08-22-2016 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Sex offenders and victims • 17 consent.” While definitions of child sexual abuse may vary, the actions they de- scribe are ultimately the same: An adult takes advantage of a child for the purpose of sexual gratification. *Targeting Children One of the most important characteristics of child sex offenders is that they generally have a method of gaining access to children. Goldstein (1987, p.91) argues that there are three ways in which sexual offenders gain access to chil- dren: marriage, neighborhood, and occupation. These methods are not mutually exclusive. Offenders may molest their own child, molest the children on the ball team that they coach, and work in a business that targets children. Goldstein (1987, p. 83) proposes that it is not uncommon for an individual to marry for the sole purpose of gaining access to children. Perpetrators who use marriage as an access technique often seek out women who already have children who meet their age and gender preferences. The marriage often lasts only as long as the children are in the victim target range. Offenders also might marry and take in foster children or adopt children. They will rarely produce their own children for this purpose, however, since there is no guarantee that they will be the preferred gender (Goldstein, p. 83). Hillman and Solek-Tefft (1988, p. 27) argue that offenders might also have a relationship with the family of a child victim. A second way sex offenders might gain access to a child is by searching for neighborhoods with children. Goldstein (1987, p. 98) insists that many pedo- philic activities are premeditated. Goldstein conducted part of his research by examining publications used by pedophiles. In these publications, he found sev- eral articles and other material suggesting that offenders target places such as arcades, schools, and playgrounds. Offenders have also been known to use par- ticular activities to entice children. For example, a perpetrator might approach children at bus stops, schools, and playgrounds and perform magic tricks. After gaining their trust, the offender may trick them into performing sex acts (Goldstein, p. 106). When a pedophile chooses to target a victim, age preference is the key factor. Abusers who prefer adolescents are more likely to become scout leaders and coaches, while those attracted to younger children may seek employment in day care centers (Crewdson, 1988, p. 117). Lanning (1992, p. 18) describes sex offenders as frequently associating with young people. The sex offender may hang around schoolyards, arcades, shop- ping centers, or anywhere else that children are present. He suggests that child sex offenders have well-developed techniques for obtaining victims (Lanning,