The Impact of Interpersonal Style on Ruptures and Repairs in the Therapeutic Alliance Between Offenders and Therapists in Sex Offender Treatment

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 709-728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachael Watson ◽  
Stuart Thomas ◽  
Michael Daffern
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Therapeutic Alliance ◽  
Therapeutic Relationship ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Group Treatment ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Psychological Treatment ◽  
Offender Treatment ◽  
Interpersonal Style ◽  
The Impact

The therapeutic relationship is a critical component of psychological treatment. Strain can occur in the relationship, particularly when working with offenders, and more specifically, those offenders with interpersonal difficulties; strain can lead to a rupture, which may affect treatment participation and performance. This study examined ruptures in the therapeutic relationship in sexual offenders participating in offense-focused group treatment. Fifty-four sex offenders rated the therapeutic alliance at the commencement and completion of treatment; at the completion of treatment, they also reported on the occurrence of ruptures and whether they believed these ruptures were repaired. Ruptures were separated by type, according to severity—Each relationship was therefore characterized as experiencing no rupture, a minor rupture, or a major rupture. Offender characteristics including interpersonal style (IPS) and psychopathy were assessed at the commencement of treatment; their relationship with ruptures was examined. Results revealed that more than half of the offenders (approximately 55%) experienced a rupture in the therapeutic alliance, with one in four of these ruptures remaining unresolved. Offenders who did not report a rupture rated the therapeutic alliance significantly higher at the end of treatment compared with those offenders who reported a rupture that was not repaired. Offenders who reported a major rupture in the therapeutic relationship were higher in interpersonal hostility and hostile-dominance. No interpersonal or offense-specific factors affected the likelihood of a rupture repair.

The Impact of Interpersonal Style and Interpersonal Complementarity on the Therapeutic Alliance Between Therapists and Offenders in Sex Offender Treatment

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachael Watson ◽  
Michael Daffern ◽  
Stuart Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Therapeutic Alliance ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Offender Treatment ◽  
Offender Rehabilitation ◽  
Sex Offender Treatment ◽  
Interpersonal Style ◽  
Rehabilitation Programs ◽  
Interpersonal Complementarity ◽  
The Impact

Therapist and treatment process variables affect the effectiveness of offender rehabilitation programs. This study examined the influence of therapists’ and offenders’ interpersonal styles (IPSs) and interpersonal complementarity on therapeutic alliance (TA). Seventy-five sex offenders and their therapists evaluated each other’s IPSs and the TA after 3 weeks of treatment. Offenders evaluated the TA more positively than therapists. Regarding the impact of IPS, therapist affiliation was positively correlated and therapist control was negatively correlated with offenders’ ratings of the TA; in other words, offenders evaluated the TA more strongly when therapists were perceived as affiliative, and weaker when therapists were viewed as controlling. Offender affiliation was positively correlated with therapists’ ratings of TA; in other words, therapists evaluated the TA more strongly when offenders were viewed as more affiliative; perceptions of offender control were unrelated to offenders’ ratings of TA. Complementarity in IPS between offenders and therapists did not affect TA.

The Use of Leuprolide Acetate in the Management of High-Risk Sex Offenders

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 930-951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandra Gallo ◽  
Jeffrey Abracen ◽  
Jan Looman ◽  
Elizabeth Jeglic ◽  
Robert Dickey
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Dependent Measure ◽  
Leuprolide Acetate ◽  
Offender Treatment ◽  
Term Outcome ◽  
Long Term Outcome

The present study investigates whether leuprolide acetate (Lupron) adds to the efficacy of traditional sex offender treatment. A group of sex offenders receiving both Lupron and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT; n = 25) were compared with a group of sex offenders receiving only CBT ( n = 22). Treated subjects were compared with norms available with reference to the Static-99R, as well as compared with a sample of untreated, nonsexual violent offenders ( n = 81), to provide baseline data regarding risk of violent recidivism. Results indicated that subjects receiving Lupron were at significantly higher risk of recidivism and significantly more likely to be diagnosed with a paraphilia than subjects receiving only CBT, a priori. Both treated groups of sexual offenders recidivated at substantially lower rates than predicted by the Static-99R. Currently, this study represents the only, long-term outcome study on Lupron administration using officially recorded recidivism as the primary dependent measure.

Evaluation of New Jersey's Sex Offender Treatment Program at the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center: Preliminary Results

2003 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen M. Zgoba ◽  
Wayne R. Sager ◽  
Philip H. Witt
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Correctional Facility ◽  
Treatment Center ◽  
Offender Treatment ◽  
Sexual Offense ◽  
Sex Offender Treatment ◽  
Sexual Offenses

This study examined 10-year sexual and non-sexual offense recidivism for sex offenders released from New Jersey's general prison system and from the Adult Diagnostic and Treatment Center (ADTC), New Jersey's correctional facility and treatment center for repetitive-compulsive sexual offenders. The study found that sexual offenders released from the ADTC had significantly lower rates of committing both non-sexual offenses and any offense, compared with the general prison population of sex offenders. For both groups, the 10-year sexual offense reconviction rates were relatively low, 8.6% for the ADTC offenders and 12.7% for the general prison sexual offenders, while reoffense rates for non-sexual offenses were 25.8% and 44.1% for ADTC and general prison sex offenders, respectively.

scholarly journals Managing Risk of Sex Offenders Released from Prisons: An exploration of how local communities respond to these events

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jordan Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
State Power ◽  
The State ◽  
Risk Society ◽  
Community Notification ◽  
Central State ◽  
Neoliberal Restructuring ◽  
The Impact

<p><b>Throughout the main Anglo-American democracies, state power has been tested in recent decades by the presentation of the risks posed by sexual offenders. The capacity of the state to take decisive action in these jurisdictions has been significantly challenged by neoliberal restructuring from the 1980s onwards, and criminal justice has been one of many policy areas affected by the shrinking of central state power. The development of intolerance for risk of sexual harm posed specifically by offenders released from prison has provided an opportunity for the state to take unique action to maintain an impression of control. As governments have sought extraordinary legislative and policy measures to control or remove these specific risks of sexual harm from the community, communities and individuals have responded to their place in the ecosystem of the risk society.</b></p> <p>The release of a high-risk sex offender into a community is a microcosm of the modus operandi of the modern state, providing a context through which the operation of the modern risk society can be examined. This thesis explores the reactions of three New Zealand communities to instances of de facto community notification of sex offender release, and explains the differences in their reactions through the lens of Zygmunt Bauman’s (2000a) Liquid Modernity. In each of the three case studies of Whanganui, Napier, and Ōtāhuhu I examine the processes around an instance of community release, the reactions of the community, and the impact of the incident within the community and the implications of this for our understanding of risk society.</p>

scholarly journals Volunteering With Sex Offenders: The Attitudes of Volunteers Toward Sex Offenders, Their Treatment, and Rehabilitation

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 659-675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Kerr ◽  
Ruth J. Tully ◽  
Birgit Völlm
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
General Public ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Offender Treatment ◽  
Offender Rehabilitation ◽  
Sex Offender Treatment ◽  
Attitudes Toward Sex

The general public has been shown to hold negative attitudes toward sexual offenders, sex offender treatment, and the rehabilitation of sexual offenders. It appears pertinent to the success of sex offender management strategies that utilise volunteers that selected volunteers do not share these attitudes. Here, volunteers for Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA), a community-based initiative supporting the reintegration of sex offenders, completed three validated psychometric measures assessing attitudes toward sex offenders in general and toward their treatment and rehabilitation. Responses were compared with a U.K. general public sample. The results showed that volunteers held more positive attitudes toward sex offenders, sex offender treatment, and sex offender rehabilitation than the U.K. general public sample. The significance of these findings is discussed alongside directions for future research.

Treatment Progress and Behavior Following 2 Years of Inpatient Sex Offender Treatment

Sexual Abuse ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill D. Stinson ◽  
Judith V. Becker ◽  
Lee Ann McVay
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Offender Treatment ◽  
Sex Offender Treatment ◽  
Regulatory Ability ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Emerging research highlights the role of self-regulation in the treatment of sexual offenders. Safe Offender Strategies (SOS) is a manualized sex offender treatment program that emphasizes the role of self-regulation and self-regulatory skills development in sex offender treatment, particularly for offenders with serious mental illness and intellectual/developmental disabilities. The current study involves 156 adult male sexual offenders in an inpatient psychiatric setting who received SOS treatment for a period ranging from 6 months to 1 year. Participants’ baseline and treatment data were obtained from archival medical records describing 1 year pre-treatment and up to 2 years of treatment participation. Dependent variables included monthly count rates of verbal and physical aggression and contact and noncontact sexual offending, as well as sexual deviancy attitudes, self-regulatory ability, and cooperation with treatment and supervision, as measured by the Sex Offender Treatment Intervention and Progress Scale (SOTIPS). Data were examined via paired-samples t tests, regression, and multilevel modeling, examining the impact of overall percentage of SOS groups attended over time, comparing participants’ baseline measures to data from 2 years of treatment. The impact of predicted risk was also evaluated. Significant treatment dose effects were identified for improvements in aggression, sexual offending, and indicators of treatment compliance and change. These findings suggest that the skills-based, self-regulation approach utilized in SOS may be effective in improving clients’ aggressive and sexual behaviors, attitudes toward their offenses and treatment, and self-regulatory ability over time. Implications for further research and treatment generalizability are discussed.

Special Applications of EMDR: Treatment of Performance Anxiety, Sex Offenders, Couples, Families, and Traumatized Groups

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 279-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald J. Ricci ◽  
Cheryl A. Clayton ◽  
Sandra Foster ◽  
Ignacio Jarero ◽  
Barry Litt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Group Treatment ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Performance Anxiety ◽  
Treatment Protocol ◽  
Offender Treatment ◽  
Sex Offender Treatment ◽  
Psychological Mechanisms ◽  
Large Groups

This article presents four brief reports that illustrate EMDR’s potential in addressing a range of pathologies and problems. These include traumatized groups, families and couples, sex offenders, and individuals with performance anxiety. Each brief report provides a short summary of the research, highlights current EMDR research, and points out what is needed for future investigations. Preliminary results suggest that the EMDR–integrative group treatment protocol may be an effective means of providing mental health care to large groups of people affected by critical incidents. The report titled “EMDR in Couples and Family Therapy” provides an overview of the field and describes the various ways in which EMDR is being incorporated. The presenting issue with performance anxiety is debilitating evaluation anxiety at the prospect of having to perform some important activity in front of an audience that matters a great deal to the client. Sex offender treatment is enhanced by an effective means of resolving psychological mechanisms that contribute to the dynamics of the offense chain.

scholarly journals Managing Risk of Sex Offenders Released from Prisons: An exploration of how local communities respond to these events

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jordan Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
State Power ◽  
The State ◽  
Risk Society ◽  
Community Notification ◽  
Central State ◽  
Neoliberal Restructuring ◽  
The Impact

<p><b>Throughout the main Anglo-American democracies, state power has been tested in recent decades by the presentation of the risks posed by sexual offenders. The capacity of the state to take decisive action in these jurisdictions has been significantly challenged by neoliberal restructuring from the 1980s onwards, and criminal justice has been one of many policy areas affected by the shrinking of central state power. The development of intolerance for risk of sexual harm posed specifically by offenders released from prison has provided an opportunity for the state to take unique action to maintain an impression of control. As governments have sought extraordinary legislative and policy measures to control or remove these specific risks of sexual harm from the community, communities and individuals have responded to their place in the ecosystem of the risk society.</b></p> <p>The release of a high-risk sex offender into a community is a microcosm of the modus operandi of the modern state, providing a context through which the operation of the modern risk society can be examined. This thesis explores the reactions of three New Zealand communities to instances of de facto community notification of sex offender release, and explains the differences in their reactions through the lens of Zygmunt Bauman’s (2000a) Liquid Modernity. In each of the three case studies of Whanganui, Napier, and Ōtāhuhu I examine the processes around an instance of community release, the reactions of the community, and the impact of the incident within the community and the implications of this for our understanding of risk society.</p>

Sex Offender Registration: Implications and Difficulties for Ireland

2000 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Marie McAlinden
Keyword(s):  
Sex Offenders ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Sexual Offending ◽  
Social Constructionist ◽  
Sex Offender Registration ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Justice Process ◽  
Criminal Justice Process ◽  
The Media

This paper explores the implications and difficulties of a system of sex offender registration for the two jurisdictions of Ireland. From the orthodox perspective, registration appears justified. Sexual offending has increase and this is used by the media to generate a ‘moral panic’. However, in terms of Blumer's (1971) developmental perspective, sexual offenders in the community have been socially constructed in Ireland, as a problem requiring specific action. This perspective most adequately explains the formulation of legislation. Arguments expounded in favour of registration include the supposedly high recidivism among sex offenders, the inadequacy of supervision provisions and the resulting need to ‘track’ the offender for public protection. Yet a plethora of obstacles which were not considered at the time the legislation was being formulated, such as cost and inadequate policing resources, may impede its effectiveness in aiding law enforcement and reduce it to symbolic significance only. Given these difficulties, I argue that registration is not an appropriate response to the problem of released sexual offenders in Ireland. Rather, from the social constructionist perspective, I suggest that it is better to ‘treat’ the sex offender through less formal and stringent means in the community, away from the criminal justice process.

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