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Title

Psychological assessment, treatment, and outcome with sex offenders.

Authors

Wood, Raymond M.; Grossman, Linda S.; Fichtner, Christopher G.; Wood, R M; Grossman, L S; Fichtner, C G

Abstract

The frequency and impact of sexual offenses have led to the recent enactment of sexual "predator" laws. Such laws are intended to reduce sexual violence through treatment and involuntary confinement. Sixty years ago, similar laws identifying "sexual psychopaths" were enacted and, in many states, eventually repealed for multiple reasons; among those reasons was an inability to demonstrate that treatment had any significant impact on recidivism. That inability forced us to reexamine, among other issues, the population(s) which undergo treatment, the outcomes that are used to measure treatment effectiveness, and the processes that constitute treatment itself. Those issues are considered in this paper through a review of treatment programs based on psychodynamic, behavioral, and cognitive-behavioral theories. Although the evidence is sparse, it is fair to conclude that the latter have been found to be effective. We call for dynamic measures, effective treatments, and the resources necessary for both developments.

Subjects

SEX offenders; PSYCHODIAGNOSTICS; RECIDIVISM; SEX crimes; SEXUAL psychology; HUMAN sexuality & law

Publication

Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 2000, Vol 18, Issue 1, p23

ISSN

0735-3936

Publication type

Academic Journal

DOI

10.1002/(SICI)1099-0798(200001/02)18:1<23::AID-BSL375>3.0.CO;2-D