Date of Award
Spring 6-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department/Program
Forensic Psychology
Language
English
First Advisor or Mentor
Elizabeth Jeglic
Second Reader
Cynthia Calkins
Third Advisor
Louis Schlesinger
Abstract
Despite the misconception, many sexual offenses do not involve physical contact with a victim. Research indicates that exhibitionism, a noncontact offense, is the most reported sex crime. While some research has demonstrated the escalation from noncontact to contact offending, much of the data is outdated or used small samples. This study seeks to build upon the literature by examining archival records of 3,175 sex offenders incarcerated in the U.S. This study examined the number of offenders who progressed from noncontact to contact offenses and compared the demographic, crime, and risk characteristics of those convicted of noncontact offenses and those convicted of contact offenses only. The findings demonstrate that a significant proportion of noncontact offenders escalate to contact offenses. When comparing the characteristics of escalators to non-escalators, non-escalators had a higher proportion of prior charges or convictions of a sexual crime and had higher total scores on the Static-99. When comparing characteristics of noncontact to contact offenses, noncontact offenders were more likely to live in a two-parent home and have a higher level of education. It was also shown that noncontact offenders are at a higher risk of reoffending compared to contact offenders. The findings provide additional data suggesting that those who are incarcerated for paraphilic noncontact offenses are at the risk of reoffending and may escalate to contact offenses. These findings are discussed as they can inform policy as well as provide avenues for continued research.
Recommended Citation
Collie, Emma F., "The Criminal Trajectory of Paraphilic Noncontact Sexual Offenders: An Exploratory Study in an Incarcerated United States Sample" (2024). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/jj_etds/309