Understanding Treatment for Adults and Juveniles Who Have Committed Sex Offenses

November 2006

Introduction
Specialized treatment has been a mainstay of sex offender management approaches for several decades. In recent years, however, the heightened attention to sex crimes and its impact on victims and communities has resulted in a push for more punitive responses to the individuals who commit these crimes, including lengthier periods of confinement, tighter residency restrictions, expanded registration and community notification laws, and enhanced surveillance and monitoring strategies. The widespread focus on these types of “get tough” strategies consequently has begun to overshadow the important role of treatment in sex offender management efforts.

As has already been demonstrated by leading researchers in the general correctional field, however, an exclusive reliance on punishment-oriented and surveillance-driven approaches has limited impact on enhancing community safety (see, e.g., Andrews & Bonta, 2003; Aos, Miller, & Drake, 2006; Cullen & Gendreau, 2000). When offender management strategies include a rehabilitative focus, the outcomes are much more promising (Aos et al., 2006; Cullen & Gendreau, 2000).

Therefore, as stakeholders across the country are challenged to identify effective strategies for managing individuals who commit sex offenses and thereby ensure the safety of communities, the need to understand the role of treatment will undoubtedly arise. Yet when the topic is broached, it often raises more questions than answers. Most notable are questions about what treatment “is” for adults and juveniles who commit sex offenses, how it differs from other forms of treatment for different populations, and, of course, whether it has a significant impact on recidivism.

The purpose of this brief is to provide a broad overview of current research, professional literature, and practice trends relative to treatment for sexually abusive individuals, in an attempt to better illuminate this rather complex topic for those who have a stake in sex offender management. Although specialized clinicians may find this brief to be of interest, the primary intended audience is the range of other management professionals seeking to understand key issues about treatment for adults and juveniles who have committed sex offenses. ..more.. by Center for Sex Offender Management