Decision Making in the Crime Commission Process: Comparing Rapists, Child Molesters, and Victim-Crossover Sex Offenders

• NCJ Number: 240018
• Journal: Criminal Justice and Behavior Volume: 39 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2012 Pages: 1275-1295
• Author(s): Eric Beauregard; Benoit Leclerc; Patrick Lussier
• Date Published: October 2012
• Length: 21 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Simon Fraser University
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study compared the decisionmaking involved in the crime commission process of rapists, child molesters, and victim-crossover sex offenders.

Abstract

Based on a rational choice approach, this study compares the decisionmaking involved in the crime commission process of rapists (n = 30), child molesters (n = 17), and victim-crossover sex offenders (n = 22). Using a mixed-methods framework and following Clarke and Cornish's decisionmaking model, the authors organized offenders' narratives collected during semistructured interviews into three major areas: (a) offense planning (i.e., premeditation of the crime, estimation of risk of apprehension by the offender, and forensic awareness of the offender); (b) offense strategies (i.e., use of a weapon, use of restraints, use of a vehicle, and level of force used; and (c) aftermath (i.e., event leading to the end of crime and victim release site location choice). Results emphasize the important role of situational factors and age of the victim on the decisionmaking process of serial sex offenders. Moreover, results show that because of particular choice-structuring properties, the decisionmaking varies across different groups of serial sex offenders. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.