Treatment of Child Sex Offenders: Examining Effectiveness Towards Reducing Recidivism From the Offender's Perspective

Abstract

One of the worst crimes that someone can commit is a sexual assault against a child. So it is no wonder that America's solution is to lock assailants in prison. Housing an offender in prison is not going to prevent them from reoffending when released in the future, but teaching the individual to change his deviant sexual thoughts will. The American Psychiatric Association has recommended turning towards therapeutic intervention as a means of reducing recidivism among sex offenders. This qualitative research project examines the perceived effectiveness of treatment from the perspective of the offenders. The sample size is comprised of eight child sex offenders. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted using progressive focusing. Interviews were transcribed and coded on six themes that were prevalent in prior studies. The results indicated that offenders do view treatment as effective at reducing their risk to reoffend.