Review of the Empirical and Clinical Support for Group Therapy Specific to Sexual Abusers

Abstract

This review compiles 48 empirical studies and 55 clinical/practice articles specific to group therapy with sex offenders. Historically, group therapy has always been the predominant modality in sex offender-specific treatment. In the first decades of the field, treatment applied a psychoanalytic methodology that, although not empirically supported, fully appreciated the primary therapeutic importance of the group modality. Conversely, since the early 1980s, treatment has applied a cognitive behavioral method, but the field has largely neglected the therapeutic value of interpersonal group dynamics. The past decade has seen a growing re-appreciation of general therapeutic processes and more holistic approaches in sex offender treatment, and there is an emerging body of empirical research which, although often indirectly concerned with group, has yielded three definitive conclusions. First, the therapeutic qualities of the group therapist-specifically warmth, empathy, encouragement, and guidance-can strongly affect outcomes. Second, the quality of group cohesion can profoundly affect the effectiveness of treatment. Third, confrontational approaches in group therapy are ineffective, if not counter-therapeutic, and overwhelmingly rated as not helpful by sex offenders themselves. Additional conclusions are less strongly supported, but include compelling evidence that sex offenders generally prefer group therapy over individual therapy, that group therapy appears equally effective to individual therapy, and that mixing or separating groups by offense type is not important to therapeutic climate. Other group techniques and approaches specific to sexual abuse treatment are also summarized.

Measuring Cohesion and Self-Disclosure in Psychotherapy Groups for Patients with Advanced Cancer: An Analysis of the Psychometric Properties of the Group Therapy Experience Scale

“…Some research (e.g.,Bernard et al, 2008; Burlingame, Fuhriman, & Johnson, 2002) characterizes group cohesion as analogous to the construct of therapeutic alliance in individual psychotherapy, which is widely recognized as essential to the process of change (Horvath & Luborsky, 1993; Weck, Grikscheit, Jakob, Hofling, & Stangier, 2014). Studies have demonstrated the benefits of cohesion in groups targeting individuals with alcohol use disorders (Osilla, Kulesza, & Miranda, 2017), early psychosis (Lecomte, Leclerc, & Wykes, 2017), anxiety disorders (Norton & Kazantzis, 2016), sexual abuse history (Jennings & Deming, 2015), binge-eating disorder (Gallagher et al, 2013), addiction (Ait-Daoud et al, 2006), social phobia (Taube-Schiff, Suvak, Antony, Bieling, & McCabe, 2007), and borderline personality disorder (Marziali, Munroe-Blum, & McCleary, 1997).…”

A narrative review of research on clinical responses to the problem of sexual offenses in the last decade

“…Overall, sex offenders typically prefer group therapy over individual therapy, but both have been found to be equally effective (Aparicio, ; Jennings & Deming, ). Notably, a meta‐analysis found that individuals in group therapy had the lowest sexual recidivism rates when compared with mixed group and individual treatment (Gannon, Oliver, Mallion, & James, ).…”

“…Generally, groups should foster an environment of strong cohesion and aim to achieve greater interpersonal learning effects (Jennings & Deming, 2017;Lampalzer & Briken, 2019;Levenson, Prescott, & D'Amora, 2010;Willemsen et al, 2016). Jennings and Deming (2013) suggest using operant conditioning in group psychotherapy to reinforce social interaction and bonding.…”

Well-Being as a Precursor and Consequence of Micro-Processes in a Group Psychotherapy With Forensic Patients

“…There is strong evidence of a moderate relationship between group cohesion and outcome in group therapy (16). Empirical findings on Yalom's generic factors in group therapy for sex offenders were compiled in a review article (17).…”