Meeting the Challenges of Covering Sex-Crime Specific and General Crime Theories in Sex-Crimes Courses

• In Event: Roundtable: Teaching about Sex Crimes and Criminals

Abstract

There are two types of theories about sex crimes: (1) sex-crime specific theories that treat sex crimes as different from other crimes and (2) general theories that treat sex crimes as instances of crimes in general. While there is overlap in the two types of theories, they are sufficiently distinct to create problems for students in assessing their strengths and weaknesses and utility for control and treatment of sex crimes and sex offenders. The problems are made worse by students’ a priori assumptions about whether sex offenders are qualitatively different from other offenders and contradictory evidence about whether sex offenders are specialists or generalists. This discussion focuses on classroom strategies and resources for meeting the challenges of covering theories about sex crimes in undergraduate courses.

Author

• Mark Stafford, Texas State University