Does Treatment for Sexual Offending Work?

Assessing the Effectiveness of a Specialized, Field-Based Treatment Program for Youth Who Have Committed Sexual Offenses in an Australian Jurisdiction

This study provides an evaluation of recidivism outcomes for a specialized, field-based treatment program for youth who perpetrate sexual offenses in an Australian jurisdiction. Using survival analyses, recidivism outcomes for the treatment group (n = 200), who were followed for an average of 5.07 years (SD = 3.13), were contrasted with a sample of sexually offending youth who were either referred but not accepted or not referred to the program (n = 295). Rates of sexual recidivism were low and not significantly different between the groups (9.5% for treated and 10.8% for untreated). Unadjusted Cox regression results indicated that the treated group were less likely to violently recidivate compared to the untreated group (HR = 1.41, 95% CI [1.01, 1.96]), but this effect became nonsignificant when controlling for offense history covariates (HR = 1.22, 95% CI [0.87, 1.72]). Both groups exhibited high rates of nonsexual offending during the follow-up period, and treatment factors including clinician-rated success, were found to be associated with a lower frequency of reoffending after treatment. Findings highlight important considerations for both practice and research. First, findings suggest the need for specialized programs to ensure factors associated with general recidivism are also addressed in treatment; second, findings reinforce potential utility for clinician-rated and structured assessments to inform treatment planning and outcomes. Finally, the findings raise the importance of appropriate comparison groups when designing evaluation studies, to accurately inform policy and practice.

Motives for Sex and Sexual Perpetration in College Men: An Exploratory Study

OBJECTIVE

Prior research has rarely focused on sexual motives (e.g., motives for having sex) when studying sexual violence perpetration prevention. The current study examined the role of sexual motives alongside other risk factors like alcohol expectancies in predicting sexual violence.

METHOD

We analyzed data from 205 male college students; 36% reported sexual perpetration of some type. Participants completed a series of questionnaires in a randomized order, including: measures of prior sexual perpetration, sexual motives, rape myth acceptance, alcohol expectancies, and a measure of social desirability. Data were analyzed using a series of T-tests and logistic regressions.

RESULTS

With one exception (coping motives), all sexual motives (intimacy, enhancement, self-affirmation, peer approval, and partner approval) were endorsed at higher levels by individuals who perpetrated sexual violence than those who did not (p < .05, Cohen's d = .25-.56). The partner approval motive significantly predicted sexual violence perpetration on its own. The enhancement motive, both independently and in interaction with alcohol expectancies for aggression, predicted sexual violence perpetration. Two other motives, intimacy and self-affirmation, were only significant in interaction with alcohol expectancies for aggression.

CONCLUSION

All sexual motives were endorsed more frequently by those who perpetrated sexual violence than those who did not. Sexual motives had a complex interaction with alcohol expectancies in predicting sexual violence perpetration. The results suggest that intervention programs should emphasize healthy, consensual sexual relationships that do not involve alcohol.

[Patient Factors in Offender Treatment: Personality, Therapy Motivation and Outcome]

Using a systematic literature review according to the PRISMA criteria, patient factors of offenders were related to forensic outcomes. Searches were conducted in the PsycInfo and PSYNDEX databases; further relevant studies were taken from the bibliographies of studies that met the selection criteria. Only quantitative empirical studies for the period 1990-2021 were included. Findings from 31 studies on patient factors (personality, therapy motivation, therapy expectation, satisfaction with therapy) are reported. Patient factors could not always be consistently associated with outcomes. The clearest correlations were found between the expression of anti- or dissocial personality traits and/or psychopathy and (negative) therapy outcomes. Traits usually associated with antisocial developments (impulsivity, anger, rage, hostility) in some cases also correlated negatively with therapeutically desirable outcomes. Patient motivation for therapy should generally have a positive impact on the likelihood of successful forensic therapies, but not all relevant studies pointed in this direction. No studies were identified on the relationships between therapy expectancy or satisfaction and outcome. Based on general psychotherapy research, we suggest that offender therapy could benefit from broader approaches to studying therapy effectiveness.

Moderators of Sexual Recidivism as Indicator of Treatment Effectiveness in Persons With Sexual Offense Histories: An Updated Meta-analysis

The present meta-analysis is an update of the meta-analysis by Schmucker and Lösel [Campbell Syst. Rev. 2017; 13: 1-75], which synthesized evidence on sexual recidivism as an indicator of treatment effectiveness in persons with sexual offense histories. The updated meta-analysis includes 37 samples comprising a total of 30,394 individuals with sexual offense histories, which is nearly three times the sample size reported by Schmucker and Lösel (2017: 28 samples, N = 9781). In line with Schmucker and Lösel (2017), the mean treatment effect was small with an odds ratio of 1.54 [95% CI 1.22, 1.95] (p < .001). A moderator analysis suggested three predictors of importance, i.e., risk level, treatment specialization, and author confounding. Greater treatment effectiveness was suggested in high- and medium-compared to low-risk individuals and in specialized compared to non-specialized treatments. Authors affiliated with treatment programs reported larger effectiveness than independent authors. These findings were overall in line with Schmucker and Lösel (2017), though the effects of risk level and treatment specialization were stronger in the current meta-analysis. The findings of the updated meta-analysis reinforce the evidence for the first and second principle of the Risk-Need-Responsivity model. The results may support researchers and decision-makers in interpreting the current evidence on sexual recidivism as an indicator of treatment effectiveness, and, based on that, implement and carry out informative, methodologically sound evaluations of ongoing treatment programs in persons with sexual offense histories.

Development of a risk assessment tool for Japanese sex offenders: The Japanese Static-99

In Japan, sexual offending, especially paraphilic sexual offending, has become a major problem, and approximately 3000 people are arrested for frotteuristic and voyeuristic behavior each year. Considering the repetitive nature of such behaviors, determining the recidivism risk is imperative. Globally, Static-99 is one of the most widely used actuarial risk assessment tools to predict recidivism among sex offenders. However, sexual offending is largely influenced by social and cultural backgrounds, and whether risk factors identified in the West are applicable to other countries is unknown. Therefore, we developed a Japanese version of the Static-99 and examined its reliability and validity with 167 Japanese paraphilic sex offenders. The results showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.88) and predictive accuracy (area under the curve = 0.76). The results indicate that the Japanese Static-99 can be used with Japanese sex offenders. Moreover, risk factors identified in the Western context are applicable to Japanese sex offenders despite the different nature and manifestations of their offending.

The Effectiveness of Psychological Treatment in Adult Male Convicted for Sexual Offenses Against Children: A Systematic Review

Child sexual abuse is a public health problem of global magnitude with profound and negative consequences for the victims and society. Thus, psychological intervention with individuals who sexually offended against children is crucial for reducing recidivism. Numerous reviews and meta-analyses have shown the effectiveness of psychological interventions in individuals who sexually offended, but few reviews have been done on this subtype of offenders. This article reviews evaluation studies of intervention programs designed to treat individuals who sexually offended against children, providing a more detailed account of treatment procedures. Articles were identified from peer-reviewed databases, bibliographies, and experts. Following full-text review, 12 studies were selected for inclusion by meeting the following criteria: quantitative or qualitative research studies published in English from 2000 to 2020 with titles or abstracts that indicated a focus on treatment effectiveness, detailing the psychological treatment procedures on adult, male individuals convicted for child sexual abuse. Cognitive-behavioral therapy with a relapse prevention approach was the most frequent modality found in child sexual offending treatment. Besides, different criminogenic and non-criminogenic factors emerge as targets for intervention. Study design, study quality, and intervention procedures shortened the accumulation of evidence in treatment effectiveness.

Implementation of a Treatment Program for Individuals Imprisoned for Sex Offenses in Uruguay: Achievements, Problems and Challenges

Treatment for individuals convicted of sex offenses has substantially improved in developed countries in recent decades, providing practitioners with an extensive literature to guide the implementation of effective programs to reduce sexual reoffending. Nevertheless, sexual offending rehabilitation is still in its infancy in Latin American countries such as Uruguay, so little is known about the transference and implementation of evidence-based programs. The current study examines the strengths, barriers, and challenges of implementing a sex offenses treatment program in Uruguay. The findings suggest some achievements of the program, but also several problems with implementation. Some problems are universal among different countries (e.g., scarce resources and facilities, insufficiently trained staff, and unexpected changes in the organization), but others were particularly relevant in the Uruguayan context (e.g., government policy alien to a rehabilitation approach, lack of appropriate prison facilities, lack of training for therapists from a cognitive-behavioral perspective). All these difficulties must be anticipated and solved for successful generalizability of rehabilitation programs to different correctional systems.