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Criminal Justice and Behavior
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Understanding Male Sexual Offending

A Comparison of General and Specialist Theories

Danielle A. Harris

San Jose State University, danielleharris{at}gmail.com

Paul Mazerolle

Griffith University

Raymond A. Knight

Brandeis University

Previous research has explored whether criminological theories can account for the apparently specialized behaviors of sexual offenders. One perspective proposes that criminals are versatile, engaging in an array of antisocial behaviors. The alternative perspective, more common in sexual offending research, is that sexual offenders (especially child molesters) engage in sexual offenses exclusively or predominantly. This study examined 374 male sexual offenders referred for civil commitment. Offenders were compared by crime classification and level of specialization and were assessed on a selection of variables that measured general criminality and sexual deviance. Specialization level was a stronger group discriminator than offender classification. Versatile offenders were significantly more likely than specialist offenders to present with generic antisocial behaviors predicted by traditional criminology. Specialist offenders reported more indicators of sexual deviance than versatile offenders. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

Key Words: sexual offending • specialization • child molester • rapist • theory

Criminal Justice and Behavior, Vol. 36, No. 10, 1051-1069 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0093854809342242
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