NCJ Number
140430
Journal
Sexuality and Disability Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Dated: (1991) Pages: 311-322
Date Published
1991
Length
12 pages
Annotation
The identification, assessment, and treatment of mentally retarded sex offenders present a dilemma not only for professional evaluators and departments of developmental disabilities but also for law enforcement agencies, the criminal justice system, and the correctional system.
Abstract
The lack of information on mentally retarded sex offenders leads many professionals to offer patchwork forms of treatment and treatment planning which do nothing to alleviate the problem. A framework for treatment planning is suggested that incorporates a comprehensive evaluation, a sex history, a sex knowledge and attitude test, a penile plethysmograph, a moral development instrument, a level of social deviance scale, an assessment of risk level, and a chronology of sexual events. Recommendations for treatment are offered that focus on sexual education and acceptable sexual behavior, assertiveness training, methods to decrease deviant sexual arousal, heterosexual skills training, and empathy skills training. The treatment framework described in the article attempts to integrate information gathering and clinical knowledge into a comprehensive treatment plan that takes into account specific interventions, as well as accountability for the rights of mentally retarded individuals. 10 references