Specific Behavioral Triggers

How might the criminal justice system utilize knowledge of specific behavioral triggers?

In my opinion, the criminal justice system might utilize knowledge of specific behavioral triggers by further understanding the mindset of offenders, being more aware of the offenders' circumstances, and recognizing the linkage and cycle of sexual and deviant behavior.

The first way that the criminal justice system may use knowledge of specific behavioral triggers is to understand the mindset of offenders and how they perceive their actions and such. For instance, "many sex offenders blame their sexual offending on situational and transitory factors such as drugs, alcohol, stress, and loneliness" (Terry, 2013, p. 87). It should be noted that the factors listed above, do not solely trigger and contribute to deviant sexual acts on their own. In addition, precipitating precursors are "thoughts, feelings, and events which generally began during the sex offender's childhood which influence the way he/she currently thinks, feels, and behaves..." (Fenner, 2008, p. 137). This

An example of this would be potentiators, also known as negative affective states (ex. depression) (Terry, 2013, p. 87). Triggering factors can be disinhibitors as well (ex. alcohol). Disinhibitors allow offenders to justify their deviant behavior as it being caused by an altered state of mind. In Sexual Offenses and Offenders by Karen Terry, some offenders share their personal story and say that their triggering factors which primarily act as disinhibitors (the most common one being alcohol), are used as an escape from their reality such as depression. This shows how there are many circumstances and aspects involved for sexual offenders to act the way that they do, since it explores numerous factors that influence their behavior and