M Jenny Edwards
August, 2022
Recidivism is the tendency of a criminal to reoffend. A number of factors influence recidivism, but an offender's criminal history, age, and social network are what most conconsistently predict whether or not a person will reoffend.
Among animal sex abusers, other important factors are length of offending, relationship to the animal victim, and the offender's motivation. For example, offenders most like to reoffend are those who have their first sexual experience with an animal by the age of 13, who admit to having sex with multiple animals over time, and who express a sexual interest in animals. Offenders least likely to commit second or subsequent acts are those who act out of curiosity (e.g. after getting drunk at a party), or who have a neurological condition (e.g. brain anomoly or treatment for Parkinson's Disease).
Other factors that should be considered when evaluating the risk to offend include the level of violence, compulsion, or force used; and sexual offenses against children.
Case examples include: