Older Individuals Convicted of Sexual Offenses: A Literature Review

Overview

Journal Sex Abuse

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2021 Jun 28

PMID 34176346

Authors

Rebecca L Crookes

Carlo Tramontano

Sarah J Brown

Kate Walker

Hayley Wright

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The population of older individuals convicted of sexual offenses (OSOs) is rapidly increasing. However, we have little understanding of their characteristics (e.g., demographic, psychological, individual, offense, and risk) and needs. To identify any similarities or differences that are unique to older individuals convicted of sexual offending, it is important to compare such characteristics across the adult lifespan. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to specify and synthesize the current knowledge of characteristics across the adult lifespan of the population of individuals convicted of sexual offenses. Five databases were searched and 10,680 results were screened, resulting in 100 studies included in the final review. The findings were grouped into four emergent themes: age of onset and prevalence; offender and offense characteristics; age and the risk of reoffending; and treatment. Implications of the findings from this review are discussed in relation to future research and clinical practice.

Citing Articles

Neurodegenerative Disorders in Criminal Offending and Cognitive Decline Among Aging Inmates.

Veggi S, Roveta F NeuroSci. 2025; 6(1.

PMID: 39846564 PMC: 11755462. DOI: 10.3390/neurosci6010005.

References

Rodriguez M, Boyce P, Hodges J . A neuropsychological study of older adult first-time sex offenders. Neurocase. 2017; 23(2):154-161. DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2017.1334802. View

Sjostedt G, Langstrom N . Actuarial assessment of sex offender recidivism risk: a cross-validation of the RRASOR and the Static-99 in Sweden. Law Hum Behav. 2002; 25(6):629-45. DOI: 10.1023/a:1012758307983. View

Langevin R, Curnoe S . Lifetime criminal history of sex offenders seen for psychological assessment in five decades. Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol. 2011; 56(7):997-1021. DOI: 10.1177/0306624X11420084. View

Combalbert N, Pennequin V, Ferrand C, Armand M, Anselme M, Geffray B . Cognitive impairment, self-perceived health and quality of life of older prisoners. Crim Behav Ment Health. 2017; 28(1):36-49. DOI: 10.1002/cbm.2023. View

Browne K, Hines M, Tully R . The differences between sex offenders who victimise older women and sex offenders who offend against children. Aging Ment Health. 2016; 22(1):11-18. DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2016.1202892. View

Bourke P, Ward T, Rose C . Expertise and sexual offending: a preliminary empirical model. J Interpers Violence. 2012; 27(12):2391-414. DOI: 10.1177/0886260511433513. View

Mattek R, Hanson R . Committed as a Violent Sexual Predator in His 10th Decade: A Case Study. Arch Sex Behav. 2017; 47(2):543-550. DOI: 10.1007/s10508-017-1041-2. View

Looman J, Abracen J . Comparison of measures of risk for recidivism in sexual offenders. J Interpers Violence. 2009; 25(5):791-807. DOI: 10.1177/0886260509336961. View

O Ciardha C, Ward T . Theories of cognitive distortions in sexual offending: what the current research tells us. Trauma Violence Abuse. 2012; 14(1):5-21. DOI: 10.1177/1524838012467856. View

10.

Schmucker M, Losel F . Does sexual offender treatment work? A systematic review of outcome evaluations. Psicothema. 2008; 20(1):10-9. View

11.

Eher R, Schilling F, Hansmann B, Pumberger T, Nitschke J, Habermeyer E . Sadism and Violent Reoffending in Sexual Offenders. Sex Abuse. 2015; 28(1):46-72. DOI: 10.1177/1079063214566715. View

12.

Fazel S, ODonnell I, Hope T, Gulati G, Jacoby R . Frontal lobes and older sex offenders: a preliminary investigation. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2006; 22(1):87-9. DOI: 10.1002/gps.1648. View

13.

Lussier P, Deslauriers-Varin N, Ratel T . A descriptive profile of high-risk sex offenders under intensive supervision in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol. 2008; 54(1):71-91. DOI: 10.1177/0306624X08323236. View

14.

Lussier P, McCuish E . Desistance From Crime Without Reintegration: A Longitudinal Study of the Social Context and Life Course Path to Desistance in a Sample of Adults Convicted of a Sex Crime. Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol. 2016; 60(15):1791-1812. DOI: 10.1177/0306624X16668179. View

15.

Ackerman A, Harris A, Levenson J, Zgoba K . Who are the people in your neighborhood? A descriptive analysis of individuals on public sex offender registries. Int J Law Psychiatry. 2011; 34(3):149-59. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2011.04.001. View

16.

Fazel S, Hope T, ODONNELL I, Jacoby R . Hidden psychiatric morbidity in elderly prisoners. Br J Psychiatry. 2001; 179:535-9. DOI: 10.1192/bjp.179.6.535. View

17.

Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman D . Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. PLoS Med. 2009; 6(7):e1000097. PMC: 2707599. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000097. View

18.

Nicholaichuk T, Olver M, Gu D, Wong S . Age, actuarial risk, and long-term recidivism in a national sample of sex offenders. Sex Abuse. 2013; 26(5):406-28. DOI: 10.1177/1079063213492340. View

19.

Prentky R, Lee A . Effect of age-at-release on long term sexual re-offense rates in civilly committed sexual offenders. Sex Abuse. 2007; 19(1):43-59. DOI: 10.1177/107906320701900105. View

20.

Seto M . The Motivation-Facilitation Model of Sexual Offending. Sex Abuse. 2017; 31(1):3-24. DOI: 10.1177/1079063217720919. View