NCJ Number
137836
Journal
Adolescence Volume: 27 Issue: 106 Dated: (Summer 1992) Pages: 441-450
Date Published
1992
Length
10 pages
Annotation
A survey of professionals in the sexual abuse treatment field assessed attitudes toward juvenile sex offender treatment; those in the corrections field were the greatest supporters of confrontational and punitive therapy methods, while most professionals favored flexibility in treatment.
Abstract
A questionnaire was mailed to 50 counselors and psychologists who work in the field of sexual abuse and sex offender treatment, and 18 usable surveys were received. The questionnaire was intended to assess preferences for confrontational or sympathetic treatment in three different age groups: child victims of sexual abuse who act out sexually, juvenile sex offenders who were victims of child sexual abuse, and adult sex offenders who were victims of sexual abuse. As expected, therapists said they would choose sympathetic methods most frequently with children. Juveniles ranked equally for prosympathetic and antisympathetic, while adults ranked slightly less likely to have antisympathetic treatment. No one responded that criminal issues should be addressed in any of the age categories. Most thought it best to address victimization issues of children and juveniles before moving on to offender issues. In the case of adults, there was more support for beginning with offender issues, although most respondents felt the therapist should be flexible when dealing with adult sex offenders. While the questionnaire did not ask about using aversion therapy or castration with children, three respondents said they approved of confrontational group therapy for children. Therapists generally thought treatment should be flexible and not necessarily limited to the confrontational mode. Respondents did not attribute significant credibility to the notion that sympathetic forms of therapy reinforce minimization and denial. 10 references and 4 figures (Author abstract modified)