Understanding Sexual Burglary

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Abstract
Purpose of Review This review includes research on sexual burglary to highlight the distinct behaviours of such offenders. Only recently has there been a thorough examination of the decision-making that goes into this hybrid crime, and the potential for these individuals to progress to more serious and violent criminal acts. Recent Findings Work on sexual burglary has found that decisions made during the crime commission reflect rational decision-making and organization, despite previous research suggesting that sexual crimes are mostly impulsive. Furthermore, these rational choices may lead to the development of expertise in sexual burglary, with offenders learning how to avoid detection and engage in forensic awareness strategies. Summary The knowledge that sexual burglars are expert decision-makers has important implications, as these behaviours may lead to more violent and lethal sexual crimes. Identifying these offenders through their decisions and crime characteristics is key to potentially deterring or preventing future offending.

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