Exploring the Effect of Guardianship on the Outcome of Sexual Offences Against Women

• In Event: Sexual Violence & Abuse from the Situational Crime Prevention and Opportunity Perspective

Abstract

Despite the importance it offers for crime prevention there has been little empirical attention given to the effect of guardianship on sexual offending. Using self-report data from incarcerated sexual offenders in Australia, we explore adult-victim sexual offenders’ direct experiences of guardianship focusing on the individual and situational circumstances under which guardianship predicts offence disruption. Our findings show that while the presence of a guardian is predictive of a sexual offence being stopped or discouraged, the micro-situational context of the crime event is critical to understanding how guardianship affects offender-decision making. These results contribute to the theoretical understanding of guardianship as a prevention mechanism, and further knowledge around innovative and promising avenues for the prevention of sexual offences against women within an Australian context.

Authors

• Alana Cook, Griffith University

• Danielle Reynald, Griffith University

• Benoit Leclerc, Griffith University