Recidivism and Age: Follow-Up Data From 4,673 Sexual Offenders

Abstract

This study examined the relationship of age to sexual recidivism using data from 10 follow-upstudies of adult male sexual offenders (combined sample of 4,673). Rapists were younger thanchild molesters, and the recidivism risk of rapists steadily decreased with age. In contrast,extra familial child molesters showed relatively little reduction in recidivism risk until after theage of50. The recidivism rate of intra familial child molesters was generally low (less than 10%),except for the intra familial offenders in the 18-to24-year-old age group, whose recidivism riskwas comparable to that of rapists and extra familial child molesters. The results are discussed interms of developmental changes in sexual drive, self-control, and opportunities to offend.