Intellectually Disabled Sexual Offenders: Subgroup Profiling and Recidivism After Outpatient Treatment (From Managing High-Risk Sex Offenders in the Community: Risk Management, Treatment and Social Responsibility, P 209-225, 2010, Karen Harrison, ed. - See NCJ-230796)

• NCJ Number: 230807
• Author(s): Joan van Horn; Jules Mulder; Ine Kusters
• Date Published: 2010
• Length: 17 pages
• Sale Source: Willan Publishing
• Publication Format: Book Chapter
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

After reviewing prevalence estimates and recidivism risk factors for intellectually disabled (ID) sexual offenders, this chapter reports on a Dutch study that identified subgroups of ID offenders and collected data on their offending following intensive outpatient treatment.

Abstract

A review of international studies of the prevalence of ID offenders among the general offending population (Jones, 2007) found that prevalence estimates are inconsistent due to different methods or criteria for measuring ID and most studies' use of criminal records, which do not provide any information on the incidence of persons with an ID in the general offending population. Regarding recidivism and risk factors, recent studies suggest that ID offenders tend to reoffend at a high rate because they cannot cope with the increased demands associated with community living; however, some studies offer the alternative explanation that ID offenders, especially sexual offenders, select easily accessible victims, such as children, which draws a more intense and punitive response from the probation/parole system. The Dutch study of 45 ID male sex offenders who entered outpatient treatment between 1999 and 2004 identified three subgroups, each representing approximately one-third of the sample. The criminal careers, demographic characteristics, and family background are reported for each of these subgroups. Relatively high general recidivism rates (above 35 percent) were found for all three groups. Although low-risk offenders committed minor offenses, specialists and generalists apparently focused on committing one offense type, with specialists tending to commit sexual offenses and generalists tending to commit violent offenses of various types. The study concludes that these offenders' level of cognitive functioning in itself did not increase their risk of reoffending, but rather seems to be linked to committing specific types of offenses. Findings suggest that higher IQ scores correlated with offenses that required a more sophisticated and organized approach. Treatment implications are drawn. 1 table, 1 figure, 2 notes, and 34 references