Pathways to Child Sexual Offending: Applying Ward and Siegert's Pathways Model on Offenders Convicted of Penetrative Offenses on Children

Melinda Gai Osbourne; Larissa Christensen

doi:10.1007/s12119-020-09718-4

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Pathways to Child Sexual Offending: Applying Ward and Siegert's Pathways Model on Offenders Convicted of Penetrative Offenses on Children

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Pathways to Child Sexual Offending: Applying Ward and Siegert's Pathways Model on Offenders Convicted of Penetrative Offenses on Children

Melinda Gai Osbourne and Larissa Christensen

Sexuality and Culture, Vol.24(6), pp.1756-1773

2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-020-09718-4

Appears in UniSC Diversity and Inclusion Research Collection

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Abstract

child sexual abuse

sexual violence

pathways model

prevention

treatment

child sex offender

UniSC Diversity Area - Life Stages

Although research supports Ward and Siegert's Pathways Model to child sexual offending, few studies have empirically validated it. The current study aimed to explore the applicability of the Pathways Model on offenders convicted of penetrative offenses on children. All available sentencing remarks across a 10-year period in one jurisdiction of Australia were analyzed (58 offenders). A multi-methods approach was used. Regarding descriptives, most offenders were male, late thirties, single, employed, completed grade 10, had previous sexual convictions, an extrafamilial relationship with the victim, pleaded guilty, and received a custodial sentence. Most victims were female, with an average age of 11. While the deductive thematic analysis captured Ward and Siegert's Pathways, sub-groups emerged within the emotional dysregulation pathway: impulsivity, sexualized coping, and mental health. These findings are valuable for researchers and practitioners, with implications for tailored treatment and prevention due to enhanced understanding on the motives for child sexual offending.

Details

Title: Pathways to Child Sexual Offending: Applying Ward and Siegert's Pathways Model on Offenders Convicted of Penetrative Offenses on Children
Authors: Melinda Gai Osbourne (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Larissa Christensen (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast
Publication details: Sexuality and Culture, Vol.24(6), pp.1756-1773
Publisher: Springer New York LLC
Date published: 2020
DOI: 10.1007/s12119-020-09718-4
ISSN: 1095-5143; 1095-5143
Copyright note: This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Sexuality and Culture. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12119-020-09718-4
Organisation Unit: School of Social Sciences - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Law and Society; Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit; School of Law and Criminology - Legacy
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450957602621
Output Type: Journal article
Research Statement: false

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