Understanding Sexually Abusive Clergy as a Unique Offender Subgroup: Risk-based Comparisons Across the Course of Offending

• NCJ Number: 252377
• Author(s): Anthony D. Perillo, Anniken L.W. Laake, Cynthia Calkins
• Date Published: January 2017
• Length: 11 pages
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Award: Sex Offender Management, Treatment, and Civil Commitment: An Evidence Based Analysis Aimed at Reducing Sexual Violence

Annotation

This study compared offending trends of sexually abusive clergy (n = 1,428) to that of general sex offenders (n = 2,842) on risk measure items coded across the course of offending.

Abstract

Findings show significant differences between these groups of sex offenders on most risk-relevant variables. Clergy were particularly more likely to have male victims, V = .62, 95 percent CI [.58, .65], and less likely to be married, V = .59, 95 percent CI [.56, .63], or use force, V = .76, 95 percent CI [.73, .79]. The magnitude of differences remained when matched on offense factors (e.g., male child acquaintance victims). Findings suggest sexually abusive clergy are a unique subgroup that differs from general sex offenders on factors associated with recidivism. (Publisher abstract modified)