Castration is one of the options that has been put forward as a type of punishment/treatment for convicted sex offenders. Castration can be divided into two separate categories: chemical or surgical. Surgical castration is the removal of a man’s testicles, for the purpose of lowing his testosterone levels, leading to lower levels of sexual desires (Stone et al., 2000). Chemical castration is an injection of an antidrogenic, which works to inhibit the brain from producing hormones that stimulate the testicles to produce testosterone (Harrison, 2008, Stone et al., 2000). Like surgical castration the intension of chemical castration is to lower testosterone levels, and limit sexual deviance (Stone et al., 2000). One could argue that castration would make a good punishment for sex offenders, however it does not address the psychological aspects of sexual assault. The act of rape is much more than the forced penetration of a penis in a vagina and using castration as a treatment or punishment for sex crimes does not address the offender’s mental issues or the legal implications of doing so.
The act of castration dates back several centuries. Back in ancient times castrated men were used to watch over women’s quarters or were used as chamberlains in noble households (Scott, &Holmberg, 2003). In the 18th century young boys who belonged to choirs were castrated when they reached puberty, in order to keep their high-pitched singing voices (Scott, &Holmberg, 2003). Young boys who had this procedure done were known as castrati (Scott, &Holmberg, 2003). The start of the of 20th century saw the eugenics movement, which was the forced sterilization of people with undesirable traits so they would not pollute the gene pool with their defectives (...
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Scott, C. L., & Holmberg, T. (2003). Castration of Sex Offenders: Prisoners' Rights Versus Public Safety. Journal Of The American Academy Of Psychiatry And The Law, 31(4), 502-509.
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
Weinberger, L. E., Sreenivasan, S., Garrick, T., & Osran, H. (2005). The Impact of Surgical Castration on Sexual Recidivism Risk Among Sexually Violent Predatory Offenders. Journal Of The American Academy Of Psychiatry And The Law, 33(1), 16-36.
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
It is very common for these individuals to be monitored for drug use during this treatment/therapy regimen so as not to undermine the program or the criminal justice system. Psychotherapy is often best for a population such as sex offenders. Since no medication has yet been proven to be effective against a sex offender’s urges, cognitive behavioral therapy (as well as intense supervision) is the most effective modality of
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.
Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 21(1), 49-66. Levenson, J.S., D’Amora, D.A., & Hern, A.L. (2007). The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary'. Megan’s Law and its impact on community re-entry for sexual offenders. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 25(1), 587-602.
Letourneau, E. J., Henggeler, S. W., Borduin, C. M., Schewe, P. A., McCart, M. R., Chapman, J. E., & Saldana, L. (2009). Multisystemic therapy for juvenile sexual offenders: 1-year results from a randomized effectiveness trial. Journal of Family Psychology, 23(1), 89-102.
These cognitive-behavioral techniques; anger management, deviant sexual arousal, and interventions dependent on the principles of risk, responsibilities and needs provide the most common forms of treatment used with sex offenders. Typically, these techniques ensure effective treatment of cognitive distortions, teaching of social skills and empathy and the implementation of emotion management and relapse prevention. Cognitive-behavioral techniques are proven and effective treatment for a number of mental illnesses and problems because they are comprehensive and effectual treatments and can be considered the best practice for treatment with sexual offenders as inferred by Alaska Dept of Corrections and United States of America
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.
The acceptance that the court system often treats female offenders differently than male offenders is an accurate statement; however, it comes with many caveats. Generally, the public views women as nurturers, motherly and incapable of harming a child. Research indicates that female sex offenders capable of committing such acts have serious psychiatric and psychological problems. In comparison, research indicates male sex offenders are more callous, more antisocial, and promiscuous, involved in the criminal justice system, and have more victims (Miccio-Fenseca, 2012, slide 7). The consensus is that men commit their acts for sexual pleasure while women commit their acts due to psychiatric and psychological problems. Law enforcement, juries, and judges tend to empathize more when there are additional mitigating factors such as emotional or psychological problems. Due to these mitigating factors, it appears treatment of female sex offenders is more lenient than male if their crimes are similar in nature. Research by Miccio-Fenseca (2012) indicates that in comparison to their male counterparts, “female sex offenders rarely use force or violence far less than often…rarely use threats of violence to silence victims…rarely use threats o...
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.
In order to state why castrations should be allowed on sex offenders, Wright provides key information and examples as to why it should be allowed. He first talks a little bit about the sex offenders they currently have in jail in Texas. He explains that only a small amount are actually receiving therapy and how more than half will be arrested for a sex crime a few years later after getting released from jail. The next thing Wright talks abou...
Treatment approaches consist of cognitive behavioral and multisystemic therapies (Fanniff & Becker, 2006). Juveniles that are convicted of sex offenses may be placed on sex offender registry, occasionally a permanent status (Salerno, Stevenson, el al., 2010). It is unlike a sex offender to adhere to the appropriate sexual and social behaviors; thus the goal for adolescents is to understand the complex world to overcome the typical characteristics of a sex offender. This paper will consist the common characteristics of juvenile sex offenders and the treatment that are considered to be effective. Additionally, academic research is acquired that focus on offender registration and recidivism
Yates, P. M. (2005). Pathways to treatment of sexual offenders: Rethinking intervention. Forum on Corrections Research, 17, 1-9.
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). In light of this realization, steps beyond treatment have been taken to reduce the recidivism rate of sex offenders. Notification laws, special supervising techniques by parole officers, and both surgical and chemical castration are techniques used in various forms in this country and abroad with success. However, notification laws and both forms of castrations
Two of the sex offenders from the Worley study reported that during Halloween they are told by law enforcement to not answer the door or have outside lights on. Also, local television networks broadcast their picture to warn others of their sex offender status. This then leads to much embarrassment and shame, having their picture televised every year (Worley, R. M., & Worley, V. B., 2013). Today, anyone with Internet access can view and search the sex offender registries and this leads to the direct violation of privacy of these sex offenders. Not only are they tormented but their family members are as well. Their children are bullied at school and their spouses may be forced to quit their jobs (“US: Sex Offender Laws May Do More Harm Than Good,” 2007) As discussed earlier, the sex offender faces harassment and abuse constantly when they are placed on the sex offender
Second time offenders of sex crimes such as rape should be castrated and emasculated slowly with a dull, rusty knife. The criminal should be revived every time he passes out from pain. This heinous crime deserves this much at the very least. After all, this person has violated another person and taken something away, a trust that can never be fully restored. The victims of these crimes never fully trust again.