Therapist Issues in Working with Sex Offenders

No Easy Answers: Ethical Challenges Working with Sex Offenders

“…The number of properly trained and supervised professionals is insufficient for the needs and Clin Soc Work J (2011) 39:18-27 19 size of this population (Pais 2001). Many areas of social work practice lack competent practitioners due to the specialized nature of their work.…”

“…Clearly, the nature of practice with offenders and the small pool of clinicians in this field underscore concerns about burnout and professional impairment. With a limited number of qualified supervisors, the paucity of supportive colleagues willing to offer a listening ear, and the stigma attached to the work itself, it is small wonder that some social workers experience professional isolation (Pais 2001;Van Deusen and Way 2006). The implications of such isolation, coupled with exposure to traumatic material, have been well documented, including callousness, suspicion, hypervigilance, and vulnerability (Ennis and Horne 2003;McCann and Pearlman 1990;Pais 2001;Thorpe et al 2001).…”

“…Studies have shown that when clinicians who work with sex offenders are involved in professional peer support, which includes supervision, there is a reduction in their measured levels of distress (Ennis and Horne 2003;Pais 2001). Yet, for many social workers who work with offenders, it is a challenge to find a colleague who also works with sex offenders, who is in the same geographic area, and who would constitute an appropriate consultant.…”

“…As such, Pais (2001) has identified specific areas within clinical work with sex offenders where a clinician's emotions and personal judgments may interfere negatively with his or her professional judgment and objectivity, possibly leading to boundary violations.…”

“…The therapist might be interested in or aroused by the sexual content that is discussed during treatment of sex offenders, and shift the focus of therapy to self-interests rather than maintaining a focus on the client's needs (Pais 2001;Pope et al 1993).…”