Graduate Program

Family and Consumer Studies

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Semester of Degree Completion

2005

Thesis Director

Kathleen O'Rourke

Thesis Committee Member

Darren Hendrickson

Thesis Committee Member

Jeanne Snyder

Abstract

Child sexual abuse is a global concern. More specifically, the growing concern has prompted researchers to study the effects of abuse, with varied interest in both victims and perpetrators. For child sexual abuse to be addressed there needs to be an increased focus on sex offenders. Study of sex offenders' perceptions of their behavior and childhood experiences may yield further understanding of the reasons and motives behind the abuse. The purpose of the study is to examine sex offender's behaviors and self-perceptions related to sexual activity.

The present study consists of 46 registered male sex offenders located at three different mental health facilities in the state of Illinois. Of the 46 participants, 34.8% reported that they had experienced sexual contact of any nature with another individual 5 or more years older. Prior to the age of 16, 28.3% of the 46 participants experienced sexual contact that was against the participant's will with another individual 5 or more years older. Overall, the majority (71.1%) of the sex offenders did not experience any sexual contact against their will with another individual 5 or more years older. As for the participant's sexual activity, the most frequent response for both intercourse and masturbation per month was 5 times or less, which indicates that the majority of the respondents were not highly sexually active. Also, the majority of the respondents felt that they were better at sex than most other people but, at the same time, rarely experienced sexual activity each month. The epidemic of sexual abuse of children continues, which suggests a need for more research to focus on sex offenders.

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