Title: Perpetrators | Sexual Assault | INSPQ
Headings: Perpetrators
Perpetrators
Perpetrator, predator or sex offender?
Studies on perpetrators of sexual assault: methodology
Perpetrators of child sexual abuse
Characteristics of child sexual abusers
A word of caution
Child sexual abuser typologies
Strategies used by perpetrators to commit child sexual abuse
References

Content: Perpetrators | Sexual Assault | INSPQ
Perpetrators
Sexual offending, or the commission of sexual offences, is a complex problem, whose causes are multi-factorial. People who commit sexual assault do so for a diversity of reasons. Nevertheless, certain categories of perpetrators share certain characteristics to a greater extent than people who do not commit sexual assault. Who commits sexual assault? And why do they commit it? Due to the wide range of sexually aggressive behaviour s and the many different underlying motivations, it is impossible to establish a typical profile of a perpetrator of sexual assault. That being said, deviant sexual interests (paraphilia) and cognitive distortions are two essential factors that explain why people commit sexual assault. 1
Three categories of perpetrators can be identified depending on the nature of the sexual assaults they commit, their relationship to the victim, their age and the age of the victim. 4 These categories are: perpetrators of sexual abuse against children, including intrafamilial and extrafamilial abusers;