Predictors of recidivism in a population of Canadian sex offenders: Psychological, physiological, and offence factors.
Creators: name: McCoy, Marcia E.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 1997
Subjects: subject: Psychology, Clinical.

description: The primary objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between psychological, physiological and offence variables and recidivism in a sample of 588 sexual offenders assessed at the Sexual Behaviours Clinic (SBC) of the Royal Ottawa Hospital between the years 1983 and 1992, and who were convicted of a contact sexual offence. The 588 sexual offenders in the study were categorized four groups: (1) Incest group consisted of 251 subjects who had sexually assaulted a related male or female child; (2) Child Molester (CM) group was composed of 192 subjects who had sexually assaulted an unrelated male or female child; (3) Rapist group was composed of 86 individuals who had perpetrated a sexual assault against an unrelated female 16 years of age or older; and (4) a Mixed group composed of 59 individuals. There were significant differences between the four groups on the majority of variables investigated, including demographic characteristics, criminal history, psychiatric history, alcohol and drug abuse, degree of psychopathy, degree of violence used in committing the index offence, and the degree of sexual assault of the index offence. Overall, Rapists were the most extreme group. More Rapists used excessive violence in committing the index offence, were more likely to have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol when the index offence was committed, had more extensive criminal histories, and were more psychopathic, than the other offender groups. A significant discriminant function for the Incest group, composed of age, degree of psychopathy, and a self-reported history of violence, was able to correctly classify 91.6% of non-recidivists and 45.6% of recidivists. For the CM group, degree of psychopathy and previous convictions for non-violent offences was able to correctly classify 77.9% of non-recidivists and 55.1% of recidivists. However, degree of psychopathy alone was able to improve correct classification of CM non-recidivists to 78.8%, and of recidivists to 58.3%. For the Mixed group, deviant sexual arousal scores were able to correctly predict 57.1% of non-recidivists and 69.6% of recidivists. Overall, classification was improved from 10% to 22% in the various sub-groups of offenders. No variables were able to improve prediction of recidivism beyond chance levels for the Rapist group. An exploratory aspect of the study considered the impact of victim gender on recidivism in offenders who had sexually assaulted children. Incest and CM offenders were reclassified to form a group of 310 heterosexual offenders, and 113 homosexual offenders, based upon victim gender. Statistical tests revealed few differences between the heterosexual and homosexual groups. However, the groups were distinguished by variables that were correlated with recidivism. For the heterosexual offenders, discriminant function, composed of deviant sexual arousal score, previous non-violent convictions, degree of psychopathy, and self-reported history of violence improved classification of non-recidivists by 22.6%, and of recidivists by 23.4%. For the homosexual group, discriminant function composed of the score for anger and hostility, degree of psychopathy, and family violence in childhood improved classification of non-recidivists by 16.4%, and of recidivists by 16.5%. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)