Addressing the Victim/Perpetrator DialecticTreatment for the Effects of Sexual Victimization on Sex Offenders (From Handbook of Sex Offender Treatment, P 38-1 - 38-45, 2011, Barbara K. Schwartz, ed. - See NCJ-243091)

• NCJ Number: 243129
• Author(s): Laurie Guidry, Psy.D.
• Date Published: 2011
• Length: 8 pages
• Sale Source: Civic Research Institute, Inc
• Publication Format: Book Chapter
• Publication Type: Technical Assistance; Instructional Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This chapter addresses some of the central issues in the treatment of the trauma of early sexual abuse in the lives of sexual offenders.

Abstract

In the sex offender treatment field, there has been debate about the strength and relevance of an offender's early sexual abuse in the treatment regimen, which includes concern about fostering the "abuse excuse" for criminal sexual behavior. This chapter's position is that sex offender-specific treatment (SOST) should include an informed effort to treat this dimension of a sexual offender's clinical presentation. In bolstering this perspective, the chapter offers historical and contemporary support for the victim/perpetrator dialectic (VPD). The central tenets and goals of the VPD treatment module are explained. The VPD model's focus is addressing the gap in the integrated treatment of adult male sex offenders who have also been sexually victimized in childhood. The model can augment and complement contemporary forms of SOST; facilitate recovery from the negative psychological effects of childhood sexual abuse; and promote the reconciliation of the conflicted victim/perpetrator dialectic in decreasing the incidence of sexually abusing behavior. A literature review of the impact of sexual abuse on males contains subtopics on the general effects of childhood sexual abuse and male childhood sexual victimization. Another major section discusses the victim/perpetrator dialectic, with attention to traumatic reenactment, VDP and distortions in sexualization, the development of VPD treatment for sexual perpetrators, and how the VPD treatment model addresses the unique clinical challenges of treating sexual offenders with a history of childhood sexual abuse. In a concluding statement, the chapter recommends clinical research that explores the treatment efficacy of the VPD model. Ongoing typological research that includes the presence of child sexual abuse as a relevant characteristic to consider for subpopulations of sex offenders will also assist in refining VPD treatment. 160 references