Treating Sexual Offenders Who Deny: A Review (From Sex Offender: New Insights, Treatment Innovations and Legal Developments, Volume II, P 6-1 to 6-7, 1997, Barbara K. Schwartz and Henry R. Cellini, eds. - See NCJ-167745)

• NCJ Number: 167750
• Author(s): A M Schlank; T Shaw
• Date Published: 1997
• Length: 7 pages
• Sale Source: Civic Research Institute, Inc
• Publication Type: Literature Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

Literature is reviewed on the varying levels of denial among sex offenders, the impact of denial on sex offender treatment, and various strategies for modifying an offender's denial.

Abstract

Most sex offenders deny or greatly minimize their deviant behavior at some point following their arrest. However, treatment of other issues often cannot begin until an offender admits to having committed the sexual offense. Therefore, many offenders are denied admission to treatment programs if they continue to deny committing their crimes. Denial has many steps and forms. Experienced clinicians have developed numerous strategies for confronting these defenses and assisting offenders in fully participating in their treatment. Most programs allot a specific amount of time and sometimes specific procedures for confronting denial during the early phase of treatment. In addition, it appears that sex offender treatment has some benefit even for those who never admit their guilt. New efforts are also underway to confront the minimization and denial more efficiently with the hope of making complete treatment available to sex offenders who were previously considered untreatable. 19 references