TY - JOUR
T1 - Examining Sexual Crime Severity in China: A General-specific Model on Sex Offending Against Adults
AU - Zhou, You
AU - Xu, Boyang
AU - Sun, Ivan
AU - Zhang, Yan
AU - Chang, Lennon Y.C.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Sexual violence severity has long been viewed as a critical factor of sex offending.
However, the criminological viewpoints on sexual violence severity have not received
much attention, especially in the Chinese context. By integrating general-criminogenic
(inhibitory mechanisms) and specific sex offending (learning mechanisms and contextual factors) perspectives, the current study links the propositions of social control
(bonds) theory, self-control theory, differential association theory, and the integrated
theory of sex offending, proposing a general-specific model for sexual violence severity.
Survey data was collected from 250 Chinese offenders who committed sexual offenses
against adults. The mediation analysis found that deviant peer association fully mediates
the effects of social control and low self-control on sexual violence severity. The
moderation analysis showed that substance abuse exaggerates the impact of deviant
peer association on sexual violence severity, while sex purchasing mitigates this relationship. This general-specific model may expand our current understanding of sexual
violence severity from both criminological and psychological perspectives.
AB - Sexual violence severity has long been viewed as a critical factor of sex offending.
However, the criminological viewpoints on sexual violence severity have not received
much attention, especially in the Chinese context. By integrating general-criminogenic
(inhibitory mechanisms) and specific sex offending (learning mechanisms and contextual factors) perspectives, the current study links the propositions of social control
(bonds) theory, self-control theory, differential association theory, and the integrated
theory of sex offending, proposing a general-specific model for sexual violence severity.
Survey data was collected from 250 Chinese offenders who committed sexual offenses
against adults. The mediation analysis found that deviant peer association fully mediates
the effects of social control and low self-control on sexual violence severity. The
moderation analysis showed that substance abuse exaggerates the impact of deviant
peer association on sexual violence severity, while sex purchasing mitigates this relationship. This general-specific model may expand our current understanding of sexual
violence severity from both criminological and psychological perspectives.
U2 - 10.1177/10790632221112656
DO - 10.1177/10790632221112656
M3 - Article
SN - 1079-0632
VL - 34
SP - 1
EP - 27
JO - Sexual Abuse: Journal of Research and Treatment
JF - Sexual Abuse: Journal of Research and Treatment
IS - 7
ER -