Reoffending Behaviors of Sexual Predators and Their Propensity to Commit Other Violent Crimes

• In Event: Criminal Histories of Serial Sex Offenders Identified via the Unsubmitted Sexual Assault Kit Initiative

Abstract

Sexual assault is a growing national discussion with particular interest in understanding the behavioral patterns of sex offenders. In this study, the data collected as part of the Kansas Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) is evaluated and compared to existing literature to assess the type and prevalence of reoffending behaviors exhibited by perpetrators of sexual assault. This evaluation focuses on examining the overlap of sexual and other violent offenses to identify the most common crimes committed by sex offenders. The findings of this study have shown a consistent prevalence of domestic violence, battery, and assault committed by perpetrators of sexual assault. Additionally, this study indicates that sexual assault is often part of a broader pattern of violence and reoffending behavior occurs at a higher rate than prior studies have suggested, with 93% of offenders committing other acts of violence and more than 50% of offenders committing domestic violence. The implications of this examination are important to promoting the evaluation of a suspect’s full course of conduct rather than viewing sexual assault as an isolated event and to ensure all facets of the criminal justice system are aware of the impact to public safety posed by not holding these offenders accountable.

Authors

• Megan Roberts, Kansas Bureau of Investigations

• Katie Whisman, Kansus Bureau of Investigations