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Physiological and Psychosocial Assessment and Treatment of Sex Offenders: A Comprehensive Victim-Oriented Program

NCJ Number
158124
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 22 Issue: 1/2 Dated: (1995) Pages: 77-96
Author(s)
R L Marsh; A Walsh
Date Published
1995
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This paper describes the phases of an ideal sex offender treatment program; data were obtained through a review of the empirical literature and personal clinical experience with sex offenders.
Abstract
The first step in any treatment program is the proper assessment of the offender's clinical issues. Assessment of sex offenders should include use of the penile plethysmograph and the polygraph, as well as more conventional methods of psychosocial evaluation. The article emphasizes that restitution should be the operating philosophy of an ideal treatment program, and that approaches including client-centered therapy, transactional analysis, rational emotive therapy, and reality therapy are especially appropriate for the treatment of this population. However, these modalities should be supplemented with antiandrogen therapy to help the offender to concentrate on the goals of psychotherapy. Offenders would be terminated from this program when they had revealed all victims, as determined by polygraph; recognized and confronted deviant sexual arousal patterns; and accepted full responsibility for all offenses, and made emotional restitution to all victims. 1 figure and 58 references