Self-Report of Crimes Committed by Sex Offenders

Abstract

Using a computer-administered interview, self-reports of past criminal behavior were obtained from 99 institutionalized sex offenders. The sample contained both rapists and child molesters who had been mandated to receive specialized treatment. Offenders disclosed an enormous amount of undetected sexual aggression, a finding consistent with other self-report studies. Also striking was the high rate and variety of nonsex offenses. According to interview responses, nearly 20,000 nonsex crimes were committed during the year prior to institutionalization, with rapists contributing a disproportionate share. Still, child molesters, including those whose only known crime was incest, were very active in assault and property crime. The potential for utilizing sex offender self-reports in empirical research is discussed. Preliminary evidence of validity is presented.