Myths & Facts
 "Most sexual assaults are committed by strangers."  Most sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim or the victim's family, regardless of whether the victim is a child or an adult. Statistics indicate that the majority of women who have been raped know their assailant. A study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that nearly 9 out of 10 rape or sexual assault victimizations involved a single offender with whom the victim had a prior relationship as a family member, intimate, or acquaintance. Approximately 60% of boys and 80% of girls who are sexually victimized are abused by someone known to the child or the child's family. "Most sex offenders reoffend." Reconviction data suggests that this is not the case. Further, reoffense rates vary among different types of sex offenders and are related to specific characteristics of the offender and the offense. Persons who commit sex offenses are not a homogeneous group, but instead fall into several different categories. As a result, research has identified significant differences in reoffense patterns from one category to another. It is noteworthy that recidivism rates for sex offenders are lower than for the general criminal population. "Sexual offense rates are higher than ever and continue to climb." Despite the increase in publicity about sexual crimes, the actual rate of reported sexual assault has decreased slightly in recent years. The rate of reported rape among women decreased by 10% from 1990 to 1995 (80 per 100,000 compared to 72 per 100,000). In 1995, 97,460 forcible rapes were reported to the police nationwide, representing the lowest number of reported rapes since 1989. "All sex offenders are male." The vast majority of sex offenders are male. However, females also commit sexual crimes. In 1997, 6,292 females had been arrested for forcible rape or other sex offenses, constituting approximately 8% of all rape and sexual assault arrests for that year. Additionally, studies indicate that females commit approximately 20% of sex offenses against children. "Sex offenders commit sexual crimes because they are under the influence of alcohol." It is unlikely that an individual who otherwise would not commit a sexual assault would do so as a direct result of excessive drinking. Annual crime victim reports indicate that approximately 30% of all reported rapes and sexual assaults involve alcohol use by the offender. "Children who are sexually assaulted will sexually assault others when they grow up." Most sex offenders were not sexually assaulted as children and most children who are sexually assaulted do not sexually assault others. Early childhood sexual victimization does not automatically lead to sexually aggressive behavior. Among adult sex offenders, approximately 30% have been sexually abused. "Youths do not commit sex offenses." Adolescents are responsible for a significant number of rape and child molestation cases each year. Sexual assaults committed by youth are a growing concern in this country. Currently, it is estimated that adolescents (ages 13 to 17) account for up to one-fifth of all rapes and one-half of all cases of child molestation committed each year. "Juvenile sex offenders typically are victims of child sexual abuse and grow up to be adult sex offenders." Multiple factors, not just sexual victimization as a child, are associated with the development of sexually offending behavior in youth. Recent studies show that rates of physical and sexual abuse vary widely for adolescent sex offenders; 20 to 50% of these youth experienced physical abuse and approximately 40 to 80% experienced sexual abuse. While many adolescents who commit sexual offenses have histories of being abused, the majority of these youth do not become adult sex offenders. "Treatment for sex offenders is ineffective." Treatment programs can contribute to community safety because those who attend and cooperate with program conditions are less likely to re-offend than those who reject intervention. The majority of sex offender treatment programs in the United States and Canada now use a combination of cognitive-behavioral treatment and relapse prevention (designed to help sex offenders maintain behavioral changes by anticipating and coping with the problem of relapse). Several studies present optimistic conclusions about the effectiveness of treatment programs that are empirically based, offense-specific, and comprehensive. "The cost of treating and managing sex offenders in the community is too high - they belong behind bars." One year of intensive supervision and treatment in the community can range in cost between $5,000 and $15,000 per offender, depending on treatment modality. The average cost for incarcerating an offender is significantly higher, approximately $22,000 per year, excluding treatment costs. As noted previously, effective sex offender specific treatment interventions can reduce sexual offense recidivism by 8%. Given the tremendous impact of these offenses on their victims, any reduction in the reoffense rates of sex offenders is significant. For detailed information visit http://www.csom.org/pubs/mythsfacts.html Source: Center for Sex Offender Management |