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Effective treatment for sexual offenders
Effective treatment for sexual offenders
Psychology essay on sex offenders
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INTRODUCTION
Stories of sex offenders have been increasingly a focus of attention by the criminal justice system over the past years. By legal definition, a sex offender “is a person who is convicted of a sexual offense (Sex Offender Law & Legal Definition),” an act which is prohibited by the jurisdiction. What constitutes as a sex offense or normal/abnormal sexual behavior varies over time and place, meaning that it also varies by legal jurisdiction and culture. In the United States of America, for example, a person can be convicted of wide range of sexual behavior that includes prostitution, incest, sex with a minor, rape, and other sex offenses (Sex Offender Law & Legal Definition). As the nature of sex crimes have long held the nation’s fascination, it represents only the tip of the iceberg as sex crimes seem to bring up more controversial questions than it answers. Because of our fear of sex offenders, the general public has been led to concentrate solely on the aspect of punishment as many bureaucrats have searched for different approaches to prevent sex offenders from re-offending again in order to improve public safety. Two main strategies that officials have tried to use to deter sex offenders are providing the option of chemical and/or surgical castration for sex offenders and lessening the caseloads of workers to ensure strict supervision of sex offenders. However, as sex offenders who were sentenced to prison eventually return to the community, the American Psychological Association believes that psychologists can treat the sex offenders as they attempt to fully reintegrate into society as law-abiding citizens (Kersting, 2003). This place an important role on community treatment of sex offenders’ rehabilitation as var...
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McAnulty, R. D. (2006). Treatment of Sex Offenders. Sex and sexuality (pp. 159-205). Westport, Conn.: Praeger.
Sex Offender Law & Legal Definition. (n.d.). U.S. Legal . Web. November 17, 2014, from http://definitions.uslegal.com/s/sex-offender/
Terry, K., & Tallon, J. Child Sexual Abuse: A Review of the Literature. Web. December 8, 2014, from http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/child-and-youth-protection/upload/child-sexual-abuse-literature-review-john-jay-college-2004.pdf
Tonry, M. H. (1998). 15. The handbook of crime & punishment (pp. 403-424). New York: Oxford University Press.
Witt, P., Greenfield, D., & Hiscox, S. (2008). Cognitive/behavioural approaches to the treatment adult sex offenders. Journal of Psychiatry & Law, 36(2), 245-269, retrieved from EBSCOhost
The following research will display an overview of the process in Texas on how sex offenders are registered along with the notifications that are followed after registration. Texas, as many other states, has a procedure which requires sex offenders to register with the local law enforcement agencies at the time of their discharge. In addition to registration, they must also comply with further probation regulations. Research has concluded that there are four basic phases of registration and notification. Beginning with offender notified, following the offender registration and community notified and ending with public notification
In the event that a prisoner (particularly a sex offender) does complete rehabilitation, he carries with him a stigma upon reentering society. People often fear living near a prior drug addict or convicted murderer and the sensational media hype surrounding released felons can ruin a newly released convict’s life before it beings. What with resident notifications, media scare tactics and general concern for safety, a sex offender’s ability to readapt into society is severely hindered (554). This warrants life-skills rehabilitation applied to him useless, as he will be unable to even attempt to make the right decision regarding further crime opportunities.
The Recidivism Rate of Juvenile Sex Offenders between Uses of Legal Sentencing as Adults or Utilizing Psychological Treatment
Many resources go into the prevention and management of sex offenders. However, very few effective programs exist that decrease the likelihood of reoffending. Through the use of meta-analyses, Seto and Lalumiere (2010) evaluated multiple studies that examined sex offenders. Emphasis was put on etiological explanations in the hopes of identifying factors associated with sex offending. Seto and Lalumiere’s (2010) findings help in creating effective programs to decrease recidivism rates.
Rehabilitate, and develop, both of the utmost substance when observing the ways in which a sex offender registry are and
In the United States, as a condition of parole, sex offenders are typically required to register with law enforcement officials when released from prison. These officials notify the public of the offender’s release back into society and provide them with information such as the offenders address, and other personal information. Research indicates the notification system can have an adverse effect on the offender’s life, casting doubt on what the laws intended to protect the public. This paper will explore the background of sex offender registries, the relationship between the sex offender notifications and registration laws, and higher rates of recidivism in the United States. Introduction Sex offender legislation has become a controversial topic in the recent years.
Daly, Kathleen, Goldsmith, Andrew, and Israel, Mark. 2006, Crime and Justice: A guide to criminology, third addition, Thomson, Lawbook Co.
Stone, T., Winslade, W. J., & Klugman, C. M. (2000). Sex offenders, sentencing laws and pharmaceutical treatment: A prescription for failure. Behavioral Sciences & The Law, 18(1), 83-110. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-0798(200001/02)18:1<83::AID-BSL379>3.0.CO;2-W
Yates, P. M. (2005). Pathways to treatment of sexual offenders: Rethinking intervention. Forum on Corrections Research, 17, 1-9.
An estimation of 60 percent of the 234,000 convicted is under community corrections supervision. These numbers paint the picture of how important community supervision is, along with the need for adequate preparation in which probation and parole officers will need in their roles as sex offender “monitors”. This type of work can be taxing on the official in which some have suffered from psychological trauma and stress, which means one health, must be maintained in this line of work. Being able to recognize the real need for a support system (Harr & Hess, p. 236), is...
Maguire, M., Morgan, R., and Reiner, R. (2012) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology. 5th ed. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Sex offenders have been a serious problem for our legal system at all levels, not to mention those who have been their victims. There are 43,000 inmates in prison for sexual offenses while each year in this country over 510,000 children are sexually assaulted(Oakes 99). The latter statistic, in its context, does not convey the severity of the situation. Each year 510,000 children have their childhood's destroyed, possibly on more than one occasion, and are faced with dealing with the assault for the rest of their lives. 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
The sex offender registry has been a topic of debates and formal studies since the Minnesota Sex Offender Registration Act was first passed in 1991 (Stevens, n.d.). Sex offenders across the country are being harassed and abused on a daily basis for the crimes they committed, were convicted for, and served their punishment for. Due to the sex offender registry giving out names, pictures, addresses, phone, numbers, vehicle information, as well as other personal information these sex offenders are being targeted in the homes and work places. Their families are also victims of abuse. In addition, the use of the sex offender registry has created blind spots in parents. They may
Morgan, R., Maguire, M. And Reiner, R. (2012). The Oxford Handbook of Criminology. 5th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.