Jeffrey Abracen

Recidivism Among Treated Sexual Offenders and Matched Controls Data From the Regional Treatment Centre (Ontario)

Follow-up data are reported on 89 sexual offenders treated at the Regional Treatment Centre (Ontario) and 89 untreated sexual offenders matched for pretreatment risk. The average time at risk was 9.9 years. It was found that the treated group had a sexual recidivism rate of 23.6%, whereas the untreated group had a sexual recidivism rate of 51.7% (p <.0001). The groups also differed significantly on nonsexual recidivism. Data on a new analytic technique, the Criminal Career Profile, are also reported. Results are discussed with reference to the recent outcome study of Quinsey, Khanna, and Malcolm.

Psychopathy, Treatment Change, and Recidivism in High-Risk, High-Need Sexual Offenders

The present study investigated 154 consecutive admissions to the Regional Treatment Center (Ontario) Sex Offender Treatment Program with reference to psychopathy and outcome. Ratings of treatment behavior, as well as clinical judgments as to whether risk was reduced, were coded based on treatment reports. With reference to Psychopathy Checklist-revised (PCL-R) scores, survival analyses indicated that high scorers recidivated at significantly higher rates than low scorers. However, offenders who received high PCL-R scores and lower scores on measures of treatment behavior recidivated at the same rate as low scorers on the PCL-R. Furthermore, among high PCL-R offenders, those rated as lower risk at post treatment in fact reoffended at a lower rate than those whose risk was rated as unchanged, although this difference failed to reach significance. Findings are discussed in light of the clinical and research literature.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Sexual and Nonsexual Violent Offenders

According to a literature review by Marshall (1996), presently available data have not clarified the proportion of sexual offenders who would meet diagnostic criteria for addictive problems. Our own literature review failed to find published studies comparing sexual offenders to nonsexual violent offenders on standardized measures of substance abuse. Our study is a preliminary investigation of the differences between sexual offenders (rapists: n = 72; child molesters: n = 34) and nonsexual violent offenders (n = 24) on measures of alcohol and drug abuse. The findings indicate that sexual offenders were more likely to abuse alcohol than were nonsexual violent offenders. Nonsexual offenders were significantly more likely to have had a history of other forms of substance abuse. The results are considered in terms of theories of alcohols contribution to aggressive behavior and sexual aggression. Implications for assessment and treatment of sexual offenders are discussed.

Responsivity Issues in the Treatment of Sexual Offenders

Andrews and Bonta (2003) have presented a model of effective correctional programming focusing on risk, need, and responsivity factors for a general criminal population. When applied to sexual offenders, the first two issues (risk assessment and treatment targets such as cognitive distortions) have received a great deal of research attention. However, little attention has been paid to responsivity issues: those factors that influence the extent to which clients benefit, or fail to benefit, from treatment programs. This article presents a review of several potential responsivity factors related to sexual offender treatment and outlines areas that require further research attention.

Issues in the treatment of sexual offenders: Recent developments and directions for future research

Research related to the treatment of sexual offenders will be reviewed. The authors argue that recent research suggests that sex offenders treated using current approaches will benefit from therapy. Questions about efficacy of sex offender treatment have prevented more detailed investigations as to how therapeutic approaches might be improved with this population. It is argued that theoretical developments with reference to treatment have allowed for more specific questions to be investigated. Examples of this type of research are discussed. The article concludes that there is much need for additional research with reference to the treatment of sexual offenders.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse Among Sexual and Nonsexual Offenders: Relationship to Intimacy Deficits and Coping Strategy

Three groups of subjects (N = 95) consisting or rapists, child molesters, and a comparison group of violent offenders were examined with reference to history of alcohol abuse, history of drug abuse, intimacy deficits, and emotionally based coping strategies. No differences were found between the two groups of sex offenders on any of the measures examined. Sex offenders were found to be significantly older than the comparison group. When age was entered as a covariate sex offenders were found to have significantly more difficulties with alcohol use as measured by the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST) and were significantly more likely to use emotionally based coping strategies as measured by the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). No differences were found between any of the groups with reference to drug abuse as measured by the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST). Results are discussed in terms of Marshalls theory of intimacy deficits in sexual offenders.

Dosage of Treatment to Sexual Offenders: Are We Overprescribing?

A sample of 337 offenders who received treatment in a variety of sex offender treatment programs in the Ontario region of Correctional Service Canada between 1993 and 1998 were divided based on the highest intensity sex offender programming that they received (low, moderate, and high). The three groups were compared with reference to a variety of actuarial risk assessment measures, criminogenic factors, and the number and type of treatment programs completed. It was hypothesized that the high-intensity group would have more criminogenic risk factors, higher actuarial scores, and participate in more treatment programs than both the moderate- and low-intensity groups. The results indicate that in general, the hypotheses were supported. Nonetheless, the results suggest that the low-intensity group may be receiving too much sex offender-specific treatment.

Comparison of Measures of Risk for Recidivism in Sexual Offenders

Data for both sexual and violent recidivism for the Static-99, Risk Matrix 2000 (RM 2000), Rapid Risk Assessment for Sex Offense Recidivism (RRASOR), and Static-2002 are reported for 419 released sexual offenders assessed at the Regional Treatment Centre Sexual Offender Treatment Program. Data are analyzed by offender type as well as the group as a whole. Overall, the Static-2002 performed best for both outcomes, although differences between measures were not significant. The one exception to this was the RRASOR, which overall performed poorly. For rapists, the Static-2002 performed best for sexual recidivism, and the Risk Matrix 2000 performed best for violent recidivism. None of the measures performed well in predicting recidivism for child molesters. The components of the Static-2002 were examined in a regression analysis predicting sexual recidivism. Persistence of Sexual Offending and Age at Release were the only significant predictors for the group as a whole and for rapists. For child molesters, only the Deviant Sexual Interests component was significant. Results are discussed in terms of the current debate concerning age and risk for reoffence.

Treatment of Sexual Offenders With Psychopathic Traits: Recent Research Developments and Clinical Implications

This article provides a review of recent literature related to the treatment of psychopathy in forensic settings, with particular focus on studies with sexual offenders. The lack of empirical support for the position that psychopaths are untreatable is noted, and data suggesting optimism is discussed. Research demonstrating an interaction between psychopathy and substance abuse and between psychopathy and sexual deviance is also presented. Both substance abuse disorders and inappropriate arousal are frequently encountered in high-risk groups of sexual offenders. These topics are of relevance, in that the question of whether treatment is beneficial with high-risk sexual offenders, including those who are psychopathic, cannot be answered unless groups presenting with typical concurrent disorders (paraphilias, substance abuse, dependence) are discussed. It is argued that, although the evidence is still preliminary, there is reason for optimism with reference to whether psychopathic sexual offenders are responsive to treatment, including offenders presenting with concurrent disorders.

Patterns of attachment and alcohol abuse in sexual and violent non-sexual offenders

Abstract Two studies related to substance abuse and sexual offending were conducted. In the first study, a sample of 94 sexual offenders and 21 violent non-sexual offenders, incarcerated within the Ontario Region of Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), were administered the Michigan Alcohol Screening Test (MAST), the Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) and the Relationship Styles Questionnaire (RSQ). The Hare Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL-R) was also scored for the majority of offenders included in the present study. Results indicated that the groups differed on PCL-R score, with both rapists and violent non-sexual offenders scoring significantly higher than the child molesters with reference to total PCL-R score. Sex offenders’ mean score on the MAST were significantly higher than those of the violent non-sexual offenders. The mean score on the MAST for sex offenders was in the problem drinking range. With reference to attachment pattern, sex offenders were found to be more preoccupied than violent non-sexual comparison subjects. In the second study, a sample of sexual offenders, all of whom exhibited elevated levels of alcohol abuse as measured by the MAST, were divided into two groups based on whether or not they had completed a substance abuse treatment programme. Sexual offenders (all of whom received sex offender-specific treatment) who also received substance abuse treatment evidenced significantly lower levels of general recidivism than those who did not complete such treatment. Results are discussed in light of previous findings in relation to differing patterns of substance abuse between sexual and violent non-sexual offenders observed in the literature as well as with reference to Marshalls attachment theory.