Risky Sexual Behavior, Paraphilic Interest, and Sexual Offending: The Study of a Community Sample of Young Adults in Hong Kong

Heng Choon (Oliver) Chan () and Wade C. Myers
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Heng Choon (Oliver) Chan: Department of Social Policy, Sociology, and Criminology, School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
Wade C. Myers: Division of Forensic Psychiatry, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02903, USA

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 5, 1-19

Abstract: Limited information is available on the prevalence and nature of sexual offending in Hong Kong. This cross-sectional study seeks to explore the role of risky sexual behavior (RSB) and paraphilic interests in self-reported sexual offending behavior (i.e., nonpenetrative-only, penetrative-only, and nonpenetrative-plus-penetrative sexual assault) in a community sample of young adults in Hong Kong. Using a large sample ( N = 1885) of university students, the lifetime prevalence of self-reported sexual offending was 18% ( n = 342; 23% males ( n = 166), 15% females ( n = 176)). Based on the study subsample of 342 participants who self-reported sexual offending (aged 18–35), the findings indicated that males reported significantly higher levels of general, penetrative-only, nonpenetrative-plus-penetrative sexual assault; and paraphilic interest in voyeurism, frotteurism, biastophilia, scatophilia, and hebephilia than females; while females reported a significantly higher level of transvestic fetishism than males. No significant difference was found in RSB between males and females. Logistic regressions found that the participants who possessed a higher level of RSB, particularly penetrative behaviors, and paraphilic interest in voyeurism and zoophilia were less likely to engage in a nonpenetrative-only sexual offense. Conversely, the participants who possessed higher levels of RSB, especially penetrative behaviors, and paraphilic interest in exhibitionism and zoophilia, were more likely to engage in nonpenetrative-plus-penetrative sexual assault. The implications for practice in areas such as public education and offender rehabilitation are discussed.

Keywords: sexual offending; sexual offense; perpetration; risky sexual behavior; paraphilic interest; Hong Kong (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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