NCJ Number
179914
Journal
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health Volume: 9 Issue: 3 Dated: 1999 Pages: 254-274
Date Published
1999
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This analysis of the development of the phallometric assessment of sex offenders in the 1990's concludes that although the technique's validity for research and clinical assessment is now established, justification for the routine use of the technique must await a proper standardization of the technique and the publication of reliable norms.
Abstract
Little improvement has occurred in the past few years in the standardization of the technique in terms of procedure, stimuli used, or the analysis of results. However, the validity of the technique is now more strongly established and the usefulness of phallometrically derived indexes of deviance for the recidivism prediction has been confirmed. A case study conducted at Maidstone prison in England illustrates the usefulness of phallometric monitoring of therapeutic interventions. The clinician in charge of the phallometric assessment should understand the difficulties associated with the technique, be familiar with recent research, and give the phallometric results their proper emphasis when combined with other assessment data such as attitude scales, clinical interviews, an analysis of the past criminal record, and victim statements. Figure, table, and 93 references (Author abstract modified)