Sexual Interests and Rapist’s Modus Operandi Profiling - Week 3

1. Sexual Interests and Rapist’s Modus OperandiProfiling - Week 3 Mike Pozesny Ph.D.(ABD), M.Sc. R-CPCT, MRT, CAMS

2. Introduction • Examine the sexual interests of rapists • Level of organization • Level of force • Level of injury to the victim

3. Use of Offender Profiling • Uses crime scene characteristics • Generates information about behaviors • Narrows suspects • Aids in apprehension

4. Why is profiling such a hot topic? • Fictional media glamorization • Developed and used by agencies reluctant to scrutiny of other practices • Circular rationale that justifies it because it is being used Net result – we must link profile to MO to have anything of value

5. Sexual Fantasy and Offending Behavior • Sexual fantasies are important to understanding the criminal • Complex organizing function in the criminal • Determines verbal interactions • Preferred sexual acts • Ritualistic patterns • Transformation from fantasy to actual

6. Predatory Sex Offenders • More organized • More elaborate • More likely to report planning • Better content similarity with fantasy • Fantasy more related to aggression fantasy

7. Phallometric Asessment • Penile responses need at least a 10% factor • 3mm • Uses a circumferential transducer • Mercury-in-rubber strain gauge • Electrical conductance is measured • Audiotapes and other stimuli

8. Avery-Clark and Laws Scale (1984) • Three categories of force • No force • Minimal force • Force greater than necessary

9. Avery-Clark and Laws Scale (1984) • Damage to Victim • No damage • Slight damage no weapon • Slight damage with weapon • Victim treated and released • Victim treated with at least 1 night stay • Victim death • Victim death with post-mortem mutilation

10. Ressler Index for Organization • Use of a weapon • Use of physical restraints • Crime duration of more than 30 minutes • Victim forced to commit acts on the offender • Offender committing coital and non-coital acts on the victim • Victim humiliation

11. Predictor Blocks • Sexual interests • People allege porn is the root of rapes being committed • Situational variables • Alcohol • Drugs • Pornography use • Negative emotional states

12. Analysis • Nonsexual violence is related to the scale of organization of the assault • Use of porn prior to the crime negatively related to the use of force and level of injury • If assault is well organized the level of force on victim is increased • If assault is well organized the level of injury on victim is increased

13. Analysis • Nonsexual violence index positively linked to the scale of the level of organization of the sexual assault • If the use of pornography and a negative emotional state are linked, the level of organization increases – state of mind affects pornography impacts

14. Analysis • Use of alcohol prior to the crime positively related to scale of use of force during sexual assault. • None of routine sexual deviant interests are significantly related to the level of injury but use of porn and emotional state were.

15. Analysis • Pornography use is related to sexual preoccupation but can be associated with lower antisocial tendencies and lower violence rates? • Alcohol a disinhibiting factor in sexual assaults leading to greater use of force and victim injury

16. Analysis • Negative emotional state greater determinant of level of injury on the victim • Anger increases the arousal level to coercive sexual stimuli • Sexual interests not tied as closely to rapes as originally thought.

17. Sexual interests • Fantasy sequencing • Behavioral try-outs • Self-masturbatory fantasies in sequence • “May be” conditioning models for sexual arousal, may contain sadistic fantasies, which then need high levels of violence to reach sexual satisfaction.

18. Sexual interests • Rapists engage in rape behavior because of the cues associated with the act. They are arousing and optimally rewarding. • Sexual interest for nonsexual violence is a good predictor of sexual sadism. • Sadism can then predict characteristics of level of organization of the assault

19. Sadistic Rapists • Sexual assaults have been fantasized about • Premeditated • Include humiliating the victim (generally) • Use a weapon • Use physical restraints • Commit intrusive sexual acts • Utilize a longer crime time phase

20. Conclusion • Examined role of sexual interests and situational factors on three aspects of the rapist’s MO • Level of organization • Level of force • Level of injury • Examined sexual arousal

21. Conclusion • Examined use of alcohol • Examined pornography impacts • Direct link between sexual deviance and rapist MO not clearly defined • Modest link between nonsexual violence attraction and level of organization of offender

22. Conclusion • Examined use of alcohol • Examined pornography impacts • Direct link between sexual deviance and rapist MO not clearly defined • Modest link between nonsexual violence attraction and level of organization of offender

23. Conclusion • Search warrants • Violent pornography • Detective magazines • Evidence of nonsexual violence • Preponderance of specificity • Domestic ecology

24. Conclusion • Criminal profiling process: • Rely less on study of the offender • More on the event • Combination analysis of offender, event, and victim

25. Thank you for your kind attention! Any questions?