A study on the views of psychology masters students regarding sexual crimes, criminal sanctions, and educational interventions

The aim of this study is to determine the views of psychology graduate students on sexual crimes, crime sanctions and education. In the study, since the views of psychology graduate students on sexual crimes, crime sanctions and education were examined, a holistic single case study design was used. While determining the study group, convenience sampling method was used. The participants of the study consisted of 36 psychology graduate students studying at a foundation university on the Anatolian side of Istanbul. In order to determine the participants' thoughts on crime, a data collection form consisting of open-ended questions was developed and applied by one of the researchers by taking expert opinions. Content analysis was used to analyze the data collected in the study. As a result, the participants were of the opinion that both the childhood experiences and the innate genetic characteristics of the perpetrators play a role in committing offenses; that the pre-offense period is more significant than the offense and post-offense periods; that sexual education should be initiated during the phallic stage according to psychosexual development theory; and that individuals other than the perpetrator should receive the most comprehensive education. Key words: Psychology, child, crime, education.