Profiles of Sexual Recidivists throughout their Penal Trajectory: A Longitudinal Classification Tree Analysis

• In Event: Posters II

Abstract

Most individuals serving a prison sentence for a sex crime eventually return to the community. In that context, research on community reentry has helped to draw two main conclusions: 1) while sexual recidivism rates are relatively low, a small subgroup of offenders does sexually reoffend; 2) not much is known about the community reentry process leading to a sexual re-offense. Therefore, the current study aims to explore the process leading to a sexual re-offense and, of importance, whether there are multiple profiles and pathways leading to a sexual re-offense. Based on a sample of over 500 individuals convicted for a sex crime, the current study explores, through a classification tree approach, the presence of profiles of risk factors leading to sexual recidivism using data from a large-scale longitudinal study. Implications for future research and policy as well as practical implications for crime prevention and community reentry of sexual offenders will be discussed.

Author

• Nadine Deslauriers-Varin, Université Laval