The Use of Penile Plethysmography in SVP Assessment and Treatment Decision-Making

Abstract

Penile plethysmography (PPG) continues to be a frequently utilized tool in both the assessment and treatment of sexual offenders. As a primary method to measure a male’s current pattern of sexual arousal, PPG also has relevance more recently to sexually violent predator evaluations in that sexual deviance has repeatedly been shown to be a risk factor in the prediction of sexual recidivism. The PPG is also routinely used an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral sexual offender treatment after men are civilly committed under sexually violent predator statutes. The use of PPG in this particular context has broadened the questions and concerns about the ethical, reliable, and valid use of PPG in assessment and treatment decision-making. Further, it is an open question as to how professional evaluators in sexually violent predator cases utilize PPG data as part of their risk evaluations and ultimate recommendations. This chapter will survey the use and potential misuse of PPG data to guide clinical decision-making in sexually violent predator cases.