim gender, and aggressor–victim relationship. Subjects characterised by high levels of polymorphia were pseudoincest offenders and sexual aggressors of familiar women, whereas sexual aggressors of both unfamiliar women and unfamiliar children were characterised by low levels of polymorphia. Recommendations regarding how to further refine sex offender typologies are discussed.

Developmental Pathways of Deviance in Sexual Aggressors

The study investigated the behavioral antecedents of deviance in sexual aggressors and how they relate to sexual offending. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 553 convicted sexual aggressors to gather data on developmental history. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the behavioral antecedents. Results indicated the presence of three broad dimensions of deviance: internalization, externalization, and sexualization. Aggressors against children showed higher levels of internalization, whereas aggressors against adults reported higher levels of externalization. It is the dimension of sexualization and externalization, however, that appeared the most valuable in the understanding of sexual offending.

Sexual Murderers of Children: Developmental, Precrime, Crime, and Postcrime Factors

The amount of empirical research on men who commit sexual murders is scarce, and no distinction has been made between those who have victimized adults and those who have victimized children. Therefore, to better understand specifically sexual murderers of children (n = 11), comparisons were performed with a group of sexual murderers of adult women (n = 66) on developmental, precrime, crime, and postcrime factors. It appears that sexual murderers of children are more often victims of sexual abuse during childhood and present more often deviant sexual fantasies as compared to sexual murderers of women. The results show also that sexual murderers of children more often use pornography prior to crime, have contact with the victim prior to crime, and commit a crime more often characterized by premeditation, strangulation, the hiding of the body, and its dismemberment than the sexual murderers of women.

Modus Operandi of Sexual Offenders Working or Doing Voluntary Work with Children and Adolescents.

Abstract The aim of this study was to provide the first empirical description of the modus operandi of sexual offenders working or doing voluntary work with children and adolescents across all aspects of offender–victim interactions. The modus operandi was studied along the offence continuum, which included strategies used for gaining the victims trust, getting the victim to participate in sexual activity and keeping the victim from telling someone about the sexual contact. Twenty-three offenders agreed to participate in this study. They were recruited from prisons, probation and parole services, penitentiaries and treatment programs. Three sources of information were used. The most important source was the Modus Operandi Questionnaire (MOQ) developed by Kaufman. Data were also obtained from semi-structured interviews conducted with the offenders and from official sources, such as police reports and victim statements. Our results suggest that the modus operandi of these sexual offenders depended on their position of trust in relation to their victim. In fact, they used non-coercive strategies to achieve victim compliance. Implications for prevention strategies are also highlighted.

Penile responses of rapists and nonrapists to rape stimuli involving physical violence or humiliation

The sexual arousal profile of a subgroup of rapists with a history of low-level physical violence during their offenses was assessed. Twenty subjects participated: 10 rapists and 10 nonrapists. Stimuli consisted of audiotapes with the following five thematic contents: mutually consenting sexual activities; rape involving physical violence; rape involving humiliation; physical aggression without sexual activities; neutral. Penile responses were recorded during stimuli presentation using a mercury-in-rubber strain gauge. Data showed no differences between both groups for the rape stimuli involving physical violence. For the rape stimuli involving humiliation, however, the penile responses of the two groups differed. With those stimuli the average penile response of the rapists was higher than that of the nonrapists. Therefore, for this subgroup of rapists the association between sexual activities and humiliation presents a higher erotic value than the association between sexual activities and physical violence. Implication of these results as to the discriminant validity and classificatory accuracy of phallometry in rapists is discussed.