Modus operandi of sexual offenders working or doing voluntary work with children and adolescents

Abstract

The aim of this study was to provide the first empirical description of the modus operandi of sexual offenders working or doing voluntary work with children and adolescents across all aspects of offender-victim interactions. The modus operandi was studied along the offence continuum, which included strategies used for gaining the victim's trust, getting the victim to participate in sexual activity and keeping the victim from telling someone about the sexual contact. Twenty-three offenders agreed to participate in this study. They were recruited from prisons, probation and parole services, penitentiaries and treatment programs. Three sources of information were used. The most important source was the Modus Operandi Questionnaire (MOQ) developed by Kaufman. Data were also obtained from semi-structured interviews conducted with the offenders and from official sources, such as police reports and victim statements. Our results suggest that the modus operandi of these sexual offenders depended on their position of trust in relation to their victim. In fact, they used non-coercive strategies to achieve victim compliance. Implications for prevention strategies are also highlighted.