NCJ Number
206260
Journal
Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment Volume: 16 Issue: 3 Dated: July 2004 Pages: 191-208
Date Published
July 2004
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study investigated therapeutic engagement styles of child sexual offenders in a group treatment program.
Abstract
It is observed that child sexual offenders typically exhibit considerable reluctance to self-disclose at a level that reflects the full reality of their offense. Self-disclosure is viewed as a critical aspect of the demonstrated willingness of men to participate functionally in an intervention to promote behavioral change. The aim of this research is to shed light on to how participants go about addressing the dilemmas posed by the disclosure encounter. This research sought to build theory rather that test it, therefore a grounded theory method was employed. The site for conducting the research was the Kia Marama Program, based at Rolleston Prison, Aotearoa, New Zealand. This is a prototypical and successful prison-based program employing a relapse prevention-based model in the context of an interpersonal group therapy modality. The point of investigation was the “Understanding your Offending” program module. The focus of study was offense pattern disclosure. The participants were incarcerated offenders convicted of one or more sexual crimes against persons under the age of 16. Each participant had volunteered for inclusion in the Kia Marama Program, which is based in a stand-alone prison unit. This study used four styles of disclosure management for therapeutic engagement. The study concluded that the early and accurate identification management style in clinical settings might promote more efficient and effective use of therapy time. Therapists need to attend to the experiences and the concerns of the discloser in order to respond more effectively to promote engagement. References