NCJ Number
181334
Journal
Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 11 Issue: 2 Dated: May 1999 Pages: 30-33
Date Published
1999
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes the Prince Edward Island (Canada) Sexual Deviance Assessment and Treatment Program, begun in 1995, which has a mandate to provide skilled assessment and specialized treatment to anyone, regardless of age or gender, who has sexually deviant fantasies, urges, or behaviors.
Abstract
Patterns of deviant sexual behavior are being detected at increasingly early ages. Although sexual behavior in even very young children is considered normal, problem behavior that is persistent, intrusive, or aggressive may be an indication that a child has learned to use sexual behavior to meet important emotional or psychological needs. Although such behavior may begin as "abuse reactive," children who are not able to have their needs met in other ways may form deviant patterns that can persist into adolescence and adulthood. Most treatment programs have a narrow mandate to provide treatment to adults, adolescents, or children, and do not include initiatives aimed at primary prevention. The comprehensive approach that is being developed in Prince Edward Island combines relatively scarce expertise on sexual deviance with available skills and knowledge in the treatment of adults, adolescents, and children by forming a partnership between corrections and other human service agencies. Prince Edward Island is attempting to maximize the impact of its treatment efforts by developing primary, secondary, and tertiary intervention programs. By focusing on the underlying problem rather than on the criminality of the behavior, these programs remove the boundaries that isolate treatment professionals who work in different settings. 4 footnotes