Understanding the Mechanisms that Promote Desistance from Sexual Offending: A Systematic Review

Although the majority of individuals convicted of sexual offenses appear to desist from further sexual offending, theoretical and empirical efforts have traditionally concentrated on the mechanisms underpinning desistance from general criminal behavior. In recent years, however, scholarly attention has increasingly turned toward understanding the specific processes associated with desistance from sexual offending. Emerging evidence suggests that while general desistance theories offer partial explanatory value, they do not fully capture the processes unique to sexual offending desistance. To date, no systematic review has synthesized, using inductive methods, the existing literature to identify the mechanisms that facilitate desistance from sexual offending. Addressing this gap is both timely and essential. The present study undertook a systematic review aimed at identifying the mechanisms that promote desistance among adult men convicted of sexual offenses. A qualitative analysis of 29 empirical studies was conducted using thematic synthesis, resulting in the identification of eight distinct mechanisms. These mechanisms were categorized into two overarching groups: active and passive/avoidant. The groups seemed to differentiate between those who cease sexual offending and live a prosocial, adaptive life, and those who cease sexual offending but experience less prosocial change. The identified mechanisms demonstrate what may be necessary to overcome the barriers faced by people attempting to reintegrate into the community following a conviction for a sexual offense. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review to empirically derive and propose potential mechanisms explaining how and why individuals desist from sexual offending.