Working with Sex Offenders: The Perceptions and Experiences of Professionals and Paraprofessionals

Abstract

The last 20 years have witnessed an increase in the attention paid to crimes of sexual violence. Academic research, social services, and the general public have responded to the steady rise in these crimes by subjecting them to increased scrutiny and address. Professionals and paraprofessionals responsible for the processing, supervision, and treatment of sex offenders are under increasing pressure. This study investigated the perceptions and experiences of professionals and paraprofessionals working with sex offenders. Such research is important because these perceptions influence practice. Using a semistructured interview schedule, 23 men and women were interviewed about various aspects of their work with sex offenders for between 1 and 2 hours. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic content analysis. The findings are discussed in terms of professionals’and paraprofessionals’ perceptions of sex offenders and their offences and the manner in which such perceptions affect their professional practice.

“A different world” exploring and understanding the climate of a recently re-rolled sexual offender prison

“…Some, as in prisoner participant 12, would not look at why they were imprisoned because he felt it would affect how he interacted with the prisoner. A study from Lea et al (1999) found that prison professionals' attitudes were, at times, in conflict. This conflict was labelled the professional-personal dialectical and stemmed from prison officers feeling pressured to form a bond with men who have committed sexual offences as part of their professional duties, whilst suffering internal conflict because of personal "disgust" and "disapproval" of the criminal activities of these individuals.…”

“I kind of find that out by accident”: probation staff experiences of pharmacological treatment for sexual preoccupation and hypersexuality

“…This seemed to link with participants' scepticism about self-reports, a recognised concept amongst personnel working with individuals convicted of a sexual offence (Weekes et al, 1995), which can hamper professional practice (Lea et al, 1999).…”

The impact of science-based knowledge on attitudes towards sex offenders

“…However, professionals are often torn between the stigmatizing, intolerant and condemnatory norm held by the general public, and demonstrating tolerance and understanding towards sex offenders within their working relationship with them (Lea et al, 1999). This could possibly lead to a negative influence on attitudes held by professionals, which is highly undesirable, since professionals working in the forensic field can play a major role in the prevention of relapse of a sex offender (Kleban & Jeglic, 2011).…”

“…This could possibly lead to a negative influence on attitudes held by professionals, which is highly undesirable, since professionals working in the forensic field can play a major role in the prevention of relapse of a sex offender (Kleban & Jeglic, 2011). Professionals'attitudes about sex offenders affect their work with an offender (Craig, 2005;Lea et al, 1999). This is especially true for attitudes reflecting on the ability of an offender to change their behaviour; they play a central role in the professional's influence on an offender's behaviour (Craig, 2005;Hogue, 1993).…”

“…Craig (2005) pointed out that professional training is essential for successful implementation of therapy for sex offenders. Furthermore, a study performed by Lea et al (1999) …”