What Is Forensic Sexology?
Forensic sexology is a specialty area of sexology that deals with the standard principles of sexuality while also looking at deviations from this standard and its influence on the law.
What Is the Need for Forensic Sexology?
The most clear-cut indication for forensic sexology is sexual assault. Unfortunately, sexual assault is a common social issue that victimizes all ages and genders, especially children and women. Forensic sexology is essential to understanding how the criminal mindset of sexual offenders is likely to play out. It is necessary to predict patterns in order to stop future criminal sexual offenses, attain a diagnosis, devise a treatment plan, and eventually pass legal judgment on a sexual offender.
What Are the Common Issues Forensic Sexology Deals With?
Forensic sexology will typically cover the following areas:
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Sexual disorders.
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Sexual crime.
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Legal aspects of sexology, including sexual assaults and courtroom issues.
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Sexual criminal typology.
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Supervision and control of sexual offenders.
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Therapy for sexual offenders.
What Is the Difference Between Forensic and Clinical Sexology?
Clinical sexologists are often relied on to provide perspective on forensic aspects, but there are essential differences between forensic and clinical sexology practices that are important to understand. These differences include:
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The Subject- Clinical sexology is about the patient and their needs. Patients approaching clinical sexologists are usually distressed about sexual dysfunction and need to be helped with the dysfunction and the accompanying distress. Forensic sexology attempts to save other people from the distress caused by sex offenders. The offenders themselves may not feel any qualms at their behavior.
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Treatment Motivation- In clinical sexology, the patient is motivated and seeks out the doctor for treatment. Forensic sexology is less about motivation and more about preventing further sex crimes by law. Sex offenders are required by law to undergo sex therapy and to be evaluated and treated.
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Confidentiality- Confidentiality is assured to patients in clinical sexology, whereas forensic sexology allows for no concessions. Everything patients say may be used in a forensic report.
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Truth and Lies- As a direct subset of the lack of confidentiality, as also due to the nature of sex offenders, it is usually assumed that whatever is being said to the sexologist by a sex offender is probably false. On the other hand, clinical sexology is for patients who need to tell the full truth of their condition in order to obtain adequate treatment, so their statements are regarded as probably true.
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Time- For clinical sexologists, the greatest weapon in their arsenal is time, and the understanding that sex therapy is a dynamic process that shifts and changes. The initial diagnosis may change with time, the nature of therapy may also change, and the clinician’s assessment continues to grow and evolve with the patient’s progress. In forensic sexology, everything from assessment and evaluation to psychometric tests and therapy recommendations is begun and concluded in a single session. Very rarely do forensic sexologists spend more time with their patients. Forensic sexology is thus often referred to as a static process, which is in stark contrast to the dynamism of clinical sexology.
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The Environment- Clinical sexology encourages patients to explore sexuality, emphasizing sex positivity. The aim is to allow patients to confront their sexual issues and the underlying reasons through an atmosphere of positivity and exploration of their sexual desires. On the other hand, forensic sexology operates in a sex-negative climate, with no encouragement for the actions of sex crime perpetrators. Rather, the aim is to control the sexual desires that patients feel most comfortable with because these are invariably the sort of desires and proclivities that are classified as criminal and cause harm to society.
What Are the Keys to Practicing Forensic Sexology?
Forensic sexology deals less with facts and more with predicting the future based on previous facts. Forensic sexologists are required to do two things-
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Find the Truth- Often, finding the truth is difficult for a forensic sexologist, given the sexual offender’s propensity to lie. However, this is where their experience, understanding of the sexual offender’s mind and reasoning, and ability to elicit the truth or some semblance of the truth come into play.
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Predict the Future- Second, there is a need to predict how dangerous the sex offender may be, based on their statements, their crimes, and the sexologist’s understanding of what drives their internal thoughts and beliefs. This exercise needs to be approached with caution since the eventual determination of future legal or therapeutic action may be based on their assessment.
How Do Sexual Offenders Operate?
The very aspect of sexual offending that makes it a tough job for forensic sexologists is the frequent lack of an identifiable or established offense pattern. While some may display such a pattern, sexual deviancy is more often than not well-hidden and difficult to identify.
The characteristic patterns of criminals may apply to some persistent sexual offenders, such as:
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They are young.
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They may not be gainfully employed.
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They may lack social boundaries while also being completely antisocial.
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They may indulge in substance abuse.
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They may often associate with other criminals.
However, sexual offenders may present slightly different attitudes from traditional criminal mindsets. Sexual offenders are often classified as high or low risk based on their deviancy. In some cases, they may not actually have deviant natures. Their issue might be with mistaking consent or not being able to accept reality. In other cases, their proclivities might truly be deviant and abnormal enough to constitute a menace to society.
Characteristic traits more likely to be common to sexual offenders include:
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Low self-esteem.
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Inability to exercise self-control.
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Poor coping strategies.
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Substance abuse.
Finally, the toughest part of dealing with a sexual offender lies in estimating recidivism potential (potential for repetition of the sexual offense). This is challenging because sex offenders are often adept at convincing even the most seasoned practitioners of their remorse. That is why forensic sexologists are often advised to use extreme caution and a skeptical mindset.
Conclusion:
Forensic sexology can be a hit-or-miss practice. Failure to identify truly dangerous sexual offenders and recommend the necessary treatment can result in serious crimes and loss of human life. However, the field continues to grow and evolve. There is ultimately hope that sexual assault patterns and offenders may at least be identified and effectively dealt with.
