Sex Offender Rehabilitation

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Paul Spaulding March 1, 2012 CJA 262 Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Sex Offender Treatment There is perhaps no category of correctional treatment more controversial or misunderstood by the general public than the treatment of sex offenders. The typical focus of the general public often centers solely on the aspect of punishment, but with an estimated 95 percent of sex offenders sentenced to prison who will eventually return to the community, reducing the likelihood of offender recidivism in the future is clearly a priority. Though there exists many different approaches to this issue, cognitive-behavioral treatment has been the preferred method for sex offender treatment. Clinical interest in issues of denial and accountability in sex offenders can be traced back to the 1960’s and 1970’s (Cowden & Morse, 1970). The origin of cognitive behavioral therapy dates back to the late 1970’s as the dominant approach to the treatment of sex offenders (Marshall & Barbaree, 1990). The overall aim of cognitive behavioral treatment is to strengthen sex offenders with the self-management skills necessary to manage or avoid situations that increase their risk of recidivism in society. To successfully accomplish this, offenders are trained to alter their views in a pro-social direction, realize the negative consequences of their actions both for themselves and others, establish a less distorted view of their deviant behavior, develop more acceptable responses to meet their needs, and learn strategies to control deviant sexual arousal. As with any corrective measure in individuals, the effectiveness of these approaches is, at least partly, dependant on the offender’s cooperation and dedication to the treatment process. Studies indicate that sex offenders often deny any involvement in the sexual offense, and may even continue to deny
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