Sexual Offenders: What you need to know, and why

1. Sexual Offenders: What you need to know, and why Red River Children's Advocacy Conference Fargo, North Dakota May 10, 2012 Stacey Benson, Psy.D., L.P.

2. An Overview of the Day • 1. Prevalence of Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • 2. Types of Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • 3. Assessment of Legal Compulsive Sexual Behavior • 4. Treatment of Legal Compulsive Sexual Behavior • 5. Prevalence of Sexual Crimes • 6. Types of Sexual Crimes • Hands On • Hands Off • 7. Types of Sexual Offenders • Adolescent • Adult • 8. Assessment of Sexual Offenders • Juveniles • Adults • 9. Treatment of Sexual Offenders • Juveniles • Adults

3. Prevalence of Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • According to the Internet Filter Review site, 40 million Americans visit Internet porn sites at least once a month (Maltz, 2008). • Currently, over 60 percent of all visits on the Internet involve a sexual purpose (Schneider and Weiss, 2010).

4. Prevalence of Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • A record breaking 25% of employees in the United States are accessing porn at work, according to a 2008 Nielsen Online survey (Maltz, 2008).

5. Prevalence of Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • There are 100,000 Web sites dedicated to selling sex in some way-not including chat rooms, emails, or other forms of sexual contact on the web (Cybersex Unhooked, 2007).

6. Prevalence of Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • In the United States, twenty million “adult” magazines are sold each month.

7. Prevalence of Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • The numbers of paid subscribers for selected pornography magazines are (The National Research Bureau, 1992): • Penthouse – 4,600,000 • Playboy – 3,600,000 • Hustler – 1,200,000 • Gallery – 500,000 • Oui – 395,000 • Chic – 90,000

8. Prevalence of Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • Nearly all college men and women have looked at an explicit magazine, such as Playboy or Playgirl by the time they leave high school and 85%-90% have done so in junior high school. • The average college male spends about six hours a month looking at sexually explicit material and the average college female about two hours.

9. Prevalence of Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • December 2005: there were 63.5 million unique visitors to adult websites. • As of 2006: 87% of university students polled engaged in virtual sex. • Mobile porn revenue is over $1 billion. • At the end of 2004, there were • 420 million pages of pornography. • Adults admitting to internet compulsion=10%.

10. Prevalence of Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • The vast majority of all the respondents reported exposure to hard-core, X-rated, sexually explicit material . • Furthermore, “a larger proportion of high school students had seen X-rated films than any other age group, including adults”: 84%, with the average age of first exposure being 16 years, 11 months .

11. Prevalence of Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • 33% of the boys versus only 2% of the girls reported watching pornography once a month or more often. • As well, 29% of the boys versus 1% of the girls reported that pornography was the source that had provided them with the most useful information about sex (i.e., more than parents, school, friends, etc.).

12. Prevalence of Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • In an anonymous survey of 247 Canadian junior high school students whose average age was 14 years, James Check and Kristin Maxwell (1992) report that 87% of the boys and 61% of the girls said they had viewed video-pornography. • The average age at first exposure was just under 12 years.

13. Prevalence of Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • 34% of kids reported exposure to unwanted sexual material while surfing the internet. • 1 in 7 report unwanted solicitation as compared to 1 in 5 in 2000. • 92% of teens downloaded music online.

14. Prevalence of Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • Pornography has become a substantial part of the United States’ economy . • No matter it’s means of access, pornography produced annual revenues in excess of $13 billion dollars in the United States. • Worldwide it produced $100 billion.

15. 2006 World Wide Pornography Revenue

16. Pornography’s Effects • Evidence shows that as many as one in three rapists and child molesters use pornography to become sexually aroused immediately proceeding and during the commission of their crimes (Marshall, 1989). • And other studies report that 56% of rapists and 42% of child molesters reported that pornography was somehow implicated in their offense (Able, 1985).

17. Pornography’s Effects • Persons reporting exposure to pornography are 28% more likely to engage in sexually deviant behavior (such as exhibitionism or voyeurism) than the general population. • Risk of engaging in sexual perpetration - that is, sexually hostile or violent behavior - was found to increase by between 21 and 30% for persons exposed to pornography.

18. Prevalence of Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • It is estimated that about 15 % of people in the United States using the internet for sexual purposes DO have problems with their cybersex activities (Cohn, 2010). • Approximately 6% or about 9 million of these users could be classified as “sexually addicted”, and another 10% or about 15 million are using cybersex in ways that are risky and showing signs of compulsivity.

19. So, does everyone become “addicted”? • No  • Research shows that the majority of people who use the internet for sexual purposes are recreational users   • “Most people can use the internet (including for sexual purposes) without being obsessed and compulsive, managing their use with little difficulty while continuing to maintain a reasonably balanced life and without negative consequences” (Cohn, 2010).  • Think of these people like your “social drinkers”

20. The Progression • When I talk to college students, I use the analogy of drinking to help describe the problem. • Some people can be social drinkers, some people can not.

21. A word on calling it “Sexual Addiction”

22. Having Said That…… • Using pornography • Having affairs • Sexual texting • Posting on Craig's List • Etc • These are Choices!!! Do not let clients or their partners excuse their behavior by calling it an “addiction”. • If they chose to conceptualize the behavior from an addiction model, that can be helpful for many clients, but watch for “Its not my fault, I’m addicted” statements. • It is different from alcohol and drug addiction. It shares features, but it is different

23. Assessment of Legal Compulsive Sexual Behavior

24. The Power of Cybersex: The “Cyber-Hex” • The internet has six attributes- “the Cyber-Hex”- that make it unique among all other media (Delmonico et al, 2007) • These attributes make it extremely alluring for someone seeking sexual arousal and fulfillment • The 6 attributes: • Intoxicating • Isolating • Integral • Inexpensive • Imposing • Interactive (Delmonico et al, 2007)

26. Assessment of Legal Compulsive Sexual Behavior • Extensive Questionnaire • Detailed Clinical Interview • Assessment instruments such as the ISST-R and others • Collateral information from the spouses

27. Questions To Ask Clients • Questions that should be asked to help increase client’s awareness in order for them to evaluate their involvement with porn • Is porn increasing or decreasing your self esteem and integrity? • Is it upsetting or alienating your intimate partner (or harming your future chances of being in a healthy relationship)? • Have you become preoccupied, out of control, dependent on, or compulsively engaging with porn? • How is porn shaping your sexual thoughts, desires, and behaviors? • What negative consequences could occur if you continue to use porn? (Maltz, 2008)

28. Questions To Ask Clients • How many hours a week are you on the internet in sex related pursuits? • Have you accessed porn at work? • Have you made attempts to control it in the past? Were they successful? • Do you belong to any pay sites? How much per month do you spend? • Have you ever met someone in person you met on line? • Do you have a webcam? • Have you engaged in cyber sex?

29. Questions To Ask Clients • Have other obligations (marital, financial, parenting, spiritual, community, job) taken a back seat to your porn use? • Have you found yourself accessing more and more “unusual” sites? • Do you get anxious or irritable if something interrupts your ability to go on line? • Has it impacted your real life sexual life with your real life partner? • What is the longest you have been on in one sitting? • What is the latest you have been up on line?

30. Questions To Ask Clients • Do you use pornography as a reward after a good day? Or a pick me up after a bad day? • Have you engaged in riskier behavior now than in the past? • Do you hide your Internet Porn use from others? • Do you think you have a problem? • Do you want to stop? • If your wife/partner did not find out and insist you get into treatment, would you be here? • If she leaves you, will you terminate treatment?

31. Types of Online Users • Recreational Users • Sexually Compulsive Users • At-Risk Users

32. 10 Criteria for Problematic Online Sexual Behavior • 1. Preoccupation with sex on the internet • 2. Engaging in sex on the internet more often or for longer periods of time than intended • 3. Repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back on, or stop engaging in sex on the internet • 4. Restlessness or irritability when attempting to limit or stop engaging in sex on the Internet • 5. Using sex on the Internet as a way of escaping from problems or relieving feelings such as helplessness, guilt, anxiety, or depression

33. (Delmonico et al, 2007) 10 Criteria for Problematic Online Sexual Behavior • 6. Returning to sex on the Internet day after day in search of a more intense or higher-risk sexual experience • 7. Lying to family members, therapists, or others to conceal involvement with sex on the Internet • 8. Committing illegal sexual acts online (for example, sending or downloading child pornography or soliciting illegal sex acts online) • 9. Jeopardizing or losing a significant relationship, job or educational or career opportunity because of online sexual behavior • 10. Incurring significant financial consequences

34. General Recommendations • You should ask questions about sexual compulsive behavior of all new clients, regardless of their presenting problem. Its not unusual for clients to present with issues of “anger” or “relationship issues” only to tell you 45 minutes in that they have a problem with internet pornography. • Try to avoid reacting with shock or disgust as they relay to you the extent of their sexual experiences. They have entrusted you with their secret shame, treat it with the respect it deserves. • Do a thorough assessment of their compulsive sexual behavior. • Refer when needed.

35. Treatment ofLegal Sexually Compulsive Behavior

36. Treatment ofLegal Sexually Compulsive Behavior • Stage 1: Precontemplation • Stage 2: Contemplation • Stage 3: Preparation • Stage 4: Taking Action • Stage 5: Maintenance • Stage 6: Relapse (Delmonico et al, 2007)

37. Stages of Preparing for Change

38. Initial Suggestions for Clients: • Find a professional with experience in this area. • Calculate how much your Compulsive Sexual Behavior has cost you. • Change passwords to something that will be motivating. • Net Nanny. • Reestablish contact with positive support people. • Involve family and friends in your recovery. • Reestablish contact with your faith community. • Find a 12 step support group. • Encourage marital therapy or supportive therapy for the partner • Make a commitment to change-once an “addict” you can not go back to being a “social drinker.” The person must stop all compulsive sexual behavior.

39. The Next Step • Clients are encouraged to keep an Internet Log, and note the antecedents to their behavior. • What were they doing? • What were they feeling? • What were they thinking? • What time of day is it?

40. Antecedents • Does any kind of predictable pattern emerge? • Are there any environmental manipulations we can do based on these patterns? • Can we identify risky: • Feelings • Thoughts • Behaviors • Times of day

41. HHALT • Hungry • Horny • Angry • Lonely • Tired

42. Recovery Strategies • Recognize what you’re missing. • Make a full assessment of the things you’ve cut down on, or cut out of your life because of your addiction to the Internet. • Assess your online time. • Use time management techniques. • Find support in the real world. • Recognize your addictive triggers. • Carry positive reminder cards. • Take concrete steps to address problems. • Listen to the voices of denial. • Confront your loneliness. (Young, 1998)

43. Treatment for Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • Talk about self control • High Risk Situations • Self control • Seemingly Unimportant Decisions • Problem of Immediate Gratification • Abstinence Violation Effect (might as well keep doing it) • Thinking Errors/Cognitive Distortions

44. Treatment for Legal Sexual Compulsive Behavior • Cognitive and Behavioral Interventions (CI’s and BI’s) • Identify the true costs • Understand the Cycle • Make a commitment

45. Prevalence of Sexual Crimes

46. Prevalence of Sexual Offending • NCMAC reports a significant and steady increase in child pornography for the 7th year in a row as of 2005 • It is estimated that there are 20,000 new child porn images online each week • Child pornography has become a $3 billion annual industry • They are getting younger, the abuse is more serious in nature and many of the venues appear to be domestic in nature

47. Prevalence of Sexual Offending • There were an estimated 88,097 forcible rapes reported to law enforcement in 2009 (AARDVARC) • The rate of forcible rapes in 2009 was estimated at 56.6 per 100,000 female inhabitants, a 3.4 percent decrease when compared with the 2008 estimated rate of 58.6. (AARDVARC) • Rapes by force comprised 93.0 percent of reported rape offenses in 2009, and attempts or assaults to commit rape accounted for 7.0 percent of reported rapes. (AARDVARC) • In 2006 ND had 193 forcible rape cases, ranking us 48th in the Nation (Bureau of Justice Statistics). • In 2002 ND had 222 forcible rape cases. (Attorney General Crime Report)

48. Prevalence of Sexual Offending • 1 in 4 girls is sexually abused before the age of 14. • Source: Hopper, J. (1998). Child Sexual Abuse: Statistics, Research, Resources. Boston, MA Boston University School of Medicine. • 1 in 6 boys is sexually abused before the age of 16. • Source: Hopper, J. (1998). Child Sexual Abuse: Statistics, Research, Resources. Boston, MA Boston University School of Medicine. • More than 90% of all sexual abuse victims know their perpetrator. Almost 50% of the offenders are household members and 38% are already acquaintances of the victims. • Source: US Department of Justice. (1997) and Finkelhor and Ormond. (2001).

49. Prevalence of Sexual Offending • 21.6% of women who reported being raped during their lifetime were under age 12 at the time of their first rape. 32.4% of these women were 12-17 years of age. Therefore, over half of all female rape victim/survivors surveyed in this study were under the age of 18 at the time of their first rape. • Source: Full Report of the Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence Against Women: Findings from the National Violence Against Women Survey, (NCJRS) 2000 (www.ncjrs.org/pdffiles1/nij/183781.pdf)

50. Prevalence of Sexual Offending • Persons under 18 years of age account for 67% of all sexual assault victimizations reported to law enforcement agencies. Children under 12 years old account for 34% of those cases and children under six years account for 14% of those cases • Source: Snyder, Howard. “Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement: Victim, Incident, and Offender Characteristics.” Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, 2000.