Redesigning and evaluating an adapted sex offender treatment programme for offenders with an intellectual disability in a secure setting: preliminary findings

"I feel that if I didn't come to it anymore, maybe I would go back to my old ways and I don't want that to happen": Adapted sex offender treatment programmes: Views of service users with autism spectrum disorders

BACKGROUND

The cognitive and behavioural profile associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) includes difficulties with social interaction, communication and empathy. Each of these may present barriers to effective participation in sexual offending treatment, leading to poorer outcomes.

METHOD

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 men with autism and an intellectual disability (including the borderline range) who had completed an adapted sex offender treatment programme. Grounded Theory was used to explore the men's experiences of treatment and perceptions of risk.

RESULTS

The men's perceptions of sexual risk were inextricably linked to constructs of identity and shaped their opinions of treatment effectiveness. Risk of reoffending was conveyed through narratives of changes in self and circumstances and included notions of blame and culpability.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings illustrated some clear benefits for men with ASD associated with attending adapted sex offender treatment programmes, including delivery of treatment within groups and opportunities for social development. The study supports the view that difficulties with empathy and cognitive flexibility complicates treatment for sexual offending.

A Systematic Review of Behavioral Health Interventions for Sex Offenders With Intellectual Disabilities

This article reviews evaluation studies of programs designed to treat sex offenders with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) published in peer-reviewed journals between 1994 and 2014. The design of this study is mirrored after PRISMA (Preferred Reporting of Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) recommendations for conducting a systematic literature review. The study design, study setting, characteristics of participants, type of treatment, and intervention procedures comprise areas of focus for evaluating the implementation of treatment programs. Therapeutic outcomes include changes in attitudes consistent with sex offending, victim empathy, sexual knowledge, cognitive distortions, and problem sexual behaviors. Eighteen treatment evaluation studies were identified from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Cognitive-behavioral treatments were the most commonly delivered treatment modality to sex offenders with IDD. Other less common treatments were dialectical behavioral therapy, problem solving therapy, mindfulness, and relapse prevention. No randomized controlled trials were identified. The most common designs were multiple case studies and pre- and post-treatment assessments with no control and repeated measures follow-up. Small sample sizes, no control groups, and wide variation in treatment length and follow-up time complicate the qualitative synthesis of study findings. Short follow-up times introduce the potential for bias in conclusions surrounding treatment efficacy for many of the studies reviewed in this analysis. The overall quality of studies examining treatments for sex offenders with IDD is poor and requires further development before rendering firm conclusions about the effectiveness of interventions for this population.

Intellectual disability and indigenous Australians: an overview

The review summarizes important literature in the emerging field of intellectual disability (ID) in indigenous Australians. Search of various electronic databases revealed 19 papers that provide information regarding prevalence, sociodemographic factors, and issues in assessment and management. Overall, there is limited information regarding ID in indigenous Australians, which is reported to be more prevalent compared with nonindigenous Australians. Sociocultural constructs affect what is considered to be ID in indigenous communities and this may be at odds with western notions. Other difficulties include lack of validated psychometric instruments to effectively measure cognitive functioning in indigenous Australians. Prenatal, perinatal, and postnatal factors are significant factors that impair brain development and contribute to ID in indigenous communities. Comorbid physical and psychiatric disorders need to be assessed and managed. This paper provides an overview of current knowledge regarding this important area that requires further research, appropriate training, and resourcing.

Sex offenders with intellectual disabilities and their academic observers: popular methodologies and research interests

BACKGROUND

Over the past two decades, disability activists and scholars have developed research paradigms that aim to place (some of the) control over the research process in the hands of disabled people. This paper discusses the appropriateness of applying such paradigms to sex offenders with intellectual disabilities (ID). It exposes to what extent current research about this population is affected by these developments.

METHODS

A content analysis of a sample of 80 articles across 20 academic journals was carried out. This recorded the data collection methods used, to what extent the views of people with ID were represented, subject affiliations of the authors and the subject matter discussed.

RESULTS

Few studies make sense of the personal accounts of this population. Social scientists have mostly not engaged in this area of research, which results in significant gaps in knowledge.

CONCLUSIONS

We currently know little about the subjectivity of sex offenders with ID. Research that seeks to explore this may enhance our understanding of this population and thus contribute towards the effectiveness of preventative work and risk management.