NCJ Number
181909
Journal
Psychology, Public Policy, and Law Volume: 4 Issue: 1/2 Dated: March/June 1998 Pages: 116-137
Date Published
March 1998
Length
22 pages
Annotation
Clinical and empirical literature and standards of sex offender assessment and sex offender treatment are reviewed with respect to their impacts on the implementation of laws related to sex offenders.
Abstract
No consensus exists regarding what causes individuals to become sex offenders. However, current knowledge of this population affects the implications of these laws for initial diagnosis, risk assessment, and treatment implementation. The diagnosis of mental abnormality should follow currently accepted nomenclature and will probably result in a diagnosis related to a subset of paraphilia. Assessment should follow existing professional guidelines. The determination of sexual predator status should not be made on the basis of a paraphilic diagnosis alone, because significant heterogeneity exists in this population. The diagnosis should be combined with validated risk criteria. The presence of personality disorder alone, without indications of sexual psychopathy, should not result in an individual’s classification as a sexual predator. Appropriate application of the laws will result in the civil commitment of only the most high-risk sex offenders. Finally, policymakers and the public should recognize that these laws affect only a small number of offenders and will reduce victimization only slightly even if they are successful. Therefore, funding should focus on other prevention approaches such as early identification and intervention with adolescent offenders. 63 references