NCJ Number
185813
Journal
Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2000 Pages: 41-44
Date Published
May 2000
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article examines the assessment and treatment of sexual offenders.
Abstract
A comprehensive social response to the problem of sexual offending should include not only treatment of identified offenders but also understanding these offenders; what features to address in treatment; how to address these features; generation of an actuarial basis for estimating risk to reoffend; response to treatment; and evaluation of the effectiveness of any program implemented. Group therapy is usually the chosen approach because of its superior efficiency and because it allows treating far more clients in the same amount of time. The article discusses responsivity (setting, contraindications, program timing and sequencing, and special applications); treatment features (therapist requirements, mode of delivery, and level of treatment); and treatment effectiveness (treatment outcome and recidivism studies). The article concludes that, while available data may not convincingly demonstrate the benefits of treating sexual offenders, at the very least they encourage optimism about the value of treatment. Notes