NCJ Number
169161
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 23 Issue: 3/4 Dated: special issue (1996) Pages: 157-177
Date Published
1996
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This research extended a ground theory study conducted to explore incest offender perceptions of treatment; the goal was to generate an explanatory theory of the sexual abuse treatment process.
Abstract
The original study included 20 audiotaped interviews, direct observations of 65 therapy groups, and record analysis. Subjects represented a theoretical sampling of 20 adult male incest offenders currently in, graduates of, and dropouts of a community sexual abuse treatment program. Constant comparative analysis was used to concurrently collect and analyze data. A remodeling process was identified by the men that involved their worlds falling apart. Offenders took on the project of remodeling themselves and rebuilding themselves, their relationships, and their environments. Further analysis of data and interviews with and observations and record analysis of 22 other sex offenders showed offenders experienced the remodeling process in various ways. The remodeling process was easy for the men to understand, served as a useful tool to orient new offenders to treatment, and enabled therapists to tailor treatment more specifically to individual offenders. Implications of the findings for treatment strategies and outcomes are examined. 29 references, 1 table, and 1 figure