A meta-analysis was conducted to analyze recidivism rates and assess the role of antisociality and sexual deviancy in sexual reoffending in juvenile sex offenders. The importance of these constructs is discussed with regard to current theory and in light of methodological and conceptual limitations of previous studies.

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The current study investigates the offending trajectories of juvenile sex offenders (JSOs) across and beyond adolescence. In doing so, the study examines the number, the rate, and the shape of nonsexual and sexual offending trajectories in a sample of JSOs followed retrospectively and prospectively from late childhood to adulthood. Using semiparametric group-based modeling, the study reveals the presence of five distinctive nonsexual offending and two sexual offending trajectories: adolescent-limited and high-rate slow desisters. The study does not find strong evidence of synchronicity between nonsexual and sexual trajectories, suggesting that the current taxonomy of antisocial behaviors may offer a limited perspective on sex offender types. Furthermore, sexual trajectories do not differ much across sex offender types, suggesting that the findings might be generalized to child and peer abusers. The study findings offer supporting evidence for the presence of two distinct JSO types with important implications for theory, research, and interventions.

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Two major hypotheses have been put forward to describe the criminal activity of sexual offenders in adulthood. The first hypothesis states that sexual offenders are specialists who tend to repeat sexual crimes. The second hypothesis describes sexual offenders as generalists who do not restrict themselves to one particular type of crime. The current state of knowledge provides empirical support for both the specialization and the generality hypothesis. The presence of both generality and specialization in the offending behavior of sexual offenders is not as contradictory as it may first appear. However, methodological problems limit the possibility of drawing firm conclusions. Indeed, the specialization hypothesis is based on just one parameter of criminal activity, that is, recidivism, which only takes into account two consecutive crimes. The generality hypothesis is focused mainly on two criminal activity parameters, participation and variety, which do not take into account the dynamic nature of criminal activity over time. Developmental criminology provides a new paradigm to explore the issue of generality and specialization in the offending behavior of sexual offenders. Key words: criminal activity; specialization; versatility; sex offenders. REFERENCE: Lussier, P. (2005). The Criminal Activity of Sexual Offenders in Adulthood: Revisiting the Specialization Debate. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 17 (3), 269-292. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to P. Lussier, Pavillon Charles-De Koninck, 1030, ave. des Sciences-Humaines, Quebec, Quebec G1V 0A6, Canada. Tel.: +1 418 656 2131x5978. E-mail address: patrick.lussier@svs.ulaval.ca. THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OF SEXUAL OFFENDERS 2The Criminal Activity of Sexual Offenders in Adulthood: Revisiting the Specialization DebateIn the criminal justice system, individuals having committed a sexual offence are considered a special kind of offender in need of a specific intervention (Simon, 1997(Simon, , 2000. Over recent years, in North America and many European countries, various treatment programs were elaborated to rehabilitate sexual offenders . Although much controversy surrounded the evaluation of treatment effectiveness (Alexander, 1999;Hall, 1995;Marshall & Pithers, 1994;Quinsey, Harris, Rice, & Lalumière, 1993), many efforts were made to develop the risk management of sexual offenders. These efforts led to the identification of risk factors associated with sexual recidivism , as well as the emergence of various risk assessment scales designed specifically for sexual offenders (Boer, Hart, Kropp, & Webster, 1997;Hanson, 1997;Hanson & Thornton, 1999;Quinsey, Harris, Rice, & Cormier, 1998). At the same time, legal dispositions were introduced, such as the "Sexual Predator Laws" in the United States (Lieb, Quinsey, & Berliner, 1998) and the "Dangerous Offender Legislation" in Canada (Petrunik, 2003). These legislative changes were accompanied by measures attempting to reinforce formal and informal social control against...

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The current study claims that measures of sexual recidivism provide a distorted view of the criminal activity of adult sex offenders. To address this important limitation, the criminal career perspective is presented and key concepts are defined and described. The study also provides an up-to-date review of the scientific literature on various criminal career parameters of the sexual criminal activity of adult sex offenders. Hence, current empirical knowledge on the prevalence, age of onset, frequency, continuity, versatility, and desistance from sex offending is presented. The findings highlight the complexities of the sexual criminal career of adult sex offenders, and most importantly, its dynamic aspect, both of which are not captured by traditional measures of sexual recidivism. The review also underscores the importance of recognizing that sexual offending develops according to a series of stages, that, if not recognized, may lead to the underestimation of risk for some and over-estimation of risk for others. The review provides a framework to stimulate new areas of research as well as policy-development that is not limited to the identification of the "high-risk" convicted sex offenders.

This prospective longitudinal study examined whether early childhood risk factors contributed to explaining and predicting intimate partner violence (IPV) in mid-adulthood. Participants included 202 men from the Cambridge longitudinal study who were in an intimate relationship in their mid-40s. Neuropsychological deficits and the presence of a criminogenic family environment were measured between ages 8 and 10. Antisocial behavior was measured between ages 8 and 18. IPV was measured at age 48 using a self-report instrument completed by the participants' female partners. Perpetration and victimization rates were relatively high; violence was mostly mutual, and men were more likely to be victims than perpetrators. Findings indicate that a criminogenic environment increases the risk of IPV by fostering the development of antisocial behavior and neuropsychological deficits. A link also exists between a high level of antisocial behavior during adolescence and the risk of IPV later in life. The results suggest the presence of both continuity and discontinuity of antisocial behavior as childhood risk factors that increase the likelihood of future involvement in IPV, but the role of these risk factors is modest.Keywords: intimate partner violence, longitudinal study, antisocial behavior, early onset, neuropsychological deficits, intergenerational transmission, life-course persistence REFERENCE: Lussier, P, Farrington, D. P. & Moffitt, T. E. (2009). Is the antisocial child father of the abusive man? A 40-year prospective longitudinal study on the developmental antecedents of intimate partner violence. Criminology, 47 (3).1 Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to P. Lussier, Pavillon Charles-De Koninck, 1030, ave.des Sciences-Humaines, Quebec, Quebec G1V 0A6, Canada. Tel.: +1 418 656 2131x5978. E-mail addresses: patrick.lussier@svs.ulaval.ca. THE DEVELOPMENTAL ANTECEDENTS OF INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 2Is the antisocial child father of the abusive man? A 40-years prospective longitudinal study on the developmental antecedents of intimate partner violence Domestic violence has traditionally been portrayed as male-perpetrated violence against women (also known as patriarchal terrorism, wife beating, and spousal assault) (Dobash et al., 1992;Johnson, 1995). This portrayal emerged from empirical studies based mainly on clinical samples of severe victimization cases. In the United States, court-mandated batterer treatment programs for male perpetrators have been the most widely used method for dealing with domestic violence. However, this policy and its associated guidelines have not been well supported by empirical evidence. Recent quantitative reviews indicated that batterer treatment programs for violent male partners had minimal impact (Babcock, Green, and Robie, 2004;Feder and Wilson, 2005). Some researchers argued that the lack of a significant "treatment effect" might be attributable to methodological shortcomings of evaluative studies as well as to variations in the quality of research desi...