Desistance from sexual offending: Do the mainstream theories apply?

Abstract

The literature on desistance from crime has become well established in recent years with strong bodies of evidence supporting the role of factors such as employment, relationships and identity change in this process. However, the relevance of this literature to individuals convicted of sexual crimes is not known as such individuals are almost always excluded from this research. This article presents the results from one of the first empirical studies on desistance from sexual offending based on 32 in-depth life story interviews with adult males previously convicted of child sex offences. In this analysis we explore the significance of work, the role of relationships, and changes in imagined selves in the self-identities of individuals successfully desisting from sexual offending. The findings provide support for all three factors in helping to sustain desistance from sex offending, but also suggest clear differences between desistance from sex offending and other types of crime in these regards.

‘You’re never really free’: Understanding the barriers to desistance for registered sexual offenders in the community

“…Also consistent with the literature (Brown et al, 2007; McAlinden, 2009; McAlinden et al, 2017), participants highlighted how the ‘sex offender’ label, communicated through mandatory disclosure to possible employees, prevented them from engaging in meaningful work. The majority of participants were finding it difficult to secure jobs which matched their skill set and were currently engaged in low status work with minimal pay:I had to tell them in a previous interview for a job… their faces just fall.…”

“…However, the applicability of this concept to the desistance process of those convicted of sexual offences, has been called into question. In their study, McAlinden et al (2017) found that while the importance of such things as employment and relationships featured in the narratives of their participants, these did not represent ‘turning points’ in the desistance process. Interestingly, their participants articulated that desistance occurred despite a lack of employment opportunities, and involvement in intimate and familial relationships; demonstrating that for those convicted of sexual offences, the theoretical concept of ‘turning points’ may not be relevant.…”

Mineurs judiciarisés pour délit sexuel : soutien de la désistance par le Good Lives Model

“…Les études sur la désistance ont mis en évidence les interactions complexes de facteurs externes (changements sur le plan structurel et social) et facteurs internes (changements des pensées, des croyances, de la conscience de soi…). Sans développer les avancées majeures sur le plan des modèles de la désistance, il nous semble intéressant de mentionner deux leviers de désistance pouvant être soutenus dans le cadre de l'intervention (Harris, 2017 ;McAlinden, Farmer et Maruna, 2017). Tout d'abord l'agentivité, elle réfère à la capacité d'agir, au sentiment d'auto-efficacité et de reprise de contrôle, se retrouvant davantage chez les sujets désistants que chez les persistants (Farmer, Beech et Ward, 2012 ;Healy, 2013Healy, , 2014.…”

Examining sexual offences through a sociological lens: A socio-cultural exploration of causal and desistance theories

“…Literature on desistance from sexual offending is in its infancy, although a small number of recent studies have looked at sexual offending through a desistance lens (e.g. Farmer et al, 2015; McAlinden et al, 2016). These studies have generally found support both for the socio-structural (such as employment and social support) and self-narrative aspects of traditional desistance research.…”