Capella University Faculty Member Authors Book on Stopping Sexual Predators

Business Wire, Nov 11, 2005

MINNEAPOLIS -- Duane Dobbert, adjunct faculty member in the School of Human Services at Capella, explores ways to prevent sexual violence in "Halting the Sexual Predators Among Us: Preventing Attack, Rape, and Lust Homicide"

According to a National Crime Victimization survey, more than 223,000 rapes/sexual assaults occurred in 2003. In his book "Halting the Sexual Predators Among Us: Preventing Attack, Rape, and Lust Homicide," Capella University adjunct faculty member Duane Dobbert explores the psychology behind such crimes and offers practical suggestions to prevent future attacks.

Dobbert brings in-depth expertise to understanding sexual predators based on 35 years of professional experience in the criminal justice system. Having conducted thousands of interviews with perpetrators of sexual violence, he skillfully identifies the predictive behaviors exhibited by people capable of carrying out such acts. Readers are able to see the world through the eyes of sexual predators, to understand their motives and intentions. Dobbert defines common sexual disorders, how they are manifested, and examines case histories that include the activities of Kenneth Bianci, the Hillside Strangler, and Jeffrey Dahmer. Psychologists, law enforcement, and the general public can use the information Dobbert provides to help eliminate opportunities for sexual predators to prey on potential victims.

"People who perform exhibitionism and voyeurism may be sexual predators whose behaviors often escalate until they commit an act of sexual violence. For example, a pedophile watches and patterns the behavior of his victim. He observes which school bus the child rides, which bus stop the child exits, and covertly follows him or her home. He knows the Little League practice schedule and will photograph or video his target," Dobbert explains. "If you know the signs to look for, you can identify people with certain behaviors anywhere. We can stop them."

"Halting the Sexual Predators Among Us" has been endorsed by Florida State Senator Burt Saunders, the American Correctional Association, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. In addition, The British Journal of Criminology said the following about "Halting the Sexual Predators Among Us": "This book has much to recommend it. The forensic subject matter undoubtedly means that it will be a useful reference text for criminal justice professionals, educators, and teachers, as well as students of criminal justice, forensic psychology and psychopathology. In addition, the fact that this potentially difficult topic has been handled in such an accessible format means that it will appeal beyond the usual specialists to those interested in the topic of sexual crime more generally and in what can be done to detect and prevent it."

As an adjunct faculty member at Capella University, Dobbert has authored several PhD courses and has chaired 19 comprehensive and dissertation committees. He earned his PhD from Capella in 2000. For the busy public safety professional, Dobbert offer insights about the benefits of his educational experience.

"Many criminal justice professionals are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and traditional graduate coursework can make earning a degree nearly impossible. I never could have earned my PhD without Capella," Dobbert says. "Capella, in comparison with many other distance and traditional graduate programs, knows how to blend practice and theory. I am proud of my PhD because it has relevance to the discipline."

Dobbert is a member of the Southwest Florida Child Abduction Response Team (CART) and has participated in the development of the Northeast Indiana Regional CART. In addition, he continues to provide consultation on sex crime cases, most recently in Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Idaho, Colorado, Texas, and Toyko, Japan.

About Capella University

Founded in 1993, Capella University is an accredited(a) online university that offers graduate degree programs in business, information technology, education, human services and psychology, as well as a Bachelor of Science online degree program with 10 specializations in business and information technology. The online university currently serves more than 13,000 enrolled learners from all 50 states and 55 countries. Capella University is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Education Company, headquartered in Minneapolis. For more information, visit http://www.capella.edu or call 1-888-CAPELLA (227-3552).

(a) Capella University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, located at 30 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602-2504, (312) 263-0456, www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org.