There are different types of sex offenders and various treatment methods used with varying levels of effectiveness. Treatment aims to rehabilitate offenders through methods like cognitive therapy which teaches new ways of thinking, and medication which reduces testosterone and sex drives. While treatment can reduce recidivism rates, there are also obstacles like lack of funding, public reluctance to support such programs, and questionably effective prison programs. If an effective treatment is found that significantly reduces reoffending, it could benefit both victims and offenders.
2. • Treatment of an offender is the
action taken or the process used so
rehabilitation can be realized.
• There are many conflicting reports on
how effective the programs are. A
majority of the population feels the
treatment is a waste of time.
3. • Someone who has a sexual interest in
children or gets sexual pleasure from
violence has some form of mental
illness.
• There has been an increase in the
amount of people being sentenced for
violent sexual assault. Since nineteen
eighty there has been a fifteen percent
increase in rape. This is one of the
fastest increases of any violent crime.
4.
5. Three types of sex offenders:
• First offender: no previous record and with quick
intervention their recidivism rate can be reduced
significantly
• Chronic offender: offender may have a mental
condition that can usually mentally slow, inept and
impulsive, usually beyond the standard treatment
methods and require more intense treatment be
treated with medication
• Controlled Chronic offender: has sexual fantasies
that they like to play out, serial offenders and are
considered to be cold and calculating in their
actions. serial offenders and are considered to be
cold and calculating in their actions, antisocial.
6. • An analysis technique known as meta-analysis is used to
study the results of a series of results to make
generalizations of the effectiveness of treatment.
• one study the recidivism rate for treated sex offenders
was eleven percent while the recidivism rate for sexual
offenders that were untreated was seventeen point six
percent
• It also showed that child molesters that were treated
showed an eighteen percent recidivism rate while
untreated child molesters showed a twenty five percent
recidivism rate.
• Treatment can cut the recidivism rate in half for child
molesters and exhibitionists but it shows little difference
in rapists when comparing treated offenders to non
treated offenders.
7.
8. Obstacles of Treatment
• The public just wants to see these people locked up and punished.
• Society causes obstacles because they are reluctant to provide
money for these types of programs.
• Most of the money provided for these programs goes for community
based programs anyway so they receive little help while in prison.
This leads to untreated sexual offenders being released back into
society without any treatment .
• The political arena are afraid to support treatment programs for
sexual offenders. If it is known that they support these types of
programs they are sometimes considered to be “soft on crime”.
• Prisons offer treatment programs but the quality of these programs
is questionable.
• There tends to be high staff turn over in these facilities and the pay
for the staff offering these programs also tends to be low.
9.
10. • The cost of housing a sexual
offender can be double or triple that
of other offenders. One reason for
this is the fact that they run the risk
of being victimized and have to be
isolated from the general population.
11. • There are different types of
treatment programs. The three main
types of treatment that have been
used the majority of the time are
behavioral, cognitive and medical.
12.
13. Cognitive Method
• The cognitive method is a little more mental.
This approach tries to get the sexual
offender to change the way they view their
sex life and the world around them. It also
focuses on how the interact with other
people. They basically need to learn new roles
and ways to function in society. One
important lesson to learn from this type of
treatment is to learn to recognize the danger
signs of an impeding victimization and find
ways to direct those feelings in a
different, more positive direction.
14. Medication
• Medication is used to reduce the
amount of testosterone in the sexual
offender. The goal of medication
treatment is to reduce or suppress the
deviant sexual urges or fantasies.
• The medication only works while the
drug is being taken.
15. Castration
• By surgically removing the testicles of
a sexual offender this will take away
the sexual urge.
16. • Psychological treatment focuses on more
positive things.
• It was found that adopting a more positive
approach and focusing on the offender’s
strengths produced better results.
• It is believed that the offenders need to be
taught certain skills in order to reform. Some
of the skills that are focused on in a more
positive approach are self-
esteem, acceptance of
responsibility, relationship skills, coping and
mood management, sexual interest and having
a self-management plan.
17. • It is vital that the sexual offender has
a desire to change their behavior and
develop a normal sexual drive or at
least be able to control their urges.
18. • If we can find an effective form of
treatment which will reduce the
recidivism rate of sexual offenses it
will be a win win situation for the
public, the future victims, the
correctional facilities, and the sexual
offender themselves.