June 27, 2007

Age and Sexual Recidivism: A Comparison of Rapists and Child Molesters

Study is questioned!

Table 1 shows all the underlying studies used. However, those studies are based on varying "Recidivism Criteria" sometimes convictions or charges or readmissions to prison. Many of these are not even crimes.

Further, the total sample size (4,673) includes 1,137 (24%) from a already questioned California study of civil commitment persons. i.e., already known to be recidivists. Such slants the statistics making the study not a good cross section of all sex offenders.

In addition, two of the underlying studies are from 1976 and 1983 released inmates who had no therapy programs available to them. Again slanting the input towards known recidivists.


2001:

Abstract
This study examined the relationship of age to sexual recidivism using data from 10 follow-up studies of adult male sexual offenders (combined sample of 4,673). Rapists were younger than child molesters and the recidivism risk of rapists steadily decreased with age. In contrast, extrafamilial child molesters showed relatively little reduction in recidivism risk until after the age of 50. The recidivism rate of intrafamilial child molesters was generally low (less than 10%), except for the intrafamilial offenders in the 18 to 24 year old age group, whose recidivism risk was comparable to that of rapists and extrafamilial child molesters. The results are discussed in terms of developmental changes in sexual drive, self-control, and opportunities to offend. ..more.. by R. Karl Hanson
Department of the Solicitor General Canada

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