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1 results

  • 1.6 - Theories of Sexual Offending

  • from Part I - Psychological Underpinnings
  • Edited by Jennifer M. Brown, London School of Economics and Political Science, Miranda A. H. Horvath
  • Book:
    The Cambridge Handbook of Forensic Psychology
    Published online:
    02 December 2021
    Print publication:
    09 December 2021, pp 109-127

  • Summary

    Sexual violence is an international public health issue, with high rates of victimisation found across countries, genders, ethnicities and deprivation levels. In this chapter we focus on the current predominant etiological theories of sexual offending, including child sexual abuse, adult sexual abuse, and internet offending. We begin by briefly discussing the importance of theories in forensic contexts, and providing an overview of the classification of sexual violence. We then introduce a framework for understanding different “levels” of etiological theory, before providing examples of some of the most influential theories of sexual offending corresponding to each of these levels. We finish by discussing the potential future of sexual offending theories, namely the current paradigm shifts that are occurring in terms of our understanding of risk and protective factors, and their relationship with sexual offending.