No, there is no profile of a “typical” sex offender. Sex offenders can be male or female, adult or juvenile, young or old. They also vary in terms of their level of education, marital status, and family ties. They may offend against adults or children, males or females, or both. They may have a long criminal history or none at all. Their crimes can range from non-contact offenses (e.g., exhibitionism or “flashing”) to contact offenses (e.g., fondling, rape). The reasons why they commit these offenses, the kind of help they need to try to stop offending, and the risks they pose are different in every case.

Yes. While the majority of sex offenses are committed by males, females account for approximately 10% of sex crimes reported to police, but, in studies in which individuals have been asked confidentially about whether they have ever been sexually victimized, the rates of sex crimes committed by females is often reported to be higher than these arrest rates. Some believe that sex crimes committed by females are less likely to be reported for a number of reasons, including fear that no one will believe a female could commit a sex crime.

Not necessarily – some people who commit sex offenses have been victims of sexual abuse themselves, but many have not. Being sexually abused does not cause people to become sex offenders. In fact, most people who have been sexually abused do not go on to sexually abuse others.

No. Current research varies, but the overall data tells us that between 12% and 24% (or between one and three of every ten offenders) are known to have reoffended; however, these rates are commonly believed to be underestimated, since we know sex crimes often go unreported. It is important to understand that sex offenders pose varying levels of risk to reoffend; in other words, while some offenders are unlikely to offend again, others are significantly more likely to do so.

It depends. The likelihood of a sex offender committing additional sex crimes in the future varies from person to person. Research tells us it is not typically a single issue that makes someone more likely to reoffend, but a combination of factors that might include problems in relationships, difficulty dealing with emotions such as anger, having antisocial values, hostile attitudes toward women, or being sexually attracted to behaviors that involve children. These are just a few examples; however, because sex offenders vary in many ways, and so does their risk to commit new sex crimes or other crimes.

No. Sex offending isn’t like an “illness” that will simply go away with a certain type of medication or treatment. This doesn’t mean that sex offenders cannot control their behavior. Specialized treatment can help sex offenders to develop important skills that can help them manage their behavior over time, which can reduce their chances of sexually abusing in the future. But whether someone will be successful depends on the person, and whether or not they are motivated to change their behaviors.

No. The courts can impose a variety of sentences for sex offending behavior, depending upon the offender, the facts of the case, and an individual state’s laws. While some offenders are sentenced to prison or jail, others are sentenced directly to community supervision (e.g., probation). For those sentenced to prison or jail, some are released (with parole or probation supervision), while others are released from prison or jail with no supervision at all. The bottom line is that the overwhelming majority of sex offenders will ultimately return to our communities. While many are sentenced to prison each year, between 10,000 and 20,000 sex offenders are released to the community annually.

Yes. If a sex offender is allowed to stay in the community under supervision – or is released from prison and returns to the community under supervision, restrictions and rules are always set. Some of the rules or expectations might include:

  -  No contact with victims

  -  No or limited contact with minors

  -  Attend sex offender-specific treatment

  -  Limited or no Internet access

  -  No use of alcohol or drugs

  -  Restrictions on where they can live and work

  -  Restricted movement within the community and within and across state lines

  -  Report to probation/parole officer as required

It depends. Sex offenders who are under probation or parole supervision must have their home approved in order to make sure that it is appropriate (for example, not near or with children). Those offenders who are not under a court order or correctional supervision, however, and who are in the community without supervision have no such restrictions (unless they live in a jurisdiction that has residency restrictions).

Residency restrictions identify certain locations as “child congregation areas” (e.g., schools and childcare facilities, parks, playgrounds, churches, gyms, swimming pools, libraries, school bus stops). A distance around those areas forms a “zone” that is legally off-limits to sex offenders. These are often referred to as “child safety zones.” Sex offenders who live in places with these restrictions typically cannot live within 500 to 2,000 feet of places where children congregate. Some communities do not allow sex offenders to travel through their zones on foot, by bus, or car.

Sex offenders (particularly those who have victimized children) who are on parole or probation, or who are subject to other court mandates, may have restrictions that limit their contact with and/or ability to reside with children. Sex offenders who have served their time and completed their community supervision have no restrictions on with whom they can live.

Questions about whether an offender may be "safe" are best answered by someone with expertise in sex offender issues (such as the offender’s treatment provider or a qualified evaluator). It is important to remember that no one, even an “expert,” can guarantee that an offender will not reoffend, no matter who he or she has offended against in the past. Decisions about safety (especially when contact with children is involved) are best left for a qualified team of professionals.

In every state, law enforcement agencies must maintain certain convicted sex offenders (e.g., offenders’ names, addresses, photographs, and crime of conviction). In order to maintain accurate lists, or registries, sex offenders are required to report routinely to their local police agency. How long an offender remains on the registry varies by state (e.g., certain offenders may be required to register for ten years, others may be required to register for life). How often the offender must update his/her information with law enforcement agencies also varies.

No. State laws vary in terms of which offenders are required to register and for how long. For some sex offenders, they may be required to register for life, but for others, registration may be limited to a specific number of years (e.g., 10 or 15 years). Some states also offer “relief” from registration, which means that when certain requirements are met, offenders are able to ask the court to allow them to stop registering as a sex offender.

The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender website is a search tool that allows citizens to submit a single query to obtain information on sex offenders by searching for the offenders by name, zip code, county, city/town, and/or state.

Visit the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National/State Sex Offender Registry . Clicking on an individual state’s link will take you directly to that state’s registry. The information contained in the national registry and the state registries is identical; the national registry simply enables a search across multiple states.

If you have concerns about a registered sex offender in your community, please do not attempt to take matters into your own hands. Contact your local law enforcement (police) agency. It is important to remember that sex crime laws vary by state and specific questions about what an offender can or cannot legally do must be answered by a qualified law enforcement officer in your state or city.

States can either provide information passively (such as posting information on the state registry Web site), or actively (where steps are taken to distribute certain sex offenders – such as advertising information in local newspapers, or door-to-door notification by law enforcement). For high risk sex offenders, police may notify the community widely or even conduct a community notification meeting. For a lower risk sex offender, information may be restricted only to those individuals or organizations that may be especially vulnerable (e.g., schools or daycares).

Yes. Juveniles under the age of 18 make up just under 20% of those arrested for sex offenses ix. Each year, there are approximately 2,200 arrests of juveniles for forcible rape and an estimated 9,200 arrests of juveniles for other types of sex offenses x. More than 90% of the juveniles who are arrested are male.

Not necessarily. In general, juvenile sex offenders appear to have lower recidivism rates and perform better in treatment than adult sex offenders xii. Reoffending rates for youth over several years are approximately ten percent.

It is estimated that one in seven youth (between the ages of 10 and 17) will receive an unwanted sexual solicitation over the Internet. 4% of youths have experienced an “aggressive” solicitation, where someone attempted to contact the child offline. Experts agree that the best way to protect children from online solicitations and exposure to pornography is to supervise their online activity, or at a minimum to ensure that parental controls, such as “filtering” or “blocking” software, is installed on any computer used by children.

The Safer Society Foundation provides free treatment referrals for juvenile and adult sex offenders. Referrals are made Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. You can download a referral form from their Web site or call (802) 247-3132 during the hours listed above for a referral.

Many states offer services to help employers hire, retain, and train workers. Visithttp://www.careeronestop.org/ for more information on One-Stop Career Centers, which can help offenders to look for work. Finding employment is a challenge for all offenders, but it can be very difficult for sex offenders in particular. Being employed is important for sex offenders because not having a job is associated with reoffending.

Sexual violence means that someone forces or manipulates someone else into unwanted sexual activity without their consent. Reasons someone might not consent include fear, age, illness, disability, and/or influence of alcohol or other drugs. Anyone can experience sexual violence including: children, teens, adults, and elders. Those who sexually abuse can be acquaintances, family members, trusted individuals or strangers.

If you need help or support call the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1.800.656.HOPE) to be directed to the nearest sexual assault program. Your call is anonymous and confidential. You may also contact a counselor using an online hotline at http://www.rainn.org/get-help/national-sexual-assault-online-hotline. The online hotline provides live, secure, anonymous crisis support for victims of sexual assault, their friends, and families. Both resources are free of charge and are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. If you would like to search for a specific crisis center in your area, visithttp://centers.rainn.org.

If you suspect that a child you know is being sexually abused, contact your local child protective services agency or law enforcement agency. For what to do if a child reports to you that they have been sexually abused, visit http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/responding_to_child_sexual_abuse.

Child pornography or suspected acts of child sexual exploitation should be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Information submitted through this site will automatically be forwarded to law enforcement.

Statutes of limitations on prosecuting sex crimes vary by type of crime and state. For more the laws in your state, visit http://www.rainn.org/public-policy/sexual-assault-issues/state-statutes-of-limitations.

Here are some things that you and your family can do to prevent the sexual abuse of a child:

  -  Set and respect family boundaries

  -  Speak up when you see behaviors that violate a child's personal boundaries or make children vulnerable

  -  Watch for signs of sexually inappropriate behavior in adults, between adults and children, and in children

  -  Demonstrate to your children that it is okay to say "no" when someone you know and care about does something you do not like

  -  Practice talking about difficult topics such as sexual abuse with other adults before talking to your kids

  -  Be sure that you are comfortable saying the proper names of body parts before you teach them to your children

  -  Teach children the difference between okay touch and touch that is not okay

  -  Teach children that secrets about touching are not okay

  -  Set up a family safety plan that is easy to remember

  -  Know who to call for advice, information, and help in the event of a concern for your children

  -  Report anything you know or suspect is sexual abuse to your local law enforcement agency

The following behaviors could be cause for concern:

  -  Making others uncomfortable by ignoring social, emotional, or physical boundaries or limits

  -  Refusing to let a child set any of his or her own limits. Using teasing or belittling language to keep a child from setting a limit

  -  Insisting on hugging, touching, kissing, tickling, wrestling with, or holding a child even when the child does not want it

  -  Turning to a child for emotional or physical comfort

  -  Sharing personal information or activities that are normally shared with adults

  -  Frequently pointing out sexual images or telling inappropriate or suggestive jokes with children present

  -  Exposing a child to adult sexual interactions without apparent concern

  -  Having secret interactions with teens or children (e.g., games, sharing drugs, alcohol, or sexual material)

  -  Spending excessive time emailing, text messaging, or calling children or youth

  -  Being overly interested in the sexuality of a particular child or teen (e.g., talks repeatedly about the child's developing body)

  -  Insisting on or managing to spend unusual amounts of uninterrupted time alone with a child

  -  Seeming “too good to be true” i.e. frequently babysits different children for free, takes children on special outings alone, etc.

  -  Frequently walking in on children/teens in the bathroom

Allowing children or teens to consistently get away with inappropriate behaviors

If you observe these behaviors in someone you know, talk to that person. For more information and guidance about starting a conversation with someone, please call the STOP IT NOW! A confidential, national, toll-free Helpline (1.888.PREVENT), Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Community members can take the following steps to educate themselves and their families about sexual assault:

  -  Learn about what rape crisis services exist in your community. Many volunteer opportunities are available 

  -  Talk openly about the sexual assault of adults and children, men, women, boys, and girls

  -  Assume preventing sexual assault is ours and not someone else's responsibility

  -  Talk to your children about personal safety issues as they relate to child sexual abuse.

  -  Do this when you talk to your children about bike safety or crossing the street. It is, in many ways, just another personal safety rule about which children need to be aware. 

  -  Increase your knowledge about risk reduction measures you can take to protect yourself 

  -  Invite your local law enforcement, probation/parole department, rape crisis center, child abuse prevention organization, and/or missing and exploited children’s organizations to a neighborhood discussion group to learn about the issue and to process people's emotions.   

  -  Get to know your neighbors. Organize neighborhood block watches, if desired by your neighbors. Get involved in primary prevention, or educational efforts that seek to stop the behaviors and attitudes that allow sexual assault to occur.

For more information, see: CDC NSVRC Find out what the statistics on child sexual abuse, adult sexual assault, offender arrest, and incarceration are in your community. Do not wait until you are informed that a sex offender is living nearby to begin educating yourself and your family on issues of sexual assault. Be aware of the media's ability to sensationalize the most horrific of stories concerning the sexual assault of children or adults. These stories, while real and very frightening, are not the norm. Discussing these sensationalized cases can be used as teachable moments to talk to children and calm their fears. Learn about what rape crisis services exist in your community. Many volunteer opportunities are available.

If you have questions about a specific case, contact your local criminal court to determine whether the records about that case can be made available to the public. In some states, this information is provided to the public, but the type of information made available varies from place to place.

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