Theories of Criminal Behavior Essay example -- Sexual Offenders, Child

In this essay, two theories specifically focusing on sexual anger against chelaren are compared and critical evaluated. Finkelhors (1984) circumstance model integrates 4 inherent factors that might explain the go acrossrence of child sexual abuse and categorizes them into quadruplet preconditions motivation to offend, overcoming internal inhibitors, overcoming external inhibitors and overcoming childs resistance that occur in a temporal sequence where each is necessary for the another(prenominal) to develop. The Precondition model provides a framework for assessment of child molesters and is criticized for a lack of aetiological explanations and for paying to little attention to cognitive factors. Wards (2003) Pathways model suggest that clinical phenomena evident among child sex offenders are generated by four distinct and interacting mechanisms parsimony and social skills deficits, distorted sexual scripts, emotional dysregulation and cognitive distortions where each mech anism generates a specific offence pathway. some(prenominal) theories have been influential in providing handling goals and informing clinical assessment of child sexual abusers. Finkelhors precondition model (1984) is widely recognized in the literature as a groundbreaking theory in the fact that it represents the first attempt at incorporating multi-factorial explanations to account for sexual offending against children (Howell, 1994 Marshal, 1996 Ward & Hudson, 1998). Finkelhor (1984) argues that child molestation is a complex phenomena caused by a variety of psychological, sociological and cultural factors. In order to explain differences within perpetrators as well as situational aspects of the offence, Finkelhor (1984) proposes four preconditions that need to bee met in ... ...y of multiple dysfunctional mechanisms, or pure pedophiles those with a primary sexual interest in children, consisting of individuals who portrait elements of all the pathways discussed in a higher place deviant sexual scripts distorted ideas about childrens sexuality intimacy deficits and dysfunctional emotional regulation.Ward & Siegert (2002) argue that their attempt to build on existing theoretical work such as Finkelhors (1984) Precondition model, the Pathway model constitutes a multifactorial theory evident in fact that it addresses psychological, contextual and biological mechanisms in its claim that vulnerability to sexually offend against a child originates from various learning, cultural and psychological variables. Both of the models mentioned above have some clinical utility and can be used in the assessment and treatment of child molesters.