Male Perpetrators of Child Sexual Abuse: A Comparison Between Individuals Serving Custodial and Non-Custodial Sentences

Abstract

The literature considers individuals who sexually offended children (ISOCs) as a heterogeneous group. In Portugal, ISOCs may be subject to two types of sentences: custodial and non-custodial measures. In the present study, we performed a comparative analysis between 66 male individuals sentenced to prison and 47 male individuals sentenced to community measures for sexual crimes against children, using a set of sociodemographic, penal, and psychological measures. The results showed that the incarcerated ISOCs’ had more static risk factors for sexual and nonsexual recidivism. Only two variables increased the probability of belonging to the incarceration group: having other convictions beyond child sexual abuse and having committed serious sexual offenses. Based on these results, implications for ISOCs’ treatment and sentencing are discussed.