Treatment And Sexual Offence Recidivism

Abstract

Cognitive-behavioral treatment has emerged as the principle type of sex offender treatment targeting deviant arousal, increasing appropriate sexual desires, modifying distorted thinking, and improving interpersonal coping skills. However, treatment effectiveness in reducing sexual offence recidivism continues to be questioned. This is despite the fact that since 1995, five meta-analytical studies have claimed positive treatment effects in reducing sexual offence recidivism. However, many treatment studies have been criticized for weaknesses in their methodologies. In addition, methodological differences between studies make it difficult to determine treatment efficacy. This review found that since 1995, 19 treatment studies have been published, and a third of the 18 studies demonstrating positive treatment effects used sound methodological techniques. Additional treatment studies are needed that utilize sound methodological principles to establish the most effective way of reducing sexual reoffending.

Psychosexual characteristics of sexual offenders and the relationship to sexual reconviction

“…It is possible that violent convictions may mask the true motivation of the offence (Craig, Browne, Beech, & Stringer, 2004). The OI also does not record whether the offender attended a sex offender treatment programme during their incarceration, which may impact on the rate of recidivism following release (Craig, Browne, & Stringer, 2003b;Hanson et al, 2002).…”

Differences in personality and risk characteristics in sex, violent and general offenders

“…Sexual offences have been known to be 'bargained down' (Bagley and Pritchard, 2000;Corbett et al, 2003). The OI provides no record of interventions in prison or later; for example, whether the sex offenders were routinely offered places on a sex offenders' treatment programme, which could affect the rate of recidivism (Hanson et al, 2002;Craig et al, 2003). Similarly, we were not able to calculate 'time at risk' and this may account for some differences in recidivism rates; for example, for sex offenders time at risk will be almost exclusively community time, for violent offenders this may be less true, and adjustments made accordingly; it is possible that the sex offender group were held in custody for longer.…”

Punishment beyond Incarceration: The Negative Effects of Sex Offender Registration and Restrictions

“…Recidivism rates of all categories are significantly reduced for sex offenders who have undergone Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, (Craig, Browne & Stringer 2003;Hanson, Gordon, Harris, Mareques, Murphy, Quinsey, & Seto 2002;Lösel & Schmucker, 2005;Luong & Wormith, 2006;& MacKenzie, 2006), except for pedophiles whom are excluded from this research. Sex offenders who participate in community-based treatment programs are likely to reduce their likelihood of recidivating even more (Aytes, Olsen, Zakrajsek, Murray & Ireson, 2001).…”

“…Though sex offenders have served their sentence, a feat that pays off many other types of offenders" debt to society, sex offenders are still forced in to a life-time worth of punishment beyond incarceration. Though recidivism rates for sex offenders have proven to be some of the lowest (Hanson & Morton-Bourgan, 2005;Harris & Hanson, 2004;& Tewksbury, Jennings & Zgoba, 2012), and many sex offenders go through effective treatment programs pre-and-or-post-release (Aytes, Olsen, Zakrajsek, Murray & Ireson, 2001;Craig, Browne & Stringer 2003;Hanson, Gordon, Harris, Mareques, Murphy, Quinsey, & Seto 2002;Lösel & Schmucker, 2005;Luong & Wormith, 2006;& MacKenzie, 2006), our society still feels that we need to add more layers of protection. While community safety is of great importance, does it constitute the negative toll it takes on the lives of sex offenders?…”