“I Am a Different Man Now”—Sex Offenders in Circles of Support and Accountability: A Prospective Study

2015 ◽  
Vol 61 (7) ◽  
pp. 751-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mechtild Höing ◽  
Bas Vogelvang ◽  
Stefan Bogaerts
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Problem Solving Skills

In Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA), a group of trained and supervised volunteers support a sex offender (core member in a circle), with the aim of supporting the core member’s transitions toward full desistance. A prospective, multi-method design was used to explore psychological and social transitions in core members. Data were collected at the start of their circle, after 6 months, and after 12 months. Qualitative data were collected in semi-structured interviews with 17 core members and a total of 29 professionals, and analyzed with Kwalitan, a computer-assisted program for qualitative data analysis. Quantitative data were assessed with self-report questionnaires for sex offenders. Mean differences between t0, t1, and t2 were tested with repeated-measures ANOVAs. Qualitative results indicated improvements in reflective skills, openness, and problem-solving skills, as well as social skills, agency, and self-regulation. Quantitative results documented improvements in emotion regulation and internal locus of control, and positive trends in self-esteem and coping skills. Due to the small sample size, our results must be interpreted with caution. Core members as well as professionals reported a unique contribution of circles to their process, but this claim needs further confirmation.

scholarly journals Self-harm and suicidality among three subgroups of male sex offenders: results from an Australian prisoner cohort

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathew Gullotta ◽  
David Greenberg ◽  
Olayan Albalawi ◽  
Armita Adily ◽  
Azar Karminia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Suicide Attempts ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Violent Offenders ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Psychiatric Medication ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
Self Report Data

Abstract Objective Prisoners complete suicide and self-harm more frequently than members of the community. Sex offenders have been found to be at greater risk of engaging in these behaviours. This study examines the characteristics, prevalence, and predictors of self-harm and suicide attempts among: sex offenders that only victimise children (ChildSOs); adults (AdultSOs); or both (age-crossover polymorphous; PolySOs). Methods Data from three waves (1996, 2001, 2009) of the New South Wales (NSW) Inmate Health Survey was linked to the State’s re-offending database to identify men with histories of sexual offending. The health surveys captured self-report data on self-harm and suicidality. Results Non-sexual violent offenders (15%) and AdultSOs (14%) had the highest rate of self-harm, significantly more than ChildSOs (11%), non-sexual non-violent offenders (10%), and PolySOs (0%). Several factors significantly predicted self-harm at the bivariate level for both ChildSOs and AdultSOs, with unique predictors for each group. At the multivariate level, manic-depression trended towards significance for ChildSOs and any mental health condition remained a significant predictor for AdultSOs who self-harmed relative to AdultSOs who had not (aOR = 11.989, 95%CI [1.14, 126.66]). Approximately 23% of AdultSOs, 22% of PolySOs, and 19% of ChildSOs reported a suicide attempt throughout their lifetime, whereas only 15% of non-sexual non-violent offenders reported an attempt. At the bivariate level, few factors were significant for ChildSOs while several factors were significant for AdultSOs. At the multivariate level, a diagnosis of depression and treatment with psychiatric medication trended towards being significant predictors of suicide attempts for ChildSOs. In contrast, treatment with psychiatric medication (aOR = 25.732, 95%CI [1.91, 347.19])] remained a significant predictor for AdultSOs who attempted suicide relative to AdultSOs who had not, as well as historical psychiatric hospitalisation (aOR = 6.818, 95%CI [1.04, 44.82]) and self-harm (aOR = 5.825, 95%CI [1.31, 25.99]). Conclusion Sex offenders are at significantly higher risk of attempting and completing suicide relative to non-sexual non-violent offenders and warrant special attention. The prevalence rates and predictors of self-harm and suicidality suggest differences between sex offender subgroups may exist. These hold implications for the criminal justice and public health systems for addressing needs and identifying those most at risk of self-harm and suicide.

Female Sex Offenders: A Comparison of Solo Offenders and Co-Offenders

2006 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna M. Vandiver
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Sexual Offense ◽  
Female Sex Offenders ◽  
Female Victims ◽  
Female Sex ◽  
Small Sample Sizes ◽  
Cross National

Even though much of the prior sex offender literature focuses on males, recent research has included females as offenders. Such research, however, has been limited by small sample sizes. Several researchers have proposed typologies of female sex offenders that include both females who act alone (i.e., solo offenders) and females who act with another person (i.e., co-offenders), often a male. The current research includes a cross-national sample of 123 females who were solo offenders and 104 who were co-offenders. It was found that the two groups of females were not significantly different in regard to their age, race, time of offense, and the location of the offense. Co-offenders were more likely than solo offenders to have more than one victim, to have both male and female victims, to be related to the victim, and to have a nonsexual offense in addition to the sexual offense listed.

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

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip L. Marotta
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Behaviors ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Evaluation Studies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Qualitative Synthesis ◽  
Problem Solving Therapy

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.

Faking Sexual Preference

1988 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 379-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Kaine ◽  
M. Crim ◽  
Guyon Mersereau
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Development ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
False Negative ◽  
Sexual Preference ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Maximum Response ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Audiovisual Stimuli ◽  
Preferred Stimulus

Erectile assessments of sexual preference have been found quite reliable. Their validity, however, has been questioned with some findings that are at variance with the clinical data. These apparently distorted results could be either false positive or false negative responses. The former may be due to faking, which is the act of feigning a spurious positive response to a non-preferred stimulus, and the latter could be from suppressing, which is producing a spurious negative response to one's natural sexual preference. In this study, phallometric testing with a mercury-in-rubber strain gauge and Model 240 Parks Plethysmograph was used in conjunction with a mid-lumbar pressure sensor. Twenty subjects, half of whom were sex offenders, were tested with visual and audiovisual stimuli depicting male and female models at various ages and degrees of sexual development. Other testing included self-report questionnaires and estimates of age and sexual development. It was found that both groups significantly reduced penile tumescence when instructed to suppress to their stated sexual preference in the audiovisual series. A significant reduction was also obtained in suppressing to the category to which they had a maximum response in the same series. When both groups were instructed to fake to a non-preferred stimulus, the levels of arousal generated were quite variable and not significantly different from those obtained before instruction. Extraneous movement as measured by the lumbar pressure device was markedly greater in our three incest offenders. The meaning of this finding is unclear. Sex offenders as a group were found to be significantly more variable in their responses than controls. In the sex offender group, alcoholics had a significantly lower maximum response, but no such affect of alcohol was found in the control group.

Computer-assisted rehabilitation of attention in patients with multiple sclerosis: results of a randomized, double-blind trial

2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
MP Amato ◽  
B Goretti ◽  
RG Viterbo ◽  
E Portaccio ◽  
C Niccolai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Cognitive Rehabilitation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Neuropsychological Battery ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Serial Addition ◽  
Attention Dysfunction

Background: There is controversial information on the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective: The objective of this paper is to test a home-based computerized program for retraining attention dysfunction in MS. Methods: Relapsing–remitting patients who failed > 2 tests of attention on an extensive neuropsychological battery were randomized to specific or nonspecific computerized training (ST, n-ST), in one-hour sessions, twice a week for three months. Outcome measures included neuropsychological assessment, depression, fatigue, everyday activities and a visual analogue scale assessing attentive performance (VAS). Assessments were repeated after the interventions and after a further three months. Statistical analysis included the analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures. Results: Eighty-eight out of 102 randomized patients completed the study (69 women, age 40.9 ± 11.5 years, disease duration 13.0 ± 8.7 years, Expanded Disability Status Scale score 2.7 ± 1.5). Fifty-five patients were randomized to ST, 33 to n-ST. A benefit of the ST was observed on the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test ( p < 0.002). However, patient self-report did not reveal differences between ST and n-ST patient groups. Conclusion: Although our program trained different attention components, we could detect some improvements exclusively on tasks of sustained attention. Moreover, patient self-perceived results may be independent of the training program.

Self-Regulated Learning Development in Undergraduate ESL Writing Classrooms: Teacher Feedback Versus Self-Assessment

RELC Journal ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 003368822095778
Author(s):  
Kayatri A/P Vasu ◽  
Yong Mei Fung ◽  
Vahid Nimehchisalem ◽  
Sabariah Md Rashid
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Instructional Practice ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Teacher Feedback ◽  
Adaptive Behaviour ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Self Regulated Learning ◽  
Regulated Learning ◽  
Quasi Experimental

In the English as a second language (ESL) research context, teachers are committed to ensuring that students are aware of their writing skills and the kinds of errors they make in their writing. This explains why teacher feedback is frequently practised in the writing classrooms. Self-assessment is another supplementary strategy that provides opportunity for ESL students to take control of their learning. This study investigated the effects of self-assessment and indirect teacher feedback on self-regulated learning (SRL). A quasi-experimental design with an embedded experimental model was used in this research. Three intact classes were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. This study utilised both quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data were obtained through the Self-Regulation Strategy Inventory Self-Report. The qualitative data were derived from the SRL microanalytic protocol. The findings revealed that both self-assessment and indirect teacher feedback helped learners become more self-regulated. However, self-assessment reduced maladaptive behaviours more than indirect teacher feedback. This study concludes that self-assessment is an effective instructional practice that promotes SRL in terms of goal setting, strategy planning, strategy use, attribution and adaptive behaviour. It is recommended that self-assessment be part of an instructional practice rather than an alternative strategy in the writing class.

Learning to Pass: Sex Offenders' Strategies for Establishing a Viable Identity in the Prison General Population

2005 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 614-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Schwaebe
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
General Population ◽  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Treatment Program ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Offender Treatment ◽  
Sex Offender Treatment ◽  
Prison Life ◽  
Treatment Context

This article endeavors to illustrate the realities of prison life for sex offenders and the means by which they attempt to establish viable identities and acquire a survivable niche in the prison general population, particularly when established identities and protective niches are put at risk by entry into a sex offender treatment program. Qualitative data was collected by repeatedly interviewing a cohort of sex offenders for 6 months as they completed a basic sex offender treatment program. The findings indicate a need to include consideration of treatment context in understanding the limits of treatment gain in prison-based programs.

Cultural Awareness of Students in Communication Sciences and Disorders: A Mixed-Methods Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 1231-1242
Author(s):  
Celeste Domsch ◽  
Lori Stiritz ◽  
Jay Huff
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Global Awareness ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Short Term Study

Purpose This study used a mixed-methods design to assess changes in students' cultural awareness during and following a short-term study abroad. Method Thirty-six undergraduate and graduate students participated in a 2-week study abroad to England during the summers of 2016 and 2017. Quantitative data were collected using standardized self-report measures administered prior to departure and after returning to the United States and were analyzed using paired-samples t tests. Qualitative data were collected in the form of daily journal reflections during the trip and interviews after returning to the United States and analyzed using phenomenological methods. Results No statistically significant changes were evident on any standardized self-report measures once corrections for multiple t tests were applied. In addition, a ceiling effect was found on one measure. On the qualitative measures, themes from student transcripts included increased global awareness and a sense of personal growth. Conclusions Measuring cultural awareness poses many challenges. One is that social desirability bias may influence responses. A second is that current measures of cultural competence may exhibit ceiling or floor effects. Analysis of qualitative data may be more useful in examining effects of participation in a short-term study abroad, which appears to result in decreased ethnocentrism and increased global awareness in communication sciences and disorders students. Future work may wish to consider the long-term effects of participation in a study abroad for emerging professionals in the field.

From Bi-Dimensionality to Uni-Dimensionality in Self-Report Questionnaires

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bjarne Schmalbach ◽  
Markus Zenger ◽  
Michalis P. Michaelides ◽  
Karin Schermelleh-Engel ◽  
Andreas Hinz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor Model ◽  
Common Factor ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Model Fit ◽  
Self Report ◽  
External Criterion ◽  
Common Factor Model ◽  
Random Intercept ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Core Self

Abstract. The common factor model – by far the most widely used model for factor analysis – assumes equal item intercepts across respondents. Due to idiosyncratic ways of understanding and answering items of a questionnaire, this assumption is often violated, leading to an underestimation of model fit. Maydeu-Olivares and Coffman (2006) suggested the introduction of a random intercept into the model to address this concern. The present study applies this method to six established instruments (measuring depression, procrastination, optimism, self-esteem, core self-evaluations, and self-regulation) with ambiguous factor structures, using data from representative general population samples. In testing and comparing three alternative factor models (one-factor model, two-factor model, and one-factor model with a random intercept) and analyzing differential correlational patterns with an external criterion, we empirically demonstrate the random intercept model’s merit, and clarify the factor structure for the above-mentioned questionnaires. In sum, we recommend the random intercept model for cases in which acquiescence is suspected to affect response behavior.

Assessing Collaborative Behavior in Students

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Krkovic ◽  
Sascha Wüstenberg ◽  
Samuel Greiff
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Seventh Graders ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Personality Tests ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Knowledge Application ◽  
Computer Agent ◽  
Collaborative Behavior ◽  
Confirmatory Factor

Abstract. Skilful collaborative problem-solving is becoming increasingly important in various life areas. However, researchers are still seeking ways to assess and foster this skill in individuals. In this study, we developed a computer-assisted assessment for collaborative behavior (COLBAS) following the experiment-based assessment of behavior approach (objective personality tests; Cattell, 1958 ). The instrument captures participants’ collaborative behavior in problem-solving tasks using the MicroDYN approach while participants work collaboratively with a computer-agent. COLBAS can thereby assess problem-solving and collaborative behavior expressed through communication acts. To investigate its validity, we administered COLBAS to 483 German seventh graders along with MicroDYN as a measure of individual problem-solving skills and questions regarding the motivation to collaborate. A latent confirmatory factor analysis suggested a five-dimensional construct with two problem-solving dimensions (knowledge acquisition and knowledge application) and three collaboration dimensions (questioning, asserting, and requesting). The results showed that extending MicroDYN to include collaborative aspects did not considerably change the measurement of problem-solving. Finally, students who were more motivated to collaborate interacted more with the computer-agent but also obtained worse problem-solving results.

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