Dr. James Quinn is the first to admit that his views are politically incorrect. Quinn, professor in NT's department of rehabilitation, social work and addictions, presented a lecture to a crowd of 13 Monday entitled Sex Offenders: Myths Surrounding their Crimes and Treatment Amenability.
"There's a lot of political steam created out of hating sex offenders," Quinn said. "We can all hate the perverts."
But, according to Quinn, the nature of American sex offenders as portrayed by victim's groups and the media is often times far removed from reality. Quinn attempted to dispel some of these myths in the fourth and last presentation of the NT Studies in Sexuality fall lecture series.
"If you want to avoid paranoia look at where the news is coming from," Quinn said. "When you listen to the news, think -- where, who, does this affect me? A lot of people are running on a media impression that is false."
According to Quinn's data, media crime coverage has increased more than 10 fold from 1990 to 2000 while actual crime statistics have dropped over the past decade. Aside from general sensationalism, Quinn pointed out several instances of the media's misinterpretation of scientific studies on sex offenders. He thinks those reporting blunders have created a widespread misunderstanding of sex offenders and the dangers they pose to society.
The Center for Sex Offender Management is an offshoot of the U.S. Department of Justice and collects data on sex offenders nationwide. The center's data shows that, on average, 12 percent of child molesters sexually abuse another minor after they are initially convicted. Only 18 percent of rapists are re-offenders after their first conviction.
The center data also reveals that sex offenders recommit their crimes less often than all other types of criminals. Anywhere from four to 13 percent of all types of sex offenders re-offend compared with 20 to 25 percent of re-offenders for other crimes. "Is this even close to what the media is talking about?" Quinn said.
Quinn sited victim surveys as a major source of confusion regarding sex offenders and their propensity to re-offend as well. These surveys, which can be given out by victim advocacy groups or other private entities, often contain definitional problems that can lead to a misinterpretation of facts.
Quinn was involved in one victim survey at the University of North Dakota where he saw the confusion first hand.
"We asked all the college women if they had ever been raped," Quinn said. "48 percent said 'I don't know.' Where does rape begin? That's a definitional problem. These surveys are fueling the victim's movement in a lot of ways. You've got some inflated numbers out there that are very politically powerful."
The ability for sex offenders to be rehabilitated is often perceived as non-existent in many circles, but Quinn thinks this could not be further from the truth. Cognitive-behavioral therapy seems to be the best choice for rehabilitating these criminals. This type of therapy focuses on ways the patient can reduce the stress that triggers their deviant fantasies.
Quinn said traditional psychoanalysis, or the Freudian way of doing things, actually makes sex offender patients worse. His data showed that, after a five to 25 year follow-up, 18 percent of treated child molesters re-offended compared with a 43 percent re-offense rate among untreated molesters.
"Treatment does work most of the time," Quinn said.
Dr. Marilyn Morris, faculty adviser for NT's Studies in Sexuality program and department of history professor, absorbed Quinn's lecture from the front row. "I think the most important thing is seeing all the different perspectives you can study sexuality with," Morris said. "It's amazing how connected this field is."
The NT Studies in Sexuality program started two years ago and is the only one of its kind in Texas. The program will sponsor more lectures next spring.