Criminal Justice and Behavior

Male sexual aggression against children is a serious and alarmingly common social problem. Treatments for the perpetrators have been only moderately successful. Perhaps a reason for this has been the absence of a unified model of etiology and treatment that includes the most salient motivational factors unique to various subtypes of perpetrators. Such a model would have to be sufficiently flexible to account for the various sexually aggressive modes of expression without being unnecessarily complex or simplistic if it is to be clinically useful. Specifically with respect to sexual aggression against children, a quadripartite model is proposed that includes physiological sexual arousal, cognitions that justify sexual aggression, negative affective states, and personality problems as motivational precursors that increase the probability of sexually aggressive behavior. The relative prominence of these precursors is used as a guideline for assessing and treating particular subtypes of perpetrators. Failure to consider the primary motivational precursor during the initial stages of treatment also may account for the limited success of current treatments.

Mental health professionals are increasingly being asked to provide expert testimony in the area of child sexual abuse. One controversial area is the provision of legal testimony regarding profiles of child sexual offenders. The current article addresses the scientific evidence of such testimony with a specific focus on current research with the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory and penile plethysmography. A companion article, by Peters and Murphy (in this special issue), addresses the legal issues surrounding such testimony. Conclusions from reviewing the existing literature suggest that there is limited empirical data to support contentions that mental health professionals can provide such testimony.

Behavioral scientists have been presented as expert witnesses in child sexual abuse cases to testify that known child molesters perform differently on psychological tests than persons who do not molest children. Such testimony has been offered in a wide range of cases ranging from family court to the criminal arena, both for and against the accused. For a variety of reasons, appellate courts across the country have almost universally rejected this type of evidence, the notable exception being California. This article summarizes the case law on both sides of the issue and concludes that evidence regarding the supposed psychological profile of a child molester has no place in the courtroom. This article provides a brief summary of legal thought regarding the general admissibility of scientific evidence and then reviews published cases organized by the major legal underpinnings of each case. The analysis in this article is limited to laws within the United States and may not apply to other countries.

Efforts to determine if a child has been sexually abused are increasingly becoming a part of mental health practice. This article suggests that many aspects of forensic mental health practice to “determine if a child has been abused” may run counter to traditional clinical training. The article also discusses the goals of forensic practice in this area.

This article reviews therapy outcome studies on adult sexual perpetrators of child victims. The majority of studies reviewed indicate relatively low recidivism rates for treated child molesters. Future research issues are discussed.