The existence of sexual feelings toward family members, friends or acquaintances does not signify a problem. However, the act of focusing on and then reinforcing these feelings create a compulsion to carry out sexual contact with another, including children and negates one’s sense of discipline and self-control. Thus, forming an arousal pattern. To act on this arousal pattern and the impulse the person has created, the person insidiously justifies his/her behavior to him/herself.

According to Finkelhor (Finkelhor, 1984; Araji and Finkelhor, 1985) there are four components that contribute, in differing degrees and forms, to the development of a child molester’s behavior. To explain the diversity of behavior of sexual abusers, there are four factors in a complementary process. These four factors are sexual arousal, emotional congruence, blockage, and disinhibition:

Sexual arousal: In order for an adult to be aroused by a child, there has frequently been cultural or familial conditioning to sexual activity with children: such as corporal punishment and/or sexual child abuse. The most recent study reveals approximately 50% of all Sex offenders were victims of sexual assault (Smith & Israel, 1987; Johnson, 1988; Longo, 1982; Seabrook, 1990). 70% of child Sex offenders have between 1 and 9 victims; at least 20% have 10 to 40 victims. Serial child Sex offenders may have as many as 400 victims in a lifetime. Elliott, M., Browne, K., & Kilcoyne, J. (1995). Child sexual abuse prevention: What offenders tell us. Child Abuse & Neglect, 5, 579-594.

In my work with Sex offenders in recovery the statistics reveal 85% of Sex offenders were sexually abused as children. Furthermore, corporal punishment triggers sexual stimulation, thus inducing sexual arousal. As adults these corporal punishment and/or sexual abuse survivors use sexual contact to ward off the internal emotional pain caused by the sexual and/or physical punishment. It is a case of doing to others what was done to them. The acorn does not fall far from the tree. This explanation merely explains the behavior not condone it.

Accurate sexual child abuse statistics are difficult to obtain. Different definitions of sexual abuse and SexSex will result in different statistics. Self-reporting is only accurate if the victim accepts the same definition as defined by the researcher. Even more frustrating is the fact that many survivors do not remember their abuse.

Furthermore the controversy regarding the phenomenon of whether a person can ‘forget’ something as significant as sexual activity has long been debated. The Betrayal trauma theory has most accurately identified the child’s experience. “[The] Betrayal trauma theory suggests that psychogenic amnesia is an adaptive response to childhood abuse. When a parent or other powerful figure violates a fundamental ethic of human relationships, victims may need to remain unaware of the trauma not to reduce suffering but rather to promote survival. Amnesia enables the child to maintain an attachment with a figure vital to survival, development and thriving.” (E. Sue Blume, Secret Survivors)

Emotional congruence: There is comfort in relating to a child and satisfaction of emotional need through the abuse. This is apt to be due to arrested development through limited intelligence, immaturity or low self-esteem.

Blockage: Age appropriate sexual opportunities may be blocked by bad experiences with age appropriate adults, sexual dysfunction, limited social skills, or marital disturbance.

Disinhibition: The abuser may lose control through impulse control deficits, psychosis, alcohol, drugs, stress, or nonexistent family rules-coupled with sexual arousal conditioning.

Finkelhor suggests that examination of these factors can help explain why sexual abusers are predominately male. Rowan, Rowan, and Langelier (1981) studied 600 Sex offender evaluations in New Hampshire and Vermont and found that in only nine cases (1.5 percent) was the perpetrator a woman. These nine incidents are reviewed in terms of Finkelhor’s (1984) four-factor model. In five of the incidents studied, the abuse occurred in conjunction with a dominant male partner; in four, the woman acted independently. The histories of several of the women revealed a history of childhood abuse and all had serious psychological problems or limited intelligence. The victims of the four women who acted independently were male. Of the five women who acted in conjunction with a male, three victimized females, one victimized a male, and one victimized both a son and a daughter.

The authors concluded that none of these incidents were true paraphilics according to the DSM-llI-R but that the female Sex offenders did fit the model proposed by Finkelhor. Understanding what motivates a person to abuse children sexually does NOT excuse him or her, or remove responsibility for the choices he or she has made.

Albeit the perpetrator (sex offender) was abused as a child, he/she is still responsible for his/her adult behavior and for the denial system that allows him/her to continue the abuse. The adult is responsible for protecting the welfare of children; therefore, the adult is responsible for protecting children even from him/herself if necessary.

By: Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD

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You would be surprised to know that Sex offenders’ registries came about as result of observing that Sex offenders do commit the crime more than once in their lifetime. So to protect innocent citizens people should know when there is an offender living in their neighborhood.

Starting in 2008 all 50 states passed a law that requires all released offenders of Sex to provide their current place of residence upon being released. That is a one statement summary of how Sex offenders registries work. It is actually a legal requirement for released offenders to register themselves onto the list and it is a criminal offense if they do not.

Prior to this period; the offenders were required to register but the information was kept by the police. In 1996 Congress passed a law that required states to maintain sites that contained registered information about the offenders. Now every offender who does not register himself is actually committing a crime by not doing so. Those are just some of the details of how Sex offenders registries work.

The offenders normally carry out a similar crime more than once in their lifetime. Due to public pressure and the high levels of crimes of Sex conditions are now even tougher for offenders. Now serious offenders are required to update their information every 3 months, provide their true places of employment, dates of birth and post their real photos. Basically that is how Sex offenders registries work. You can search through them by location and narrow down the searches to where you are staying if you want to know if there are any where you live.

By: Fiki Mannila

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In recent times, apartments stepped up their background checks in order to better protect their existing tenants and maintain their property prices. They thus conduct background checks which include criminal and credit.

When it comes to criminal background checks, an apartment concentrates on checking for felonies involving sex, drugs and violence. Sex offenses can be accessed by the apartment simply logging onto local, state and federal Sex offender registry. Unfortunately, even if the Sex offender has previously served time, the apartment complex’s automatic response in many cases where a Sex offense comes up a denial. This can be especially distressing for the offender who feels that they have to perpetually pay for a crime that the law says they have already paid for. But can a Sex offender actually find an apartment?

Subleting
Subleting involves taking someone else’s lease. There are tenants who are legally bound to a lease agreement but recent drastic changes have taken place in their lives and they want out of those leases immediately. One such change is a job offer out of state or out of the country. Another is marriage (for the female who needs to go and live with their new husband). Another is a job loss where the tenant is moving back with their parents and can no longer afford the existing rent. These are desperate tenants who will do anything to get out of the lease. They are usually so relieved that you want to take over the lease that they will not bother with doing a credit check or a criminal background check.

Private landlords
Another viable way for a Sex offender to find housing is by approaching private landlords. These are ordinary people who happen to own property and would be willing to rent it out to you. Some do conduct background checks but most of them go by “gut feeling” and as long as you present yourself in a manner that assures them that you are responsible and law-abiding citizens, they will not have a problem leasing to you.

Informing an apartment manager in advance
A Sex offender can approach a regular apartment complex. One of the best ways to do this is to write a letter and include it in their application. This letter explains in their own words that they have a criminal record and exact circumstances surrounding the case. Some apartments will consider this as a sign of goodwill and will approve you.

Getting an apartment that will approve you despite a Sex offense is a game of numbers. Some will be adamant and deny you despite what you do while others will be more lenient so if you are denied in one, do not lose hope; simply try the next.

By: Irene James

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In everyday news world wide, you could hear a child being molested by a Sex offender. Being a parent, you can not imagine your child can be molested by a Sex offender. This kind of news makes you feel worried about your children. Sad to say 99% of the child who survived from sexually abused by Sex offender knows their assailant.

The Department of Justice made some numerous cases studies about the Sex offender behaviors and characteristic. The Sex offender characteristic and behavior are as follow:

- 80% of children are sexually abused by adult male family member. (Grandparent, uncle, father and step-father usually)
- Worker from corporate executive, doctor, judge, lawyer and unskilled laborer and usually married
- They could easy relate to children
- They like children in a specific age level
- Usually bi-sexual
- Usually make volunteer on program which involve children of their age preference
- Collects and photograph their victim whether Sex* and dresses
- They pursues children to make Sex with them
- They treat or even blackmail the victim

It is parents’ responsibility to protect their children from such Sex offender. Sometimes, Sex offender used to be child molestation survivor. They usually seek children with the same age at which they were sexually abused or molested. Pedophiles usually correspond with other pedophile in exchange of children pornography.

To protect your children, incase you suspect a person who was closed to your children; you can make investigation of that person. Internet can provide different websites which can give you detail of that person such as information if that person has been charge in any lawsuit. Free search services can provide you such information. In such cases, you can easy check the person information including his/her cell phone number and residential address by conducting background checks or checking on its Sex offender records.

You cannot be with your children all the time to protect them. The best way is to tell and give them knowledge about this kind of criminal. With this, your children can detect if they are being target by this Sex offender. Once in a while checking your children activities, including friends even somebody who is extremely closed to your kids is necessary.

By: Maella Ayson

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