Similarly, not all sex offenders are sex addicts. Approximately 55 percent of incarcerated sex offenders are diagnosable as sex addicts. Most sex offenders are friends or family members of the victims. In many instances, society will be protected only when violent and dangerous offenders are incarcerated. Some sex offenders cannot be rehabilitated and for public safety must be kept behind bars.
Sexual addiction has progressive features.
Whereas some sex addicts may not progress beyond self-destructive behavior, i.e. compulsive masturbation, hustling, cruising, or the extensive use of pornography or phone and computer sex services, others may escalate to victimizing activities such as exhibitionism, voyeurism, obscene phone calls, child molestation, or rape. For some, sexual dependency may lead to more risky, intense, and exploitative acts. The lack of appropriate assessment and treatment of sexual addiction in its early stages may lead to failure to prevent more assaultive sexual acts. For many years sex offender specialists have emphasized the non-sexual components of sex offending behavior while minimizing the role of sex itself. A need for power, dominance, control, revenge, sadistic satisfaction, or the expression of anger, have been the most frequently cited causes for sexual assaults.