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Sexual Assault Perpetrators Are a Very Heterogeneous Group

• Sexual assault perpetrators are diverse in their motivations, types, and offending patterns.
• Most research focuses on male perpetrators who assault female victims. Very little is still known about female sexual assault perpetrators, men who assault other men, and perpetrators who participate in group sexual assault.

Sexual Assault Perpetration Is Likely Influenced by Different Combinations of Factors

• Research has identified many different factors that are correlated with sexual assault perpetration, including developmental factors and family history; individual-level characteristics such as attitudes/cognitions; and environmental factors such as peer influences and alcohol consumption.
• No single identifier alone, however, has been found to be highly predictive of sexual assault perpetration.
• The complexity of factors influencing sexual assault perpetration and the multiple pathways that may lead an individual to commit a sexual assault make it difficult to predict whether an individual is likely to commit sexual assault.

Sexual Assault Perpetrators Make a Series of Decisions That Lead to Opportunities to Commit Assault

• Some research examining behavioral patterns in sexual assault perpetration describe a cycle of sexual offending whereby prior to an attack, perpetrators make a series of decisions that leads to an opportunity to commit sexual assault. Therefore, there may be decision points along the pathway to sexual assault.
• Perpetrators' behavior may differ based upon the type of assault, for example, whether the assault is committed by a stranger or an acquaintance or whether alcohol is consumed prior to the assault.