NCJ Number
166779
Date Published
1997
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Mental health professionals attending the 1993 conference of the international Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers were surveyed to determine the professional and personal impacts of their work with sex offenders.
Abstract
Questionnaires were mailed to 332 persons, from whom 98 usable responses were received. The questionnaire contained 53 items that used both short answers and forced choices to gather information about experiences and reactions to working with sex offenders. The research used both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Results revealed that most participants were middle-aged men working with adults in private practices; many worked with sex offenders in more than one setting. Almost none of the participants regarded their academic experiences as central to their practice. Instead, they reported that workshops and seminars were their primary training experiences. Thirty percent noted that on-the-job training was an important source of preparation. Fifty-four percent regarded the recidivism rate as the measure of therapeutic success. A surprising finding was that participants rarely regarded formal assessment as a measure of therapeutic success. Personal and professional impacts included experiencing visual imagery about sexual violence (67 percent), changes in their own sexual behavior (48 percent), heightened anxiety about the safety of their children and grandchildren (59 percent), and fear for their own safety (54 percent). Coping methods included seeking supervision (79 percent), entering therapy (43 percent), and separation of work and personal life (31 percent). Further research is recommended. 3 references