Title: The Etiology of Sexual Offending Behavior and Sex Offender Typology: An Overview
Headings: 
Section 3: Common Characteristics of Sex Offenders
45 Minutes
TOPIC: COMMON CHARACTERISTICS  OF SEX OFFENDERS
Introduction
The Myth of the “Sex Offender Profile”
Use  Slide #2: Who is the Typical Sex Offender?
Enlarge Slide 2
Common Characteristics of Sex Offenders
Use  Slide #4: Commonly Identified Characteristics
Enlarge Slide 4
Characteristics Associated with Sexual Recidivism
Summary: Interpreting Variability Among Characteristics

Content: Enlarge Slide 2
In reality, however, the research has consistently shown that there is no  such thing as a “sex offender profile.” That’s because  time and time again, despite attempts to identify a finite and specific set  of characteristics that fits for all sex offenders, researchers continue  to find that they are a diverse and heterogeneous population. 1 So,  although the label of “sex offender” might seem to suggest that  individuals who commit these crimes are all alike, that is simply not the  case. In fact, because they are such a heterogeneous group, it is sometimes  difficult to discern how they are uniquely different from other types of  criminals or from those of us in the general public, other than the fact  that they have engaged in sexually abusive behaviors. Do you believe that sex offenders are more similar to other community members  than they are different? Why or why not? Some people have a hard time considering the “similar to us” notion,  because it may be easier—or even preferable—to believe that sex  offenders are completely and totally different from anyone else, especially  from “us.” But let’s remember what the victimization data  told us about who these perpetrators tend to be: people we know, including  our acquaintances and family members. Dr. William Marshall, a leading expert in the field of sex offender management,  highlighted this very issue in a piece entitled, “The Sexual Offender: