PHYSICAL DEFECTS AND CHARACTERISTICS
In criminological studies there has been a fair amount of discussion of the significance of specific physical characteristics and their relevance to criminal behavior. While little of this literature is explicitly directed toward the sex offender, there has been this long-term tradition, which is in much disrepute among behaviorally oriented criminologists, and which demands some attention. While the earlier theories of physical anomalies as they related to criminal behavior were causal in character, i.e., the anomaly caused the crime, our view is that individual characteristics may cause difficulties in social relationships which then consequently result in a greater tendency toward deviant behavior. In addition, the individual’s attitudes toward his own physical make-up are probably more significant than the make-up itself. The success stories of many persons burdened with massive defects are too common to be ignored. We shall see that the sometimes vague and often confusing data concerning the physical attributes of our comparative groups emphasize the fact that in human behavior the structure is usually subordinate to the psychology. Within the very broad boundaries set by physical limitations man may behave in a wide diversity of ways.
Height
The height distributions show little of interest. The range of median height is from 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 10 inches. The prison and control groups are centrally located in this range. Curiously enough the one group in which tallness would be an advantage in the modus operandi of the offense is the tallest of our groups: the average peeper stood 5 feet 10 inches.
Weight
The range of median weight is from 154.1 to 171.1 pounds. Since the great majority of the sex offenders and the prison group were incarcerated at the time they reported, their weights may have been increased to some degree by a combination of starchy institutional diet and little exercise. The control and prison groups are in the middle of the weight range, the average individual weighing 156-157 pounds. The three incest groups are the heaviest, the average incest offender vs. adults tipping the scales at 170, the incest offender vs. children at 166, and the incest offender vs. minors at 164. For the first and last mentioned, the weight may be a by-product of age (they are the two oldest groups). No other significant trends were noted.
Health and physical defects
About 88 per cent of the control group and 85 per cent of the prison group reported being in good health and having no gross physical defect. Eight other groups were similarly fortunate, bringing to a total of ten the number of groups in which 80 to 89 per cent (the maximum recorded) of their members were healthy and physically quite functional. The remaining six groups with poorer health include all of the homosexual offenders, of whom only 73 to 78 per cent were classed as healthy. One will recall the homosexuals were also less healthy than other groups in childhood. The least healthy group is our oldest group, the incest offenders vs. adults, of whom only 64 per cent were healthy. Otherwise there seems no relationship between health and average age.
Penis length
Every male was asked to estimate the length of his penis, when it was fully erect, on the ventral (upper) surface from the abdomen to the tip of the glans. Unfortunately, we have no data on whether the subject thought his penis to be small, average, or large.
The average (median) individuals of a dozen groups estimated their penis lengths as from 6.3 to 6.5 inches. Of the remaining four comparative groups, the median estimated penis lengths of three (including the control group) were below this general norm, being from 6.1 to 6.2. Only one group estimated an above-average length penis: the aggressors vs. minors claimed 6.75 inches. Contrary to expectation, the estimated penis length of the exhibitionists was not unusual.
Testicular injury
A question concerning testicular swelling was asked from the earliest days of our interviewing since we had some interest in fertility. While originally designed to cover possible testicular sequelae of mumps, venereal disease, and physical trauma, the question also elicited responses concerning testicular pathologies, injuries, and surgery regardless of whether swelling resulted. These responses were recorded. Taking all instances of injury, surgery, and pathology, one finds the incidence figures surprisingly large among many groups. The range is from 11 per cent (the peepers) to 44 per cent (the aggressors vs. children) with the control group having the third smallest percentage (15 per cent). In 11 groups over 20 per cent reported some injury or disease of the testes. Age seems a factor only with our two oldest groups, the incest offenders vs. adults and minors, who had the second and third largest proportions (about one third) of men with histories of testicular trouble. No other trends were noted, and about all that one can say is that the cultural milieu of the prison group and of most sex offenders seems to favor injuries and pathologies of the testes.
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Tagged as: Erectile Dysfunction, Men’s Health
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