This publication reviews the international literature on recidivism rates and the risk factors that predict sexual, violent and general reoffending, and identifies a number of specific predictors of sexual reoffending. It also analyses Victorian police data on persons apprehended for sexual assault of adults in 2001, finding that 14% of alleged offenders had previously been apprehended for sexual offences, 35% of the sample had been processed for multiple sexual offences, and a large percentage had also been apprehended for violent (35%) and other (55%) offences during the reference period. Finally, it provides an overview of sex offender treatment programs offered through corrective services in Australian jurisdictions, and summarises the literature that assesses the efficacy of sex offender treatment programs.
A report prepared for the Office of the Status of Women by the Australian Institute of Criminology.
Note: This report updates a version previously released in June 2003.