'Falling Through the Cracks': A Retrospective Exploration of the Barriers to Help-Seeking Among Men Convicted of Sexual Crimes

Autor: Helen Swaby, Rebecca Lievesley
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Sexual Abuse. :107906322211465
ISSN: 1573-286X
1079-0632
DOI: 10.1177/10790632221146501
Popis: The prevalence and impact of sexual abuse is of global concern, and the alarming rates of victimization have inspired a focus on its prevention. Whilst research has begun to explore the experiences of non-offending individuals to inform prevention initiatives, there is limited exploration of those who have struggled with their sexual interests and go on to commit sexual crime. Arguably these individuals hold key information about gaps in service provision, which may inform approaches to crime prevention. This study aimed to provide a phenomenological exploration of the pre-offense experiences of convicted individuals’ beliefs about help-seeking, their desires for support, and any barriers that might have prevented them from coming forward for help. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 individuals convicted of sexual offenses ( n = 13 against children; n = 1 sexually motivated violence), and interpretative phenomenological analysis elicited three superordinate themes: Desperation, Barriers to Help-seeking and A Way Forward. The findings shed light on the distressing experience of living with sexual interests that are so openly rejected by society and the many ways participants attempted to cope with this, including multiple failed attempts to seek help. Implications and limitations are discussed.
Databáze: OpenAIRE