Therapy Does Not Cure Sex Offenders, Study
Featured ArticleMain Category: Psychology / Psychiatry
Also Included In: Mental Health; Public Health
Article Date: 30 Jun 2006 - 14:00 PDT
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Although psychological therapy may reduce the rate at which sex offenders re-offend, it does not cure them, say researchers from the University of London and the University of Leicester. Even so, psychological therapy, in some cases, has managed to reduce re-offending rates by 40%.
The types of sex offences covered in this study included: paedophilia, exhibitionism or sexual assault.
Sexual offending is a social problem as well as a public health issue, says the study. Convicted sex offenders generally have to undergo psychological treatment. The researchers wanted to investigate exactly how effective psychological treatment programmes are and whether they are too readily accepted uncritically?
Many say that as sex offending is not a medical problem, talking about 'a cure' is not the right approach. It should be seen as a problem, that with the right support, can be managed.
The researchers, specialists in psychology and criminology, looked at 9 published studies of 567 sex offenders in UK, USA, Canada and parts of Europe.
You can read about this study in the British Medical Journal.
In the UK under 10% of convicted sex offenders re-offend. The UK NHS, Prison Services, and Probation Services provide cognitive behavioural therapy most commonly.
Belinda Brooks-Green, Lecturer in Psychology, University of London, study leader, said "Offenders who successfully complete a treatment programme re-offend less often and less seriously than those who do not show that they have understood and worked through the relevant psychological issues. Better understanding of the outcomes of treatments - either controlling and moderating or harming and worsening behaviour - could at least focus on the most beneficial and cost-effective interventions."
The report said paedophilia cannot always be successfully treated. It states that better understanding of the outcomes of treatments could at least focus on the most beneficial and cost effective interventions.
Editorial: Psychological interventions for treatment of adult sexual offenders
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/333/7557/5
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
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Visitor Opinions In Chronological Order (4)
What Is A Sex Offender
posted by JW Kopp on 24 Jan 2008 at 9:40 amI have read the opinion that sex offenders cannot be cured. The label of "sex offender" is wide and varied. I can see if you were to say a pedophile cannot be cured, but to say a sex offender cannot be cured is ludicrous.
There are many people who are listed as "sex offender" that never had any problems with the law prior and nothing since a conviction. One case I know of the "sex offender" was in his own house and a child under the age of 16 looked into his bedroom window while he was masturbating and then turned him in. Another case I know of a man's daughter climbed into bed with him while he was sleeping and he was later accused of touching her inappropriately. He plead guilty to attempted sex abuse of a child because he was told he would go to prison for 20 years if the child had to testify. Prior to his arrest he had no issues with the law and since then, almost 18 years, he has had no issues with the law.
As I see it, the claims made here are made to inflame society with more hysteria and create more problems than before. As you mentioned, in England, less than 10% of treated "sex offenders" re-offend. Those numbers are similar in the United States.
People who seek out a child on the Internet are predators. People who deal in child pornography are pedophiles and possible predators. However, the wide listing of "sex offender" which covers people who urinate in public and are charged with indecent exposure, are not always predators or pedophiles. Looking into the backgrounds of such will determine if they just needed to take a leak and didn't know where a bathroom was.
Today, 93% of all molestations occur from people known to the victim. According to the research I have done, parents who have molested their child are only 3% likely to re-offend. Are the other 97% incurable?
This blanket statement and many like it are what is causing a reduction of the ability to tract those on the SOR lists. They are responsible for more draconian laws being passed that hinder the ability for those who need help to get it.
First, any person who has been convicted of a sex offense, been convicted, served his time and had sex offender treatment should have a chance to re-assimilate into society. However, upon a second offence, they should now be looked at as a pedophile or a predator and treated as such.
Many minors find themselves on the SOR because they were involved in sexual experimentation but now, after the Adam Walsh law, are classified along with pedophiles and predators. When doing research lets be specific with what we are looking into and not lumping everyone in the same category. Then, and only then, will we be able to protect children more effectively by tracking those who truly are pedophiles and predators, along with those who commit crimes of sexual violence.
If we don't do this the psychiatric community will be seen as money grabbers for funding due to the hysteria that they have created, while not giving those who want to correct the path they found themselves on more barriers than they already have.
Sex Offenders Can Be Cured
posted by Neil on 24 Jul 2010 at 7:12 amThe above opinion is quite accurate.
After years of research and experience, I know sex offenders can be cured. The above studies reflect current treatment methods. Using a popular phrase, if we keep on doing the same things, we will get the same results. Time for a change. If we truly care about making needed changes, these proven principles are the solution.
Research proven rehabilitation
posted by Don on 11 Dec 2010 at 6:19 amIn 1993, I took part in a pilot research program at Maryland'd Patuxent Institute, named the Maryland Transitional Offender Program (MTOP), under the direction of Dr. M. Haines. I found 85% of the participants to be like me, and 15% with higher than normal anger management issues. The top 4 to 5% were of the type to require major thearapy, constant monitoring and long-term supervision. (These are similar to the results Dr. Salter discovered in her research). I was convicted of child sexual abuse of my 14-year old step daughter. After numerous evaluation and therapy programs, 9 to be exact, all of which found me to be a non-violent, non-repeat domestic offender with a low risk of re-offending. I was precluded from some therapy programs because I had no precursors and was not violent. I had NEVER been in any kind of trouble with the law previous to this charge. I was leading a life as a chemical engineering researcher, respected community leader, youth baseball coach, and assistant professor at a local community college teaching meteorology. I have had a very rough road back to respectability. I now inspect bridges for Maryland State Highway and have been awarded for finding and reporting major defects on a bridge in a heavily visited tourist area. The recent Maryland law changed to give me a LIFETIME term of registration. The harrassment, persecution and humiliation this is causing has me on the very edge of giving up all hope of ever being reassimilated into society and giving to my fullest potential. By far, the largest hurdle is to change the media's portrayal of this 85% portion of sex offenders to our legislators. I am willing to take on that task if I can make the right contacts.
This is Ridiculous
posted by Nicole on 7 Jan 2011 at 10:53 amWhile I agree that the classifications are to broad, the idea that this study accurately depicts the true number of re-offenders is laughable. The pedophiles and predators are simply smarter the second time around most are not caught on their 1st attempt so how can you presume to know which of these predators act again. It also doesn't account for the actual impulses, to perpetrate these acts do they simply go away, I think not.
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