Single Factor Theory

Sexually violent predators refer to criminals who have been convicted or charged for committing a sexually violent offense. At the same time the person suffers from a personality disorder or mental abnormality making him or her at risk of engaging in predatory acts of sexual violence. This is a problem that has been on the rise in the recent days making the law enforcement authorities to be on the look and also attracted a lot of interest from researchers. Due to the danger that sexually violent predators pose to the society, they are usually confined in prison or any other facility to enhance security.

Studies have shown that most of the sexually violent predators are men who are emotionally unstable, yet they have the ability to deal with

the day to day life in a more competent and normal way. In most cases the offenders are normal individuals, but face difficulties trying to relate with other people in a lasting or permanent manner. These offenders do not commit the sexual violent act to strangers, but to other people who are close to them including dates, friends, relatives, coworkers and other close confidants. Women do also become sexually violent predators, but the rate is a bit low compared to that of men (Looman & Marshall, 2005).

The crimes committed by a sexually violent predator include, but not limited to rape and others that there is use of violence in order to have sex.

The crime committed is punishable because it does not only lead to detrimental effect to the victim, but can also lead to death. There are a lot of studies that have been conducted to determine the main reason that make people turn to be sexually violent predator. From the studies there are many theories that have been developed to explain this behavior. These are theories that try to look at different social and psychological aspects that can lead to development of such behaviors. Here are some of the psychological and sociological theories that help explain the behavior demonstrated by sexually violent predator (Hunter & Becker, 2004).

Single factor theories

There are several single factor theories that can help explain the behavior. Here are some of them.

Behavioral

theory

This theory holds that sexually violent predators develop their behavior in part as a result of learning or conditioning. In other words, it is believed that the individual involved in this crime learn this behavior as right or socially acceptable means of sexual expression. Behavioral theorists state that deviant sexual interest or other violent sexual behaviors can be learned. For example, if a father engages in such violent sexual behaviors at home or even in the society towards women, the young people who are exposed to such type of an environment learn to behave in the same way as a result of their developmental experiences.

There is another type of behavioral theory that involves conditioning whereby an individual arousal patterns or sexual interests get strengthened as a result of certain types of experiences or reinforcers. For instance, if an individual masturbates to fantasies that are deviant, this makes them strengthen their interest or arousal to such inappropriate or unhealthy fantasies which might make them sexual violent predators (Looman & Marshall, 2005).

Social cultural theory

This is another theory that has attempted to give explanation of the etiology of sexual offending behaviors.

It focuses on the role of cultural and societal norms, structure and messages. For instance, there are some theorists who hold that media such as video games or television contribute to escalation of this behavior by desensitizing messages of violence. On the other hand, there are some who hold that the ways in which children and women are sexualized and depicted as passive and submissive through films, advertisements or television programs might contribute to them being victims of sexual predators. There are also other theorists who believe that men are socialized to dominate, aggressive or conquer children and women leading to development of the behavior demonstrated by sexual predators (Aigner & Eher,

2000).

Intimacy/attachment theory

This is a theory that holds that different types of problematic attachments makes an individual have several problems related to intimacy in adult relationships and the intimacy deficits makes individual engage in this violent sexual behavior. For instance, the theorists hold that those individual that are insecurely attached may want to be close to others emotionally, but avoid this because of fear of being hurt or rejected. This might also make some individual to try and establish romantic relationship with children. Those individuals with dismissive attachment styles may not have any interest to get close or intimate with others or may demonstrate angry, negative or hostile feelings towards women. This makes them act in anger or hostility in sexually aggressive manner (Aigner & Eher, 2000).

Psychological theory

The psychological theory holds that a sexually violent predator might engage in this behavior as a result of their personality. The theory states that there is existence of stable and fixed personality traits that predictive of those who engage in sexual predator behaviors. Some of the personality characteristics that can lead to the development of this behavior include social introversion; urge to exercise high level dominance or feeling of masculine inadequacy. The theory also hold that those demonstrating this behavior are highly idept at displacing or rationalizing responsibility and blame others instead of taking own responsibilities for their behaviors.

Psychoanalytic theory

This is a theory that was proposed by Freud. This is a theory that holds that children, who are exposed to sexual abuse when they are young, have higher risks of developing sexual predator behavior. This happens as a result of the trauma experienced during their childhood years. This is regardless as to whether the child is a girl or a boy. A sexually violent predator is also viewed as pathologically disturbed and perverted sexually because of poor psycho sexual development. This is mostly seen as a problem that arises as a result of poor parenting (Aigner & Eher, 2000).

References

Aigner, M. & Eher, R. (2000). Brain abnormalities and violent behavior. Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 11, 57–64.

Hunter, J.A., & Becker, J.V. (2004). The role of deviant sexual arousal in juvenile sexual offending: Etiology, evaluation, and treatment. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 21, 132–149.

Looman, J., & Marshall, W.L. (2005). Sexual arousal in rapists. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 32, 367–389.