NCJ Number
168909
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 25 Issue: 1/2 Dated: 1997 Pages: 163-174
Date Published
1997
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Valliant et al. (1991; 1992a; 1995) found that cognitive-behavioral treatment programs increased self-esteem and decreased hostility and resentment levels in assaultive and sex offenders; the current study examined the effectiveness of this treatment model as a function of offenses among sex offenders and non-sex offenders.
Abstract
A total of 71 male inmates were recruited, and analysis was completed based on three subject classifications: offense rate (recidivist, n=57; non-recidivists, n=14); offense type (sex offender, n=9; general offender, n=62); and treatment (treatment, n=44; control, n=27). A battery of psychometric tests was administered to evaluate personality, self-esteem, locus of control, criminal thinking, and cognition for each offender. The cognitive-behavioral treatment program used a combination of educational, social skills, and belief-restructuring. Multiple regression analysis showed that recidivism was a significant predictor of the change in pre- and post-indirect hostility measures. Recidivists showed an increase in indirect hostility over the 5-week treatment session. Treatment did not seem to reduce this behavior. The data also indicated that inmates with higher defensiveness scores showed an increase in assaultiveness and irritability over the 5-week treatment session. For offense type, general offenders differed significantly from sex offenders on four MMPI scales, including Consistency, Defensiveness, Depression, and Psychopathic Deviate. Overall, general offenders were more elevated on psychopathy and more depressed than sex offenders. Research limitations are noted, and suggestions for future research are offered. 3 tables and 20 references