NCJ Number
45155
Date Published
1978
Length
18 pages
Annotation
GUIDELINES FOR PREDICTING REPETITION AND DANGEROUSNESS IN CHILD MOLESTORS ARE OFFERED, AND ISSUES IN EVALUATING AND TREATING SUCH OFFENDERS ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED IN DETERMINING THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE CHILD OFFENDER WILL REPEAT HIS OFFENSE AND IN EVALUATING THE EXTENT OF THE DANGER HE POSES TO HIS VICTIM CONCERN SUCH MATTERS AS WHETHER THE OFFENSE RESULTED MORE FROM EXTERNAL, SITUATIONAL FACTORS OR FROM INNER, PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS; THE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THE SEXUAL OFFENSE IS MOST LIKELY TO HAPPEN AND THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES WILL BE REPEATED; AND SUCH PERSONALITY FACTORS AS IMPULSE CONTROL, TOLERANCE FOR FRUSTRATION, EMOTIONAL STABILITY, CONTACT WITH REALITY, INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS, SELF-AWARENESS AND SELF-IMAGE, AND ADAPTIVE STRENGTHS. THE TYPES OF EVALUATION DATA THAT ARE NEEDED IN THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE CHILD MOLESTORE ARE IDENTIFIED. THE MAJOR AREAS OF INQUIRY COVERED BY THE FORENSIC MENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT OF HARRINGTON MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, SOUTHBRIDGE, MASS., IN EVALUATING CHILD OFFENDERS REFERRED BY POLICE ARE DESCRIBED. PROBLEMS IN TREATING CHILD OFFENDERS ARE DISCUSSED AS THEY RELATE TO PLACEMENT, TREATMENT MODALITY, AND TREATMENT GOALS. EFFECTIVE THERAPEUTIC MANAGEMENT OF CHILD OFFENDERS IS SAID TO REQUIRE THE FOLLOWING: (1) THE OFFENDER NEEDS TO ACKNOWLEDGE HIS OFFENSE WITHOUT RESORTING TO EXCUSES; (2) THE OFFENDER MUST BE HELD RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS ACTION THROUGH SOME FORM OF RESTITUTION; (3) THE OFFENDER NEEDS TO BE SENSITIZED TO THE CHAIN OF BEHAVIORS THAT LEADS TO HIS SEXUAL INVOLVEMENT WITH CHILDREN SO THAT HE CAN DETECT EARLY WARNING SIGNS; AND (4) THE OFFENDER SHOULD DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE, MORE APPROPRIATE MODES OF SELF-EXPRESSION, NEED GRATIFICATION, AND IMPULSE MANAGEMENT. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED.