Suicide among child sex offenders.

Abstract

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Behavioral Analysis (BAU) III-Crimes Against Children reviewed and analyzed and 106 male Child Sex Offenders (CSOs) who committed suicide during the course of a child sex crime investigation. Of the 106 CSOs, 79% were child pornography traders/collectors, 43% were child molesters, 21% were travelers, and 18% were child pornography producers. Analyses also revealed that nearly all were Caucasian and the majority were married, employed, and died via self-inflicted gunshot wound. Of particular interest was that in 26% of the cases, the offender killed himself within 48 hours of his awareness of the investigation, and in nearly half of the known cases, the offender had past/current military service and a criminal history. In addition, 68% left a suicide note, which is substantially higher than the general suicide population. Analysis of the notes revealed common aspects and themes including cognitive distortions, burdensomeness, shame, and self-blame. The most frequently cited reason for the suicide in the note was the child sex crime investigation. Awareness of this potentially high-risk population may better inform the law enforcement, corrections, and mental health communities of the unique risk factors for suicide among CSOs and provide a more effective crisis response. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)