Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) Practice Exam

What refers to external barriers that an offender must overcome according to Finkelhor's model?

1. Grooming of society and family

2. Family support systems

3. Psychological constraints

4. Personal beliefs

The correct answer is: Grooming of society and family

Finkelhor's model identifies external barriers that an offender must overcome, which includes societal and familial influences. Grooming of society and family refers to the manipulative tactics used by offenders to desensitize and normalize inappropriate behavior, creating an environment where potential victims may feel hesitant to report abuse or may even come to accept it as normal. This grooming process involves the offender gaining the trust of not just the victim but also the family and community, which ultimately reduces the likelihood of detection and intervention. In this context, other options like family support systems, psychological constraints, and personal beliefs primarily revolve around individual and internal factors rather than the external societal influences emphasized in the correct answer. Family support systems might serve as protective factors against abuse, psychological constraints pertain to an individual's mental barriers to action, and personal beliefs could shape one's understanding of morality but do not encapsulate the external societal mechanisms that an offender manipulates.