"There is now a general consensus that sexual recidivism is associated with at least two broad factors: (a) deviant sexual interests and (b) antisocial orientation/lifestyle instability (Hanson& Bussiere, 1998; Quinsey, Lalumiere, Rice, & Harris, 1995;Roberts, Doren, & Thornton, 2002). Deviant sexual interests refer to enduring attractions to sexual acts that are illegal (e.g., sex with children, rape) or highly unusual (e.g., fetishism, autoerotic as-phyxia). Although all sexual offending is socially deviant, men who commit such acts do not necessarily have enduring preferences for such behavior (Hudson & Ward, 1997; W. L. Marshall, 1997).
Antisocial orientation refers to antisocial personality, antisocial traits (such as impulsivity, substance abuse, unemployment), and a history of rule violation. There is a strong association between rule violation and impulsive, reckless behavior, such as excessive drinking, frequent moves, fights, and unsafe work practices (Caspiet al., 1994; Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990). Antisocial orientation facilitates sexual offending because individuals will not commit sexual crimes unless they are (a) willing to hurt others, b) can convince themselves that they are not harming their victims, or (c) feel unable to stop themselves. Rapists are more likely than child molesters to have an antisocial orientation (Firestone, Bradford, Greenberg, & Serran, 2000; see review by West, 1983), but indicators of hostility and lifestyle instability are associated with sexual recidivism in both groups (Prentky, Knight, Lee, & Cerce, 1995; Rice, Quinsey, & Harris, 1991)."
