Cybersex, Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Sex Robots, Sex Dolls

Open Access: No.

Abstract

This is the first Italian study to examine views on sexbots of adult male sex offenders and non-offenders, and their perceptions of sexbots as sexual partners, and sexbots as a means to prevent sexual violence. In order to explore these aspects 344 adult males were involved in the study. The study carried out two types of comparisons. 100 male sex offenders were compared with 244 male non-offenders. Also, sex offenders were divided into child molesters and rapists. Preliminary findings suggest that sex offenders were less open than non-offenders to sexbots, showed a lower acceptance of them, and were more likely to dismiss the possibility of having an intimate and sexual relationship with a sexbot. Sex offenders were also less likely than non-offenders to believe that the risk of sexual violence against people could be reduced if a sexbot was used in the treatment of sex offenders. No differences were found between child molesters and rapists. Though no definitive conclusion can be drawn about what role sexbots might play in the prevention and treatment of sex offending, this study emphasizes the importance of both exploring how sexbots are both perceived and understood. Sex offenders in this study showed a high dynamic sexual risk and, paradoxically, despite, or because of, their sexual deviance (e.g. deficits in sexual self-regulation), they were more inclined to see sexbots as just machines and were reluctant to imagine them as social agents, i.e. as intimate or sexual arousal partners. How sex offenders differ in their dynamic risk and criminal careers can inform experts about the mechanisms that take place and can challenge their engagement in treatment and intervention.

Relevance

Sex offenders – both child molesters and rapists – are less interested sex robots than non-0ffenders, and less likely to see sex robots as helpful in preventing further abuse of women and children.

“Contrary to expectations, when asked whether they would be interested in having a sexbot, only a few sex offenders [child molesters and rapists] manifested an interest in having a sexbot in  comparison with non-offenders. Sex offenders almost completely dismissed any interest or curiosity in having an intimate and sexual relationship with a sexbot, in comparison with non-offenders who openly expressed their interest in, using their own words, «giving a sexbot a try».”

Additionally, “sex offenders, in comparison with non-offenders, held a sceptical view about reducing the risk of violence by employing sexbots. Sex offenders were less likely than non-offenders to  believe that the risk of sexual violence against people (men, women or children) could be reduced if a sexbot was used as a device in the treatment of sex offenders. When asked whether it would be more acceptable if sexual violence were acted against a sexbot instead of a person, sex offenders were more reluctant to endorse this scenario in comparison with non-offenders, who instead saw this scenario as more socially acceptable given that in such a case «nobody would be hurt».

Citation

Zara, G., Veggi, S., & Farrington, D. P. (2022). Sexbots as synthetic companions: Comparing attitudes of official sex offenders and non-offenders. International Journal of Social Robotics, 14(2), 479–498. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-021-00797-3