Does sex offender treatment work?
While there is widespread agreement among researchers that the evidence is far from definitive, these studies have consistently found that sex offender treatment works, particularly MST and cognitive-behavioral treatment approaches.
How effective are treatment programs for juveniles who sexually offend?
Several single studies examining the effectiveness of treatment programs for juveniles who sexually offend have been undertaken in recent years, and these studies have consistently found at least modest treatment effects on both sexual and nonsexual recidivism.
What do we know about sexual offending by adolescents?
Sexual offending by adolescents presents a major concern, with adolescents representing a sizeable proportion of officially documented sex crimes.
Are juveniles who commit sexual offenses diverse in their offenses?
"Juveniles who commit sexual offenses are diverse in terms of their offending behaviors and future public safety risk." Juveniles who commit sexual offenses are clearly quite diverse in terms of their offending behaviors and future risk to public safety.
How effective is treatment for sex offenders?
Treated sex offenders had average sexual and overall recidivism rates of 10.9 percent and 31.8 percent, based on an average follow-up period of 4.7 years, compared to 19.2 percent and 48.3 percent for the untreated offenders.
Why are sex offenders treated differently?
Why are child sex crimes, and other sex crimes in general, considered different and treated differently? Largely because society tends to view sex crimes as worse than many other crimes — perhaps worse than all other crimes, especially when they involve a child.
What kind of therapy is used for sex offenders?
Cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT)Cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) is usually conducted in a group therapy setting and involves addressing the irrational thoughts and beliefs of offenders that lead them to engage in antisocial behaviors (Aos et al. 2006).
Can sex offenders be reformed?
Beliefs such as once a sex offender always a sex offender, there is no cure for sex offenders, and sex offenders have the highest recidivism rate of all offenders are commonly held.
How are sex offenders perceived?
It was found that community members believe that sex offenders have very high recidivism rates, view sex offenders as a homogeneous group with regard to risk, and are skeptical about the benefits of sex offender treatment. The hypothesis that public perceptions contradict empirical research was supported.
Are female sex offenders less likely to be prosecuted?
Specifically, male sex offenders are more likely to be sentenced to prison, and given longer terms, than female sex offenders. Findings are similar across sex offense severity and whether the offense involved a minor victim.
Are sex offenders treatable?
In NSW, the state government runs programs with both prisoners and sex offenders released in the community. A Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman says treatment includes "programs that encourage offenders to acknowledge their sex-offending behaviour and prepare them for more intensive treatment".
Are sex offenders manipulative?
For instance, individuals convicted of sex offenses can be highly manipulative, not only with their therapist but also with others in their therapy groups. Power plays, deflection, grooming and lying are a few examples of the criminal thinking that may be evident.
Why is it important to treat sex offenders?
Treatment programs can contribute to public safety by reducing the risk of reoffending among sexual offenders.
Do people forgive sex offenders?
Some people may view forgiveness and reconciliation as the same. However, when a sex offender has abused your child, you can forgive the person, but you do not have to have a relationship with him. Forgiveness is a process. It is not a one-time event.
Are sex offenders likely to reoffend?
How Often Do Sex Offenders Reoffend? About 12 to 24% of sex offenders will reoffendxvi. When sex offenders do commit another crime, it is more often not sexual or violentxvii. (The figures given may be low because sex offenses are often not reported.)
Which offenders are most likely to reoffend?
The highest recidivism rates were among young, male, African American offenders in both groups. Inmates and probationers with extensive prior criminal histories were more likely to be rearrested than offenders with less serious criminal histories.
How much does sex offender treatment reduce recidivism?
The researchers found that sex offender treatment programs for juveniles reduced recidivism, on average, by 9.7 percent. In addition, the treatment programs produced a net return on investment of more than $23,000 per program participant, or about $1.70 in benefits per participant for every $1 spent.
Which study found that incarcerated juveniles who received intensive treatment in a self-contained housing unit of
Waite and colleagues (2005) found that incarcerated juveniles who received intensive treatment in a self-contained housing unit of the correctional facility had better recidivism outcomes than incarcerated juveniles who received less intensive treatment and who remained in the facility's general population.
How many treated subjects recidivated for every 100 untreated subjects?
Walker and his colleagues reported a treatment effect size of 0.37, meaning that only 37 treated study subjects recidivated for every 100 untreated study subjects who recidivated.
Why are RCTs considered superior?
1 RCTs are considered superior for discovering treatment effects and inferring causality because of their capacity to create valid counterfactuals and reduce bias. Modeled on laboratory experiments, RCTs have several key features, most notably the use of random assignment. In random assignment, the researcher randomly decides which study subjects participate in treatment and which do not. The random assignment of subjects creates the optimal study conditions for comparing treated and untreated subjects and making causal inferences about the impact of the intervention.
What is the most reliable evidence for a criminology intervention?
In the field of criminology, there is general agreement that certain types of single studies–namely, well-designed and executed experiments, or randomized controlled trials (RCTs) –provide the most trustworthy evidence about an intervention's effectiveness (Sherman et al., 1998; MacKenzie, 2006; Farrington & Welsh, 2007). 1
What is crime control based on?
While there is growing interest in crime control strategies that are based on scientific evidence, determining what works is not an easy task. It is not uncommon for studies of the same phenomena to produce ambiguous or even conflicting results, and there are many examples of empirical evidence misleading crime control policy and practice because shortcomings in the quality of the research were overlooked (see, for example, Sherman, 2003, and McCord, 2003). The importance of basing conclusions about what works on highly trustworthy and credible evidence cannot be overstated, and both the quality and consistency of the research evidence has to be considered.
What is therapeutic intervention for juveniles?
Given the prevalence of sexual offending by juveniles, and the potential links between sexually abusive behavior during adolescence or childhood and sexual offending later in life, therapeutic interventions for juveniles have become a staple of sex offender management practice in jurisdictions across the country.
What are the issues that parents of adolescents face when they are offended sexually?
Parents of adolescents who have offended sexually may be struggling with issues related to family violence and a personal sexual victimization history (Worling, 1995a ), concerns that may impact involvement in their child's treatment.
How does offence prevention work?
The goal of offence-prevention planning is to help the adolescent move, over time, from reliance on external controls to the use of internal controls. Offence-prevention planning can involve the development and practice of various escape and avoidance strategies, mindfulness-based cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) exercises, self-talk, imagery, biofeedback, and involvement in prosocial activities, for example. Offence-prevention plans are tailored to address each adolescent's unique strengths, risks, and needs, and caregivers are typically involved in the process, wherever indicated. Offence-prevention plans are adapted as the adolescent makes gains in treatment and/or as new treatment targets are identified, and the gradual move from external to internal controls is a collaborative process.
Introduction
- Sex offenders have received considerable attention in recent years from both policymakers and the public. This is due at least in part to the profound impact that sex crimes have on victims and the larger community. While most perpetrators of sex crimes are adults, a significant percentage of sexual offenders are under age 18. Given the prevalence of sexual offending by juveniles, and …
Issues to Consider
- While there is growing interest in crime control strategies that are based on scientific evidence, determining what works is not an easy task. It is not uncommon for studies of the same phenomena to produce ambiguous or even conflicting results, and there are many examples of empirical evidence misleading crime control policy and practice because shortcomings in the qu…
Summary of Research Findings
- Findings From Single Studies
Several single studies examining the effectiveness of treatment programs for juveniles who sexually offend have been undertaken in recent years, and these studies have consistently found at least modest treatment effects on both sexual and nonsexual recidivism. Worling and Curwe… - Findings From Synthesis Research
One of the most frequently cited studies of the effectiveness of juvenile treatment was conducted by Reitzel and Carbonell (2006). Their meta-analysis included 9 studies and a combined sample of 2,986 juvenile subjects, making it one of the largest studies of treatment effectiveness for juveni…
Summary
- Given the prevalence of sexual offending by juveniles, therapeutic interventions for juveniles who sexually offend have become a staple of sex offender management practice in jurisdictions across the country. Indeed, the number of treatment programs for juveniles who commit sexual offenses has increased over the past 30 years, and the nature of treatment itself has changed a…