Deviant sexual preferences, criminal lifestyle and dropping out of treatment were the biggest risk factors for reoffending. Out of 23,393 cases of sex offenses, only 13.4 percent were known to have committed another sexual offense after four to five years in the community. This is an underestimate.
Many offenses are undetected and the rates can only increase with longer follow up periods.
Treatment programs can contribute to community safety. APA's membership includes more than 159,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 50 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 58 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting human welfare. Although every effort is made to present accurate information, security is imperfect and unintended errors or mischievous material may be present. Please alert the Webmaster to anything that seems wrong.