Sex Crimes

This book presents a comprehensive criminological and sociological examination of sex criminality in America. The book focuses on the nature, characteristics, dimensions, and ramifications of sex criminality in the United States. It addresses the crimes of sexual murder, rape, incest, child molestation, pornography and sex crimes, sex trafficking, sexual abuse and paraphilias, and prostitution. It presents theories on sex crimes and criminals and it examines sex crime laws and the response of the criminal justice system. The book is comprised of seven parts. Part I focuses on sex-related homicides, discussing different types of sexual murders and their characteristics. Part II addresses rape crime, including forcible rape; marital rape; date and acquaintance rape; and female, same sex, and statutory rape. These chapters include discussions of the nature and characteristics of these crimes along with a consideration of theories used to explain why they are committed. Part III offers research on incestuous crimes, including father-daughter incest, mother-child incest, and other intrafamilial sexual abuse crimes. The nature of incest is discussed along with definitions and characteristics of the crimes. Part IV focuses on the sexual predatory crimes of child molestation, pornography and sex crime, sex trafficking, and other sexual abuse and paraphilias. The incidences of these crimes are considered along with theories that explain why they occur. Other types of sexual predatory crimes discussed in part IV include the paraphilias of exhibitionism, voyeurism, bestiality, coprolagnia, and ritual sex abuse. Part V explores prostitution crimes, such as women's prostitution, girl prostitution, and male prostitution. The prevalence and motivation for entry into prostitution are considered along with the dynamics and characteristics of each type of prostitution. Part VI examines the major theories explaining sex crimes and criminals, including biological theories, social learning theory, and personality-disorder theories. Part VII closes the book with an examination of the criminal justice response to sex offenders.