Profile of a perpetrator

A TWISTED sense of entitlement.

This trait, say experts, is one of the factors that would drive a person to sexually violate their own family member.

Criminologist and psychologist Dr Geshina Ayu Mat Saat says many reasons are used by perpetrators to justify their actions.

“The causes are linked to distortions in how they think, deviant sexual fantasies and a sense of entitlement.

“Some predators would say that they have obsessive thoughts and uncontrolled desires,” she says.

However, such reasons can never outweigh intentional actions.

Others would also use the excuse of opportunity and convenience, as the target is in the same environment.

And while each individual is different, there are several common characteristics among incest perpetrators.

“They tend to be aggressive, lack empathy towards the victim, selfish, egocentric, have viewed child pornography and sexually objectify victims,” says Dr Geshina, who is from the Universiti Sains Malaysia Health Campus.

Consultant psychiatrist Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj says some perpetrators have a twisted rationalisation that they “own” the victim and therefore, have a right to do whatever they want with the child.

“They could also come from broken families or were sexual abuse victims themselves. Some may be motivated by revenge towards an estranged spouse,” he says.

Dr Mohanraj points out that some have mental health conditions such as paraphilia, a sexual disorder where one is deliberately attracted to established social and cultural taboos or incestuous sexual fetishes.

“Perpetrators could also be influenced by substance abuse, addiction or intoxicated with alcohol which can cause boundaries to be blurred,” he says.

Victims tend to be young, from broken homes, living in dangerous neighbourhoods, and are depend- ent or fearful of the perpetrator.

“They also tend to have low self-esteem, having a helpless personality and ignorant of rights and d what constitutes family love and personal boundaries,” Dr Geshina says.

She says children need to be made aware of boundaries of contact and acts that are criminal in nature.

In many cases, they only realise they have been victims after being taught sex education in school.

While various agencies are responsible for enforcement of laws, Dr Geshina notes it is unfair to solely blame the authorities for incest that occurs under the very noses of families.

“That is the failure of adult fami- ly members to take notice when it first begins. This, of course, cannot t be said if no other responsible adult is around.

“But everyone can help to prevent incest. It’s not only a crime but also a moral and religious sin,” ” she adds.