The Problem The term “sex offender” implies that those who commit sex related offenses are in essence, the same as one another, but in reality, they are a very dissimilar group. Sex offenders differ with respect to behaviors and patterns, population data, stimuli, and the threat level subjected to the community. For the reason that sex offenders are so varied, the strategies imposed for treatment will not work on a ‘one size fits all model’, rather, an individualized approach based off the characteristics and offenses of the offender (Center for Sex Offender Management, 2008). Statistically speaking, in 1994, the customary span of time a sentence was imposed on a sexual offender was a maximum of 8 years, and in most cases of those 8 years, …show more content…
The treatment process for sex offenders is a staid yet encouraging process that educates the offender on specific tactics for discontinuing offensive behavior, being held accountable and taking blame for actions they have committed (Stop it Now, 2016). For the preponderance of those adults who have committed a sexual offense, treatment considerably diminishes the risk of recidivism. However, it does not offer forgiveness or justify abusive actions, nor is treatment intended to chastise or embarrass participants. The primary focus of treatment is to help the offender create a better life for himself by helping him or her develop their strengths and manage their weaknesses (Stop it Now, 2016). Treatment for sex offenders are accessible by counselors or therapists who concentrate in working with adults as well as youth with sexual behavior …show more content…
Cognitive distortions are the beliefs about sexuality and sexual behavior that individuals use to justify sexually abusive behavior (Saleh, Grudzinskas, Brodsky, & Bradford, 2009). For example, an offender’s exposure to child pornography may be used to reinforce the individual’s self-justification for indulging their deviant sexual interests. They may feel as though the internet provides them with the source and that it is normal for him to view (Saleh, Grudzinskas, Brodsky, & Bradford,
Sex offenders have been a serious problem for our legal system at all levels, not to mention those who have been their victims. There are 43,000 inmates in prison for sexual offenses while each year in this country over 510,000 children are sexually assaulted(Oakes 99). The latter statistic, in its context, does not convey the severity of the situation. Each year 510,000 children have their childhood's destroyed, possibly on more than one occasion, and are faced with dealing with the assault for the rest of their lives. Sadly, many of those assaults are perpetrated by people who have already been through the correctional system only to victimize again. Sex offenders, as a class of criminals, are nine times more likely to repeat their
There are numerous treatment plans for these young sex offenders. There is one treatment called the National Adolescent perpetrator network. Its stated as an offender they are accountable for their crimes. Meetings and social gatherings with one another are very suitable treatments. Of course, the main issue to stop offending is by stopping them from further abusing and making it a safer for public. The only issue with sex offenders is they will always have this
Kim English and her colleagues developed the history of the containment-supervision approach. Many jurisdictions have attempted to utilize a one-size-fits-all approach method to manage sex offenders. Today, it is one of the most effective approaches to managing sex offenders in our communities. The elements of a containment supervision approach team consist of parole/ probation officers, treatment provider, polygraph examiner and the victim advocate. The cognitive behavioral treatment is the most preferred method approach and has the most positive effect on managing sex offenders (Alarid, 2015).
When working with this specific population mental health professionals are often called on to evaluate and manage sex offender’s behavior. There are also times when individuals may be asked to give an opinion as to if the offender will repeat the behavior. Often times people that work with this population are referred to as (SOSs) Sex Offender Specialists. They have a specific group of diverse training and background. Some of these trainings incIude but are not limited to cognitive-behavioral, psychopharmacological, and therapeutic orientations.
There has been much debate about why people commit sexual crimes. As far as to what causes people to become sex offenders, there is no real answer to this question. No single factor can fully interpret why someone commits a sexual offense, though it is believed that some combination of factors may combine to increase sexual deviancy dramatically. These factors include biological, circumstantial, environmental, and sociocultural aspects of the person, describing the development of abnormal sexual expression through the same mechanisms by which conventional sexuality is also learned (Terry and Tallon). There are a number of sub-theories which have been designed to explain the onset of sexual deviancy. However, because no one can pinpoint the dynamics of sexual deviancy, different theories have been developed to study and account for the development of sexual aggression and behavior. An explanation of the main theories is offered below:
Sex offenders can be described as a person who has committed any of a variety of offenses, including rape, child abuse, possession of child pornography, exhibitionism (flashing), and even consensual sex amongst teenagers.They can vary between adults or juveniles, male or female, and the perpetrators may even be strangers, acquaintances, or related to their victims. Based on the different characteristics and motivations for committing these heinous offenses, these offenders require different responses that are appropriate in order to accurately treat, manage, and supervise them. This research paper will review types of offenses and offenders; pervasiveness of sexual abuse and recidivism; and responses to sexual offending, including treatment, supervision, and management practices for this population.
Many etiological theories exist attempting to explain the root causes of sexual offending. Although few provide substantial evidence and no definitive conclusions have been made, the social learning theory has been proposed to account for sex offending behaviors. Specifically, the social learning theory, or victim-to-victimizer theory, suggests sexually abused children learn these behaviors and are much more likely to perpetrate abuse when they’re older (Seto & Lalumiere, 2010). The following studies have provided substantial support for the social learning etiology. Through the use of a meta-analysis, Seto and Lalumiere (2010) concluded that sexual offending is tied to prior sexual abuse. Burton, Miller, and Shill (2002) discovered
The number of registered sex offenders have increasingly grew over the years. Every day you see a man or women added to the registry for crimes against women and mostly children. The sex offender registries biggest and main focus is to keep the people in the community in each city and state informed and protected. ”Sex offenders and sex crimes provoke a great deal of anxiety in our society.” Baker, J, Brannon, Y, N., Fortney. , Levenson, J.S. (“Public Perceptions about Sex Offenders and Community Protection”). The sex offender registry is based solely on protecting the public from being a victim
pedophilia, exhibitionism, sadism, etc.) (Kaplan & Krueger, 2012). Dolan (2009) introduces a notion that involves combining cognitive-behavioral therapy with other methods to yield better results. Essentially, it is discussed in Dolan’s (2009) article that sufficient evidence exists to suggest combining cognitive-behavioral treatments with relapse prevention, intensive residential treatment, and community-based sex offender treatment programs can reduce the risk of recidivism. Dolan (2009) describes a combined method that needs further research but could be a successful pairing in cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychopharmacologicals/pharmacological treatments. Essentially, Dolan (2009) is introducing new advancements in sex offender treatments to be paired with cognitive-behavioral therapy because the research is leading Dolan to believe that this approach does not work on its
treatment provider to the participant. Once, the participants accepts the recommendations and begins to accept treatment from a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist initiate their own assessment to determine appropriate medication for the sex offender. Thus, begins the integration of pharmacological treatment with psychotherapy to form a comprehensive treatment programs catered for the individual sex offender. Since the psychiatrist uses their own assessment to determine appropriate medication to administer. The present study’s interest lies on the sex offender treatment provider’s assessment procedure to determine the need for pharmacological intervention before the initiation of medication management. The interest is on the assessment tools utilized to identify problematic sexual behavior that may warrant pharmacological treatment. The question is placed on whether there are specific assessment tools (e.g., questionnaire and survey) to score and determine
Within today’s current political climate and media, the public has cultivated a distorted view of sex offenders as being compulsive, inherently untreatable and that they re-offend at high levels (Galeste, 2010 and Seidler, 2012, 70). Consequently, this intense label provoked by the media places offenders under increased pressure, serving as a potential factor in the increase risk of re-offending (Seidler, 2010, 70)
It is not even conclusively known whether all types of sex offenders benefit from chemical castration or any other treatment at all (Corabian et al., 2011). Therefore, chemical castration should not be the sole treatment for sex offenders but should instead be a supplementary treatment, used in conjunction with behavioral therapy methods, for select sex offenders at the greatest risk of
Sex offenders tend to blend in to society virtually unnoticed until they offend or reoffend (Polizzi, MacKenzie, & Hickman, 1999). Currently, there is a large group of mental health professionals representing a variety of disciplines, including psychology, psychiatry clinical social work, counseling, and medicine, that continue to believe in the potential efficacy of treating sex offenders. Over the past decade, the sex offender treatment field has grown rapidly and the treatment of juvenile sex offenders is on the rise (Parks & Bard, 2006). The rationale for treating juvenile offenders is based on research which indicates that inappropriate sexual behavior patterns develop early and a failure to intervene and change behavior early often means that the offender will continue to escalate his/her inappropriate behavior, which could present an even greater danger to society (Ayland & West, 2006). Vivian-Bryne, (2004) suggests that professionals who treat adult sex offenders report that offenders who are incarcerated will eventually return to the community and therefore, therapeutic measures should be taken to reduce the likelihood that they will reoffend even if those measures have not conclusively been identified as effective. Sexual offenders may find therapy valuable because it can allow them to retrace their upbringing to help them identify and understand the roots of their
There is an ongoing societal concern regarding sexual abuse among adults and children (Oliver, Wong, & Nicholaichuk, 2009). Sexually based offenses have a significant impact on its victims, their families, and society as a whole. Once an offender is released, continuous assessments are recommended to ensure a slim chance of recidivism. Since treatment programs are considered to be an important asset in decreasing the recidivism of sexual violence, it is important to focus on various techniques that will further eliminate sexual re-offending. With the increase of various techniques and methods used, these programs have progressed over the last half of the century (Jung & Gulayets, 2011). However, there are arguments that claim these treatment
11. Remember that the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT) “is a projective test in which a person is presented with a series of ambiguous pictures and composes a story. It is an “apperception” test because the person reports not what he or she sees but rather a narrative or imaginary interpretation” (Murray, 1938, p. 324). Measured by a self-report test, such as the Thematic Apperception Test. The results demonstrated significant differences. According to the American Journal of Forensic Psychology, adolescent male sex offenders demonstrate perceptual distortion of their environment through the use of denial as a defense mechanism. Personality characteristics varied in areas such as the internalized values and attitudes, their external expression, and inflated self-esteem. The results concluded that adolescent sexual offender is characterized as a unique individual, a result of a stunted developmental process. Some sex offenders have deviant fantasies and the strong desire to act on them. There have been instances where some sexual fantasies were actually carried out. Male and female juvenile sex offenders often exhibit behavior that is sexually abusive at a young age; some of their unfortunate and innocent victims tend to be male, but there number of victims increases just as often as the type. Juvenile sex offenders tend to lack social skills that are an important attributes of their offending, and low intelligence, but a history of sexual abuse in their family is common.