NCJ Number
208363
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 16 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2001 Pages: 205-221
Editor(s)
Jon R. Conte
Date Published
March 2001
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article presents results of an evaluative study on Challenge Project, a community-based treatment program for sexual offenders in London.
Abstract
In an attempt to examine the treatment attrition of sexual offenders or compliance with treatment, only a handful of previous studies were identified as having addressed this issue and its relationship to compliance with treatment. By taking into account the relationship between treatment attrition and recidivism, this study reported on the Challenge Project, a community-based treatment program for sexual offenders in which all convicted sexual offenders in Southeast London had been assessed for treatment attrition. The first 78 men placed in community treatment for at least 1 year were assessed with several hypotheses tested: (1) treatment attrition is associated with offending history, previous sexual/violence convictions, and the presence of male victims; (2) treatment attrition is associated with indicators of psychological dysfunctions; (3) treatment attrition is associated with voluntary attendance and/or legal status; (4) treatment attrition can predict reoffending; and (5) the exploration of a potential link between treatment attrition and greater pretreatment levels of denial. Overall, compliance was not shown to be related to individual offense-specific variables or to scores on standardized questionnaires measuring offense-related attitudes. The strongest predictors of noncompliance were those variables associated with psychological difficulties or trauma. Two or more childhood difficulties, childhood sexual victimization, and contact with mental health services in adulthood all appeared to be related to noncompliance. References