NCJ Number
194871
Journal
Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2002 Pages: 103-119
Date Published
2002
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the extent to which stable dynamic factors affect the recidivism rate of men who have been convicted of sexually molesting children.
Abstract
This article assesses risk factors that are most likely to indicate whether a sexual offender will re-offend. The focus is on stable dynamic factors, which are variables in an offender that are changeable, but only with some difficulty. These variables are most often the focus of intervention programs aimed at reducing recidivism rates in sexual offenders. The researchers evaluated 242 male sexual offenders who graduated from the New Zealand Department of Correction’s treatment program, which was run at the Kia Marama unit at Rolleston Prison. Information was gathered concerning the offender’s sexual attitudes and beliefs, their emotional functioning, and their interpersonal competency. The offenders were followed for at least 2 years after their graduation from the program in order to compare those who re-offended versus those who remained offense free after treatment. The authors reported a relatively low re-offense rate of 8 percent among the graduates of the treatment program. The results indicate that a change in pro-offending attitudes is the central component to remaining offense free after treatment. Tables, references