Preventing Sexual Violence against Women and Children: a Comprehensive Research Perspective

Sexual violence against women is one of the most urgent challenges of gender research worldwide. The Department of Criminology at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law (formerly: Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law) has carried out a number of different research projects to explore victimisation and sexual delinquency, and how to deal with sex offenders. This article provides an overview of these research projects. In doing so, a particular focus is placed on a project that is currently nearing completion. This project evaluates the treatment of convicted sex offenders, identifies risk factors for reoffending, and analyses the lives of sex offenders after prison release.