Reoffending among child sexual offenders

Abstract

This study examines reoffending among 1,092 male offenders proceeded against for a child sexual offence in New South Wales between 2004 and 2013, including 863 child sexual assault offenders, 196 child abuse material offenders and 33 procurement/ grooming offenders. Seven percent of child sexual offenders sexually reoffended within 10 years of their first police proceeding for a child sexual offence, while 42 percent non-sexually reoffended. Risk of sexual and non-sexual reoffending was highest in the first two years. Child sexual assault offenders were the most likely to reoffend non-sexually, while procurement/grooming offenders were the most likely to reoffend sexually. There was evidence of transition to other sexual offence types, but this varied between groups. Indigenous status, history of offending and the number of child sexual offences emerged as important predictors of reoffending, although risk profiles varied between offender types.

Deconstructing imprisonment: Exploring sentencing discourses in the District Court of New South Wales

“…Harsher sentencing and the increased use of imprisonment to protect society against so-called dangerous 'Others' illustrate a punitive shift in contemporary penality that increasingly appears less concerned with what 'justice' means for the offender. In Australia, this discourse of risk is seen clearly in legislation enabling the extended supervision and continued detention of high risk and sex offenders (see Crimes (High Risk Offenders) Act 2006 (NSW)) and in the prevailing assumption that child sex offenders pose an ongoing risk to society despite having relatively low recidivism rates (Dowling et al, 2021). This discourse was evident in the current study and justified seemingly disproportionate sentences of imprisonment for child sex offenders, as highlighted in the remarks below:…”