Preview

Sex Offender Treatment Programmes (SOTP)

Best Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2618 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Sex Offender Treatment Programmes (SOTP)
Critically evaluate the current methods employed in the Sex Offender Treatment Programmes (SOTP). Include in your answer an overview of their theoretical foundations
Sexual offenders are complex individuals for the Criminal Justice System (CJS) to effectively deal with. The offences committed by these individuals are recognized as serious and harmful to both their victims and the general public. Crown Prosecution Service (2010) stated the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (the Act) came into force on the 1 May 2004. It repealed almost all of the existing statute law in relation to sexual offences. The purpose of the Act was to strengthen and modernise the law on sexual offences, whilst improving preventative measures and the protection of individuals …show more content…
It has also shown that sex offending is a very debatable issue within society. Sex offenders are seen to be some of the most dangerous types of offenders and so are feared by the general public, however, it has also shown that in spite of sex offending being a real problem it is also somewhat of a moral panic as the fear of this type of offending is inconsistent to the amount of these types of crimes being committed compared to other violent crimes. You can see that although the general public are fearful of sex offenders they are happy with the programmes in place to treat them, but without feeling 100% happy that they actually work. Although research over time has shown that these programmes are more successful in reducing reoffending than not using any intervention or treatment measures at all, it has also shown that they may not be as successful as we are led to believe. By improving methods of testing the programme’s effectiveness and by completing more research into the different components of the SOTPs they could be enhanced and therefore increase success rates. Although the operation of these recommendations may be difficult, it is very essential that the government gives them particular consideration if public protection and …show more content…
(2011). Who, what, why: When is a sex offender not a risk?. Retrieved May 7th 2012, From, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12478584

Beech, A. Fisher, D. Beckett, R. (1998). STEP 3: An evaluation of the prison sex offender treatment programme. Home Office. London.

Beech, A. Leam, C. Browne, K. (2009) Assessment and Treatment of Sex Offenders: A Handbook. Retrieved May 7th 2012, From http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bkrZNvxlzd8C&printsec=frontcover&dq=sex+offenders&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3LOnT46GO4ew8gOh3tDxBg&ved=0CGwQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=sex%20offenders&f=false

Beech. A., Oliver. C., Fisher, D., Beckett, R. (2005). STEP 4: The Sex Offender Treatment Programme in Prison: addressing the offending behaviour of rapists and sexual murderers. London: Home Office.

Brown, I. (1993) The Changing Role of Probation and Parole: A View to the Future, Retrieved May 7th 2012, From, http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/Content/getdoc/dce13209-622b-49f4-8f68-7d5c7c4e3ec9/Brown-Isiah-paper.aspx

Brown, S. (2005). Treating Sex Offenders: An introduction to sex offender treatment programmes. Cullumpton: Willan
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    External Forensic Scenarios
    • 475 Words
    • 2 Pages

    External Forensic Scenarios

    Outpatient is part of community aftercare that includes offenders that have been released and plays a major role in decreasing recidivism and relapse (Roberts, 2008). The outpatient setting may offer clients anger management, domestic violence groups, substance abuse services, and follow-ups for sex offenders. In addition, the correctional facility goals are to prevent recidivism and relapse of offenders upon released. Moreover, in the correctional facility, offenders do not have the freedom as an outpatient. For example, it has to be decided to allow an offender in minimum security to attend a parent…

    • 475 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    Megans Law

    • 1473 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Megans Law

    Center for Sex Offender Management. “Public Opinion and the Criminal Justice System:Building Support for Sex Offender Management Programs.” Center for Sex Offender Management . N.p., Apr. 2000. Web. 1 Mar. 2012. <http://www.csom.org/‌pubs/‌pubpinion.pdf>…

    • 1473 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Annotated Bibliography Of Juvenile Sex Offenders
    • 192 Words
    • 1 Page

    Annotated Bibliography Of Juvenile Sex Offenders

    The following annotated bibliography provides peer reviewed articles surrounding the topic of juvenile sex offenders (JSO) and treatment to reduce recidivism rates. The terms juvenile sex offender and adolescent sex offenders (ASO) are used interchangeably. The treatment provided below is of Multisystemic Therapy (MST). MST is a family focused, community-based treatment that literature has proven to be significantly effective. The articles below will touch upon the efficacy of MST on JSO’s and nonsexual juvenile offenders, advantages and disadvantages of MST, and the implications on practice. The undersigned has significant interest in this population due to society’s assumptions that this population is specialized and requires specialized…

    • 192 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Female Offenders Research Paper
    • 1520 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Female Offenders Research Paper

    Over three-quarters of the 1,006 survey respondents supported drug and alcohol treatment (77%) and almost three quarters supported compulsory work in the community (72%) and counseling (74%). Over two in three (67%) said prison was not likely to reduce offending and three in four (73%) did not think mothers of young children should be sent to prison. Another great point made to support this issue is the fact that it is way cheaper to treat a woman for her underlying issues rather than to imprison her and have the government care for her children while she is in…

    • 1520 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Research Paper Outline
    • 703 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Research Paper Outline

    B. Greenblatt, Alan. "Sex Offenders." CQ Researcher 8 Sept. 2006: 721-44. Web. 3 Apr. 2013.…

    • 703 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Criminal Justice Professional Roles
    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Criminal Justice Professional Roles

    There are numerous amounts of key social issues contributing to the need for criminal justice practitioners. The three main issues that we are going to discuss are sex offenders,…

    • 1194 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Essay On Sex Offender Registration
    • 2023 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Essay On Sex Offender Registration

    Sex offender registration is a vital part of the corrections system as it keeps track of those who have committed crimes of a sexual nature against innocent victims. However, the sex offender registration system that is in place now has had its own beginning and changed over time to become the system it is today. J. Edgar Hoover, who was the director of the FBI in 1937, “declared a war on the ‘sexual criminal’ and implored the American people to consider the fact that the ‘sex fiend, most loathsome of all the vast army of crime, has become a sinister threat to the safety of American Childhood and womanhood” (Hemmens, 2007). Despite the massive efforts taken to ensure public safety, these types of crimes are still a threat today.…

    • 2023 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Sex Offender Treatment Intervention
    • 1787 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Sex Offender Treatment Intervention

    The success of sexual offender treatment interventions is a notable focus for many countries throughout the world (Lösel & Schmucker, 2005). This is…

    • 1787 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Sexual Assault In Prison
    • 1167 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Sexual Assault In Prison

    Thesis: Sexual assaults in prison are a problem because they can lower the self esteem of the victim and it can also contribute to the spread of incurable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, but there are some solutions to these problems.…

    • 1167 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Juvenile Sex Offenders
    • 1399 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Juvenile Sex Offenders

    The first juvenile sex offender treatment program was developed the 1975, with most structured programs not emerging until the 1980s. By the late 1980s, the National Task Force on Juvenile Sexual Offending (1988) urged mandatory treatment policies for juvenile sex offenders in an effort to prevent recidivism. By 1992, a North American survey identified over 750 outpatient and residential juvenile sexual offender treatment programs. (Reitzel, 2006, p. 402). Until the 1980s, adolescent sexual offenders received little attention in the research literature. Their behavior was often explained as normal experimentation or developmental curiosity, and the focus of investigation of deviant sexual behavior was on adult sexual offenders. However, crime reports and surveys have indicated that adolescents are responsible for about 20% of rapes and 30% to 50% of cases of child sexual abuse. (Veneziano, 2000, p. 363). Few studies have focused specifically on recidivism rates of these young offenders, and even fewer studies focused on re-arrests during more than one developmental stage of life. Also, much of this research has been limited to relatively small sample sizes, with most studies relying on samples of fewer than 150. (Vandiver, 2006, p. 675). The research on juvenile sexual offender recidivism vary widely in terms of sample size, statistical methodology, length of follow-up, type and intensity of treatment, as well as how recidivism is defined. Recidivism has been defined by various methods including self-reports, criminal charges, convictions and adult incarceration. The lack of consistency among studies makes it difficult to generalize the results of a particular study to the general population of juvenile sex offenders. Within these limitations, an overall picture still consistently emerges that supports the…

    • 1399 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Sex Offenders
    • 1245 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Sex Offenders

    Most of the programs are in prisons or in communities the offenders live in after they are released. There are three common therapeutic ways to treat sex offenders. The first one is cognitive-behavioral approach that emphases on changing the thinking related to sexual offending. The second one is psycho-educational approach that emphases on increasing the sex offenders' sympathy for their victims and educates them to take responsibility for offenses. The last one is the pharmacological approach that involves using medication to treat sex offenders (Bureau of Justice Assistance).…

    • 1245 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Chemical Castration
    • 1702 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Chemical Castration

    Sex offenders have been a serious problem for our legal system at all levels, not to mention those who have been their victims. Sadly, many of those assaults are perpetrated by people who have already been through the correctional system only to victimize again. Sex offenders, as a class of criminals, are nine times more likely to repeat their crimes (Oakes 99). This presents a problem for the public, as potential victims, and the legal system which is entrusted by the public for protection. It would be irresponsible for the legal system to ignore the criminal class of sex offenders, for they are subject to a recurring physiological urge that requires the use of effective restraints that would curb the habitual repetition of episodes producing the harmful consequences to the public (Schopf 95). Both surgical and chemical castrations are techniques used in various forms in this country and abroad with success. However, both forms of castrations have not come about without criticism on constitutional grounds. Any criticism should take into account the extraordinary recidivism rates found only in the criminal class of the sex offender. A more recent study, published in the same journal, by Looman et al in 2000 suggests the opposite. Of the released sex offenders they studied they found a 23.6 percent recidivism rate for those treated while a 51.7 percent rate for the untreated group. They also conducted an analysis separately on the outcome for men who had previous sexual convictions. Those with no previous sexual offense convictions had a 20.9 percent recidivism rate of the treated men compared to 42.9 percent of the untreated men. Of the men with previous sexual offenses, 26.1 percent of the treated group sexually reoffended compared to 73.1 percent of the untreated men. According to this study, treatment is invaluable in minimizing the recidivism of sex offenders with previous…

    • 1702 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Female Sex Offenders
    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Female Sex Offenders

    Mathews, Matthews, and Speltz (1987) and Patton (1987), report on a study of 16 female sexual offenders who were in the Genesis II treatment project in Minnesota. All but one of the women studied were victims of childhood sexual abuse and many were also victims of physical abuse. There were strong and consistent patterns of childhood social isolation, alienation, and lack of development of interpersonal skills in the women studied. Three categories of female sex offenders were described; the “Teacher/Lover,” “Predisposed” and “Male-Coerced”…

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Juvenile Sex Offenders
    • 6873 Words
    • 28 Pages

    Juvenile Sex Offenders

    Freeman-Longo, R. (2000, August). Myths and Facts About Sex Offenders. Retrieved March 28, 2008, from http://www.csom.org/pubs/mythsfacts.pdf…

    • 6873 Words
    • 28 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Sex Offender Registry
    • 2691 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Sex Offender Registry

    Madden, Sean. The Labeling of Sex Offenders: The Unintended Consequences of the Best Intentioned Public Policies. Maryland: UPA, 2008. Print.…

    • 2691 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More