Treatment of the Adult Male Child Molester (From Child Sexual Abuse: Critical Perspectives on Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment, P 217-256, 1991, Christopher R Bagley and Ray J Thomlison, eds. -- See NCJ-132818)

• NCJ Number: 132829
• Author(s): H E Barbaree; W L Marshall
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 40 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Canada Dept of National Health and Welfare; Ontario Ctr for the Prevention of Child Abuse
• Sale Source: Wall and Emerson, Inc
• Publication Type: Literature Review
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

This literature review critically examines a wide range of approaches to the treatment of the sex offender.

Abstract

The review notes the difficulties in such treatment outcome research and specifies minimum requirements for a treatment outcome study. The study should compare outcome for treated subjects with an appropriate untreated comparison group matched on important demographic and offense-history variables. The study should not select patients, but should offer treatment to all men who desire it. The study should not depend on self-reports to determine recidivism. Evaluations to date, however, do suggest guidelines for treatment. Treatments that aim to modify a single defect or pathology are not likely to succeed and neither are programs that fail to define clearly the defect the treatment aims to change. A comprehensive treatment program that targets deficits and excesses that are important and relevant to the commission of sexual crime promises to prevent recidivism. Data support the use of such treatment programs for child molesters. Comprehensive programs can be readily integrated into the criminal justice and mental health systems. 120 references