NCJ Number
233843
Journal
Legal and Criminological Psychology Volume: 16 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2011 Pages: 37-61
Date Published
February 2011
Length
25 pages
Annotation
This study explored a proposed three-stage model of grievance thinking for use in evaluating the risk of recidivism in sexual offenders.
Abstract
Research results indicate that treatment plans for sexual offenders should be prioritized and formulated by whether the offender possesses a 'need for respect' as opposed to a 'need for vengeance' or rumination. Results also indicate that the Ruminations Scale, which measures a tendency to ruminate angrily and bear grudges, is more effective at detecting changes in offenders' response to treatment programs, than the Dominance Scale, which measures a tendency for vengeance and a need for respect. Data for this study came from a sample of 322 male sexual offenders who had completed a cognitive-behavioral treatment program aimed at reducing recidivism in high-risk sexual offenders. All study participants completed two questionnaires pre- and post-treatment: The Ruminations Scale and the My Life Questionnaire. The Ruminations Scale is a self-report scale that measures a tendency to ruminate angrily and bear grudges. The My Life Questionnaire measures two belief levels in sexual offenders: disadvantaged - a belief in being damaged by others and controlled by the past; and dominance - a belief in a need for vengeance and a need for respect. Study results indicate that while both measures have similar psychometric properties, neither one demonstrated the ability to measure reliable or significant change in offenders post-treatment. Future research is recommended. Figures, tables, references, and appendixes