NCJ Number
172309
Date Published
1996
Length
17 pages
Annotation
The empirical literature on the evaluation and treatment of sex offenders indicates that child sexual abuse is a major public health problem and that several clinical techniques are available to treat sex offenders.
Abstract
The primary rationale for treating sex offenders is usually considered to be the reduction of future offending. Recent research suggests sex offenders who victimize children do not limit their offenses to one victim type. In addition, among incarcerated sex offenders, the level of general criminality may be high. From a theoretical standpoint, models that attempt to explain child molesting should also be able to account for sex offenders with multiple paraphilias and general criminal behavior. From a clinical standpoint, therapists should be aware that sex offenders against children may have other paraphilias and should target them for treatment. Sex offenders are described in terms of personality, psychopathology, sexual arousal, sexual preference, social competence, and cognitive distortions. The impact of family functioning and biological factors on child sexual abuse is considered, and clinical issues in sex offender treatment are discussed. The authors emphasize the important role of the criminal justice system in dealing with sex offenders who cannot benefit from treatment. 92 references and 2 tables