● South Africa faces a globally unparalleled problem of violence.
● Females are usually viewed as the victims and males as the perpetrators of sexual
offences.
● The victimisation vulnerability of men should not be negated.
● Men in correctional facilities find themselves especially vulnerable to sexual
violence.
● The prevalence of the commission of sexual offences in our society is primarily a
social phenomenon, which is reflective of deep-seated, systemic dysfunctionality in
our society.
Aetiology of sexual offending: Individual factors
● Aetiology of sexual offending refers to the causes or origins of deviant sexual
behaviour.
Individual Factors
● Low self esteem:
○ Low self-esteem is a contributing factor to sexual offending.
○ Sexual offenders generally have a low self-esteem
○ Low self-esteem may be a precursor to sexual offending and that may
hamper sexual offenders progress in intervention programmes.
○ A low self-esteem in sex offenders can be a reaction to being caught and/or
punished or stigmatised.
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, ○ Individuals with a low self-esteem are usually preoccupied with their own
limitations and less concerned with other people’s feelings.
○ Individuals with a low self-esteem and limited self-confidence will be so
involved with fulfilling their own needs.
● Empathy Deficits:
○ Lack of empathy can be a result of childhood attachment insecurity.
○ Attachment deficit can also be a contributing factor to adolescents’ failure to
develop intimate relationships.
○ Sex offenders do not recognise and have compassion with the victim’s
distress to such an extent that they can become sexually aroused while
committing the offence.
○ Many males that do not commit rape are inhibited by empathy for the
potential victim.
○ sex offenders frequently deny their offences and minimise the harm that the
victim suffered. (Lack of empathy).
○ Offenders deny and/or minimise their sexual transgressions due to an
attempt to distance themselves from their misbehaviour.
○ Deniers and admitters.
● Deniers usually blamed their victims and provided the following justifications for
their behaviour:
○ The victim seduced them.
○ Women who say no, actually mean yes.
○ Most women eventually enjoy the sexual interaction and relax after a while.
○ Good girls do not become victims of rape.
○ The victim was not harmed physically, so the act was a minor transgression.
○ The victim did not resist and actually wanted to have sexual intercourse.
○ Just-world hypothesis: Refers to our belief that the world is fair, and
consequently, that the moral standings of our actions will determine our
outcomes.
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