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65 Fed. Probation 8 (2000-2001)
Polygraph Testing Leads to Better Understanding Adult and Juvenile Sex Offenders

handle is hein.journals/fedpro65 and id is 156 raw text is: 8 FEDERAL PROBATION Poyrp Tetn edpoBte Unertndn Adul an juvenile~ Se Ofnes Jan Hindman, M.S.1 It's About Childhood: The Hindman Foundation, Baker City, Oregon James M. Peters, J.D.2 Assistant United States Attorney-Boise, Idaho HISTORICALLY, THE MENTAL health and probation communities have gath- ered information about the history of sex of- fenders from self-reports, often via one of several standardized sexual history inventory and data gathering forms.3 A collection of stud- ies summarized in 1995 by forensic psycholo- gist Anna Salter, however, revealed that self-reporting often fails to uncover the true extent of an offender's sexual history. Not sur- prisingly, fear of legal sanctions and family and societal reproach leads most sex offenders ei- ther to deny their crimes altogether or admit to the minimum they think necessary.4 Rec- ognizing this, many treatment programs have begun to use polygraph testing to validate of- fenders' self-reports.5 This article reviews sev- eral previously unpublished research studies conducted by Hindman on the impact of polygraphy on adult and juvenile sex offend- ers' self-reports of offenses and their history of personal victimization. The methodology of each study varied. The methods include: 1. Self-report with no polygraph, and no mention of polygraph. 2. Self-report when the subjects knew they would undergo polygraphy. 3. Comparison of self-report with and with- out polygraphy. 4. Self-report compared with polygraphy in the same subject. We summarize those studies and related research, and make recommendations for polygraph use with sex offenders in clinical settings. The data reported here were gath- ered from hundreds of offenders over a pe- riod of more than two decades.6 From them emerged a phenomenon the authors term the Magical X. In a significantsegment of the data base, critical numbers related to the extent of the offenders' criminal behavior and their personal histories of victimization reverse themselves when subject to the scrutiny of a polygraph examina- tion. In other words, when verified by poly- graph, the numbers of the offenders' prior victims rise significantly, while the percentage of offenders who experienced victimization in their own lives drops significantly. A Brief Retrospective To understand where we are now in this field, knowing where we have been is important. Three decades ago, the sexual exploitation of children was a subject that came to the atten- tion of most people infrequently, if at all. One author of an academic dissertation published in 1975 observed that [vlirtually no litera- ture exists on the sexual abuse of children.7 Fondling and sexually assaulting children were against the law then just as they are now, but these laws were not often enforced. The few cases reported to law enforcement were routinely shuttled quietly off to family court, unless the incident involved serious violence. Many law enforcement agencies viewed such cases as little more than time-consuming so- cial work, and child molesters were more of- ten the targets of jokes than prosecution. During the 1970s and 1980s, a paradigm shift occurred. Spurred on in part by the emerging women's rights and children's pro- tection movements, people who had been sexually abused as children, such as Louise Armstrong, began publishing books about their experiences! Both law enforcement and the media uncovered well-publicized cases of child pornography and sexual exploitation rings that brought those issues onto the public's radar screen.9 In the behavioral research com- munity, Robin Lloyd published a highly re- garded book about prostitution among young boys in the United States,0 while psychiatrist Judith Herman published one of the first sig- nificant books on incest, and psychologist Nicholas Groth wrote a creative and influen- tial study on the behavior of sex offenders.2 In Congress, the House and Senate Judi- ciary Committees began in 1977 to investi- gate the child pornography industry, and ultimately enacted the first of a series of fed- eral laws designed to address child sexual ex- ploitation. 3 Most states followed with similar laws, 4 and supplemented mandatory report- ing statutes that had passed in every state dur- ing the 1960's,5 requiring those who have professional contact with children to report to child protection agencies or law enforce- ment whenever there is reason to believe a child is being abused or neglected.6 The result of increased public awareness together with the new laws was that reports of child sexual abuse and exploitation soared throughout the 1980s.17 Law enforcement agencies and prosecutors who once gave such cases scant attention began to sit up and take notice. Some created special units to respond to such reports, and methods of investigation improved greatly.' At the same time, as more offenders were convicted of sex crimes, there was a corresponding growth in the number of mental health professionals seeking to evaluate and treat them.'9 Volume 65 Number 3

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