©️ By Sophie Lewis | @sophielewiseditorial

---

He’d never fantasised about children.
He wasn’t a known predator.
He didn’t plan anything in advance.

But the child was there. Alone.
The door was shut.
Nobody was watching.

And in that moment — he made a choice.

This is the Situational Offender.
Not driven by obsession, not organised, not “predator by design.”
But still a predator.
Because when the environment shifted, so did his morality.

---

When Opportunity Is Enough

Situational offenders commit harm not because they seek it out — but because they fail to resist when the situation allows it.
They are the men who:

• Abuse children left in their care for a weekend
• Cross a line in the workplace when no one’s looking
• Assault a drunk woman at a party
• Touch someone vulnerable under the guise of support

They may have never considered themselves a predator.
But the people they harm still leave with trauma, shame, confusion — and a system that too often labels it a “misunderstanding.”

---

“It Was a One-Off” — The Myth That Protects Them

Situational Offenders thrive on plausible deniability.

“I didn’t mean to.”
“It just happened.”
“We were both drunk.”
“I didn’t know it was wrong at the time.”
“I’m not a monster.”

And the world believes them — because they don’t look like a predator.
They’re the ones with no history. The ones who “made a mistake.” The ones people want to excuse because they seem sorry.

But the absence of a pattern doesn’t mean the absence of danger.
Many will do it again — under the right conditions.

---

Environments That Enable

Situational offenders exploit environments where:

• Power is unequal
• Boundaries are blurred
• Oversight is limited
• Victims are isolated
• Stress, alcohol, or crisis creates emotional fog

These predators often emerge in domestic roles, institutions, relationships, and care settings.
Some are boyfriends left alone with children.
Some are officers in cells, carers in homes, teachers during “quiet moments.”

And they convince themselves it was a fluke.
But the reality is simple: when the moment came, they chose self-gratification over human safety.

---

It Doesn’t Feel Like a Predator Story — But It Is

Victims of situational offenders often question themselves more than those abused by serial predators.

“Was it really abuse?”
“Was I too drunk?”
“Maybe I misunderstood what happened.”
“He said it was a mistake.”

Because the attack often happens in intimate, trusted, or casual settings, survivors are left to untangle a mess of conflicting emotions. The predator wasn’t a stranger. He didn’t threaten them. He didn’t fit the monster narrative.

But monsters aren’t always foaming at the mouth.
Sometimes they’re calm, familiar, and just waiting for the right window.

---

Why This Typology Gets Ignored — and Why That’s Deadly

Systems like binary thinking.
Predator or not.
Planned or accidental.
Bad guy or good guy.

Situational offenders don’t fit cleanly.
So they often get let off with slaps on the wrist, “training,” or informal warnings.

But what happens when another situation arises?

If someone has proven they will offend when given the opportunity — then the focus should not be on their intent, but on their willingness to cross the line when it disappears.

---

You Don’t Have to Look Like a Predator to Be One

Situational offenders often look exactly like the men we trust:

• The uncle
• The boyfriend
• The co-worker
• The flatmate
• The volunteer
• The family friend

And that’s the point.

They rely on that trust.
They don’t build entire networks. They wait for the gap.
And when it appears — they take it.

It’s not what he fantasised about.
It’s what he did.

And that’s what matters.

---