NCJ Number
128726
Date Published
1989
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article identifies the motivations of juvenile sex offenders who malinger and guides therapists in recognizing and addressing it.
Abstract
Malingering, usually defined as the feigning of illness to avoid some undesirable tasks, is sometimes found as a form of denial in adolescent sex offenders under treatment. This may be motivated by a desire to present to staff the image of a person who admits his problems and makes progress in dealing with them. This brings various rewards within the therapeutic setting. It can also be a way of avoiding facing real and psychologically threatening problems, since dealing with false problems is not as threatening. Recognizing that a client is malingering requires that therapists first become aware that it can occur. One of the first indications of malingering can be the client's unreserved disclosures. Another indication of malingering may be the timing of the client's revelations. If the disclosures occur in conjunction with client perceptions of rewards for such behavior, malingering should be suspected. Searching out all inconsistencies and using them to resolve falsified problems is the most direct procedure for dealing with a malingering client. The therapist may also pressure the malingering offender to admit dishonesty over the broad spectrum of issues. This may be done without directly confronting specific disclosures. A therapist, however, should proceed on the assumption that all disclosures are real until independent verification shows otherwise.