ASSESSMENT AND TRAINING OF ASSERTIVE SKILLS WITH SEXUAL OFFENDERS

• NCJ Number: 50118
• Journal: Corrective and Social Psychiatry and Journal of Behavior Technology Methods and Therapy Volume: 24 Issue: 2 Dated: (1978) Pages: 88-92
• Author(s): A KELTNER; N SCHARF; R SCHELL
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 5 pages
• Corporate Author: Martin Psychiatric Research Foundation, Inc
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

UNDER THE THEORY THAT AN INABILITY TO APPROACH LEGAL AND ELIGIBLE SEXUAL TARGETS UNDERLIES THE RAPIST'S DEVIANT BEHAVIOR, THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO TEACH APPROPRIATE SOCIAL APPROACH BEHAVIOR TO SEXUAL OFFENDERS.

Abstract

THE CLINICAL SAMPLE FOR THIS EXPERIMENT CONSISTED OF 12 FEDERAL INMATES, MEAN AGE 30 YEARS, WHO HAD BEEN CONVICTED OF SEVERAL RAPE OFFENSES AND WHO WERE SERVING A MINIMUM SENTENCE OF 2 YEARS AT A MAXIMUM SECURITY PSYCHIATRIC FACILITY. CONTROLS WERE 10 MALE STAFF MEMBERS, MATCHED FOR AGE, WHO HAD NO CONVICTION RECORD AND WHO HAD BEEN EMPLOYED IN THE INSTITUTION FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS. VERBAL AND BEHAVIORAL TESTS WERE ADMINISTERED TO ALL SUBJECTS BEFORE AND AFTER THE EXPERIMENT AND VIDEOTAPES OF THE ROLE-PLAYING SITUATIONS WERE MADE AND BLIND-SCORED BY INDEPENDENT OBSERVERS. THE PRETESTS SHOWED THAT THE SEXUAL OFFENDERS WERE UNIFORMLY SHY AND WITHDRAWN AROUND ATTRACTIVE YOUNG LADIES AND GENERALLY WERE UNABLE TO APPROACH THEM IN AN ACCEPTABLE MANNER IN A SOCIAL SITUATION. THEIR BEHAVIOR WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THE CONTROLS. THE ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING FOCUSED ON BEHAVIOR IN GROUP SITUATIONS AND WHEN ALONE. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT FOLLOWED. IN SEVERAL CASES IT WAS FOUND THE INMATES HAD NEVER KNOWN WHAT WAS ACCEPTABLE SOCIAL BEHAVIOR. IT IS NOT KNOWN WHETHER THIS CHANGE WILL TRANSFER TO SITUATIONS OUTSIDE THE PENITENTIARY. HOWEVER, THE FACT THAT MOST OF THE OFFENDERS HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE INTERCOURSE, HAD NEVER BEEN TAUGHT BASIC SOCIAL SKILLS, AND HAD EXPERIENCED SEXUAL SATISFACTION PRIMARILY BY RAPE BEHAVIOR, MOSTLY UNDER INTOXICATED CONDITIONS, SUGGESTS THAT EARLY INTERVENTION MAY CHANGE THE PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS WHICH LEAD TO RAPE BEHAVIOR. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT FURTHER RESEARCH BE DONE AND THAT THE LINK BETWEEN ALCOHOL AND RAPE BE EXAMINED MORE FULLY. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. (GLR)