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Guidelines for Selecting a Sex Offender Therapist

Sex offenders require sex offender specific therapy that not all mental health professionals are capable of providing. This being the case some guidelines are offered below to help in the search for a knowledgable professional.

Just because someone has an advanced degree as a mental health professional does not mean they can be engaged to provide sex offender treatment.  In choosing a therapist it should be someone who has the following:

• Professional Membership in an organization such as The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers
• Demonstrated experience in providing sex offender specific therapy. Since most sex offender specific therapy is group therapy it helps if they are also as a Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP)
• An individual who has conducted psychosexual evaluations
• Someone who is knowledgeable about risk instruments such as the STATIC - 2002, the VRAG, the STABLE 2007, to name a few
• An individual who is currently being supervised, or has been supervised, by a mental health professional who has expertise in the field of sexual offender evaluation and treatment
• If the treatment provider has 3 years or less of experience he/she should be currently supervised by a mental health professional with expertise in the field

As for anyone seeking mental health counseling, no matter what the focus of it may be, it is important to keep in mind that the individual seeking the counseling is a consumer and it is within their rights to ask the provider about their background.  Having more knowledge is better than having little or none at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sexual Interest of the Sex Offender

Many people are under the impression that the motivation behind a sex crime has to be sexual in nature.  This is understandable but not true.  For instance, it has long been known that rape is a crime of violence, not of sex. The lack of a sexual motive can also be found in other sexual offenses as well.

 

Two examples:

Jim, an unmarried man of 68, lived had lived alone much of his life, except for a period of four years when he was in the military.  He was quiet, unassuming and kept to himself. A young couple he had met through his only cousin called him one day.  They had lost their house after the husband became unemployed and were now homeless with a 5 year old son.  Jim decided to allow them to live in his house until they became financial sound.

He regretted his decision.  They were soon taking advantage of him, borrowing money for food, using his truck - with him buying the gas - yet not doing their share of the household chores. Being the quiet, passive, unassertive man that he was Jim didn't complain.  Yet his anger and irritation began to fester.  One day the couple's 5 year old son reported to them that Jim had fondled him in what was an apparent attempt to teach the boy how to masturbate.

Testing indicated that Jim had no sexual interest in children.  His score on a risk assessment instrument placed him in a low risk category of estimated risk to recividate. He had no prior criminal record.  The examiner concluded that Jim's inability to properly assert himself when he was aware of how he was being taken advantage of needed to be the focus of his sex offender treatment.  Unable to do this he had displaced his anger toward the parents onto their innocent child.

Another example:

Rodney was a 55 year old widower.  An adult neighbor called the police when she saw him on his front lawn exposing himself to her.  When the police arrived and told Rodney of the allegation he readily acknowledged his inappropriate behavior.  He was arrested and charged.  In court he denied he had acknowledged his offense to the police, stated they were lying and took his case to a jury trial where he was found guilty.

Referred for a psychosexual evaluation the examiner noticed that Rodney had made statements to him only to later deny he had said them.  His short term memory was impaired.  The psychologist recommended that Rodney undergo a neuropsychological evaluation, the results of which showed he was in the early stages of dementia.  The condition of his probation that he be in sex offender treatment was dropped and he was treated for his dementia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Benefits of Group Therapy

Research has shown that there is no appreciable difference between the benefits of individual vs group therapy.  However, I'm sold on group therapy, especially for the population I work with - sex offenders.

It used to be said - maybe it still is - that the benefits of group therapy for a person adjudicated for a sex offense are the following:

• It helps them overcome their denial
• It helps them work through their shame
• It helps them learn social skills

There may be more benefits that are mentioned but these are the ones I remember.

But groups offer many more than the commonly mentioned benefts listed above.  Perhaps an example will help.

Kyle entered a sex offender group at the insistence of his probation officer.  He had spent almost half of his 55 years incacerated for a variety of crimes, many of them violent.  Approximately 20 years ago he had committed and been found guilty of two rapes, the reason he was referred.

A heavy drug user Kyle attempted to turn the group into an NA meeting.  He was extremely vocal about the need of other group members with drug problems to get into NA or "you'll pick up and be back in prison." He refused to talk about the rapes he had committed. His angry tone and bullying tactics were off putting for the group. But the group pushed back and when it did he would fold his arms and state he wasn't going to talk anymore.  The group called him on this - "you want to pick up your ball and go home" - which he denied was the case.

He made an attempt to leave the group, fabricating a filmsy excuse.  Both the group leader and his probation officer refused to allow this.

One of the things the group confronted him with was his language.  He strenously objected, saying that he grew up speaking this way and, besides, people didn't mind it.  Who did the group think it was, telling him to change!  The group responded by saying they were not out to change him but rather would appreciate his considering that his language might offend others.

Slowly Kyle began to "settle in" the group.  It was noticed that his offensive language was being used less and less.  He identified with a group member who was from the same neighborhood he grew up in and, like him, had been in prison.  This group member was direct with him and he appeared to hear what he said, which was quite different from his interactions with other group members.  It was also noticed that Kyle was beginnning to make a series of self-disclosures - "anger is a problem for me," "I have to stop judging people like I do."

He even acknowledged that he hid behind his angry front.

The acknowledged leader in understanding how groups function is Irving Yalom, M.D., who has written extensively on the subject.  (He also wrote one of the first, if not the first, article on group therapy with sex offenders in 1966.) Yalom mentions several "therapeutic factors" that groups offer and Kyle has benefited from them. Specifically Kyle has seen group members grow and change, which offers him hope that he can too; he has learned from observing other group members - imitative behavior and interpersonal learning; he has come to see that he is basically no different from others - the principle of universality and his behavior is slowly being modified - the development of socializing techniques.

As I noted at the beginning - individual and group therapy benefits are pretty equal.  But from where I sit as a group facilitator it's exciting to see people grow and change and how a group makes this happen.  I'll take group therapy every time.

 

Photo Credit: yony_ro

 

 

 

 

The Sex Offender and The Legal System

The legal system can be intimidating, especially if you have never before been arrested. One's anxiety is probably heightened if you are being charged with a sex crime. This blog is a brief primer on what you can expect, with suggestions about what you might do.

 

 

Usually a criminal complaint has be to issued when an allegation of an offense, in this case, a sex offense, has been alleged.  This either comes in the mail or is delivered by the police.  If you are the recipient of a criminal complaint and the police tell you they want you to come to the police station to talk to them it is within your rights to refuse. Criminal defense attorneys almost always tell their clients not to speak to the police without their being present. This is excellient advice and should be followed.

You will need an attorney.  Most men that I know that have been charged with a sex offense such as Rape, Indecent Assault and Battery, Frotteurism or Exhibitionism, rely on their family and/or friends to assist them in coming up with a name.  Unless your family members and friends are knowledgable about the law I would advise against this approach.  You need an attorney that has defended individuals, such as yourself, that have been so accused.  Take the time to find an experienced attorney that has handled cases such as yours.  It probably will be expensive but keep in mind this is your future that is at stake here.

The case may drag on for longer than you thought. There may be many pre-trial conferences. You may show up at the courthouse only to be told that the conference was rescheduled for another day.  This will upset you as you have taken time off from work.  Try not to let this get to you.  Hard as it may be, be patient.  I have seen men lose patience and press their attorneys to settle the case - "get it over with" - such individuals usually wind up wishing, after the fact, that they had been more patient. They could have gotten a better deal.

Be pro-active. Don't hesitate to ask questions of your attorney.  You're paying him, he' working for you. Utilize the Internet for information.  Ask your attorney about hiring a forensic psychologist, with experience conducting psychosexual evaluations, about evaluating you. If the results are positive you may use it in your defense in court.

If a deal is proposed get the details.  Unfortunately, I have spoken to many men who have said they accepted a deal that involved probation only to find out later that conditions of that probation included a psychosexual evaluation and counseling.  According to them their attorneys knew of this but never informed them.

For most people the legal system is foreign territory. It's frightening and intimidating for the unexperienced.  But this is your future that is at stake here. You want the best possible defense.  Do what it takes to make that happen.

 Photo: lawyer86001

 

The Shame of the Sex Offender

                           "I've disappointed God and I've disappointed myself."

Not many people would expect to hear these words from a man who committed a sexual offense, but many offenders I've treated have uttered them in one form or another.  The notion of shame comes up in many contexts, one of them being the shame of having to register as a sex offender. Presenting oneself to an officer at the local police station and telling them why they are there is not an easy task.

Contrary to the popular perception of sex offenders as being out of control predators, most that I have met over the course of the last 30 years know that they have committed an egregious offense and feel guilty about it. Along with that guilt comes an abiding sense of shame. Some comments that reflect this are the following:

• "I'm disgusted with myself"
• "I humiliated myself and my family"
• "I hate myself"
• "I feel I resent myself"

Society, in the way it treats sex offenders, enforces the sense of shame.  But I am convinced that offenders would experience a personal sense of shame regardless. (I have real concerns about those that don't.)

In sex offender treatment the focus is generally on the offender's cognitive distortions, deviant sexual arousal, impulse control, knowing their "danger signs," developing strategies to employ when they find themselves in a high risk situation.  These areas have to be addessed.  But so does the deep, abiding shame many offenders carry with them.

Learning self-compassion is part of our treatment program.

 

Photo: Aurellan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: Aurellen

Criminal Defense of Sex Offenders - What an Attorney Should Know

You have been retained to defend a man accused of a sexual offense. He denies the allegation. How should you proceed?

You have reviewed the police report(s) and victim(s) statements.   Next have your client undergo a psychosexual evaluation.  This will provide you with information regarding your client's:

• Personality Functioning
• Sexual Interests
• Mood Disorders (Bipolar illness, Major Depression, etc.)
• Substance Abuse Problems
• Trauma
• Cognitive Functioning
• Level of Risk

How will such an evaluation help your client?

• If his IQ falls between 50-70 he is mildly retarded.  This will raise the question of competency
• If he has normal sexual interests that's a plus
• If he has substance abuse problems you will want him in treatment
• If his level of estimated risk is low that's a plus
• If he has a mood disorder you will want to refer him to a psychiatrist for a medication evaluation

If your client admits his guilt and says he wants to plead to the charge(s) then you should appraise him of the following:

• Doing so will probably mean that he has to register as a sex offender
• If he does have to register it will probably mean he has to register for the next 20 years
• Information about him and his arrest will be posted on the Internet
• His housing may be restricted
• He may lose his job and/or his job prospects will be limited
• Conditions of his probation - if he receives probation - will most likely be that he undergo an evaluation and treatment
• He will suffer some form of ostracism
• Neither you, nor he, will know what risk level he will be assigned by the registry board
• He may have to wear a GPS

If a plea deal is offered it is your duty to your client to appraise him of the consequences so that he can make an informed decision. Information you have obtained about your client from his psychosexual evaluation may assist you when negotiating with the prosecuting attorney.

 

Photo: G. Self

 

Child Pornography Offenders

Recently, a university professor from Utah was on a flight to Boston, where he was to attend a conference.  While in flight he was viewing child pornography and was seen by another passenger.  This passenger took a photo of the child porn on his computer and notified the stewardess.  The passenger also called one of their children, who notified the Massachusetts State Police.  The professor was arrested upon the plane's landing in Boston.

Viewing and downloading child pornography is becoming a huge problem, both here in the US and in other countries.  It is one of the fastest growing Federal crimes, where receipt of child pornography carries a mandatory five year sentence. 

Up until very recently it was assumed that those arrested for posession of child pornography were at risk to have physical contact with children, referred to as "offline offending." Thus it would be assumed that the Utah professor would be a high risk individual, based on the behavior that he engaged in.

But the recent research of Canadian psychologist Michael Seto indicates that this may not be the case.  In a metaanalysis of 9 samples Seto and his associates found that in following offenders from 1.5 to 6 years after they had been arrested for possession of child pornography only 2% committed a contact offense, 4.6% had committed a sexual offense and 3.4% had committed another possession of child porn offense.  This data supported an earlier metaanalysis that had arrived at similar results. (A Swiss study arrived at similar results.)

Seto's research appears to be having some effect.  In Massachusetts a defense attorney recently challenged a SORB (Sex Offender Registry Board) ruling that classified his client, who plead guilty to possession of child pornography, as a Level 3 ("most dangerous") offender.  He presented the Board with Seto's study and his client was re-classified a Level 2.

Seto and his associates are now attempting to develop a risk assessement measure that will determine who is low risk v high risk among those who download and collect child pornography.

 

 

Ignorance, Sex Offenders and Public Policy

What if we knew how to cure cancer.  But what if some people had a stake in making sure the facts about this cure were distorted. What if everytime we got onto the Internet, turned on our TV's, read our newspapers or listened to the news on the radio we were bombarded with the "fact" that deaths from cancer were increasing, that, as a society, we were helpless or near helpless to combat this scourge?  But what if a number of people were also talking about the decreasing number of deaths attributed each year to cancer, with the new "cure." We hopefully would end up listening to those telling the truth as opposed to those distorting it.

Unfortunately, it's not the same when the analogy is applied to sex offenders, be they child molesters, rapists, voyuers or frotteurists. Even though great strides have been made in evaluating, assigning risk and developing treatment for this population the public seems intent on living in ignorance - aided by the media and public officials. 

The hysteria over sex offenders seems to have no bounds.  "Studies" are quoted to show how high risk all sex offenders are; apps have been developed to locate offenders in our neighborhoods, states have their sex offender registries, etc.

But, what is the truth about this population?

We now know how to better evaluate sex offenders.  Instruments have been developed and are being used to determine where their sexual interests lie - invaluable in separating out pedophiles from men who molest children but have no pedophilic interests. 

Instruments such as the STATIC-2002 have been in use and are being improved upon to determine who may pose a greater risk to recidivate than those who do not.

New models of treatment - the Good Lives, Risk-Need-Responsivity, Harm Reduction and Psychodynamic models - are being used in addition to the Cognitive-Behavioral model which has been in place for several decades now.

So, what are some "truths" about sex offenders that the public seems to not want to hear? Here are some:

• Since 1995 sex offenses, world wide, have been decreasing
• The recidivism rates for sex offenders are low - 11% to 18%
• When sex offenders reoffend it is generally to commit an offense other than a sex offense
• In communities that have established Circles of Support and Accountability for high risk sex offenders the recidivism rate are below 10% (!)
• Recent research indicates that men who download child pornography are very unlikely to commit a contact offense with a child

Recently Gov. Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania is quoted as saying, when he signed a bill to revise the state's version of Megan's Law, "We can hope that by making our laws tougher, we can spare the pain and grief that has visited too many families."

Unfortunately the Governor has it wrong.  We know what works in decreasing sex offender recidivism (it's not "tougher laws"), it's right at our fingertips, but we aren't implementing it.

Photo: thelilacsandtherain

 

 

 

The Grooming Process of Sex Offenders

The "grooming" of a victim by a sexual offender is a process whereby the sexual offender gains the victim's trust, breaks down their defenses and manipulates them so that he can perform the desired sexual act. The process of grooming can also involve the victim's support network.

The grooming process of sex offenders is only used with children.  It is not used for offenders who engage in exhibitionism, frotteurism, or rape.

The following is a fictionalized scenario that illustrates several aspects of grooming:

Jim and Sharon

"Jim and I often tell ourselves how fortunate we are to have Jack, a retired engineer, living next to us  He is always so friendly and helpful, and on more than one occasion has helped us when we were in a jam.  And the kids just love him!!! When the sitter once didn't show he volunteered to babysit, brought the cutest little puppy you ever saw for the kids, and it seems he is always available to take the kids to their after school activities when Jim and I are unable to do it.  I did become a little unnerved though, when I saw him through the kitchen window, touch my youngest, Maria, on the buttocks as she was climbing out of the pool.....but it probably was just an accident."

In the above scenario Jack has involved the parents, Jim and Sharon, in the process of grooming.  He has done this by ingratiating himself with them - being friendly, always being available to help out, etc.  He has also endeared himself to the children, taking them to their after school activities, buying a puppy for them.  His involvement with the family has also given him time to select a target, in this case the youngest, Maria. It is not enough though to have a target, he also has to have access to the target which, living next door, he has. Given how Jim and Sharon admire him - which their children certainly would know - Jack also has a position of authority in the children's eyes. And he's won the parents and children's trust and respect.  Due to this opportunities to be alone with the children open up.

Generally, when a sex offender seeks to groom a potential victim they look for the following:

• Someone who is vulnerable/needy
• Not trusted by others
• Poor boundaries with others
• Will keep a secret
• Low self-esteem
• Few social supports
• Behavior problem

Techniques used variety but threats and intimidation, convincing the children that they are "learning" about sex, convincing the children that it is OK and "everybody does it", getting the children high or intoxicated, using blackmail or a lure - "I lost my dog.  Will you help me find him?", are common.

A recent example of this process was contained in a recent article in Sports Illustrated about the assistant coach at Penn State, Jerry Sandusky, who allegedly molested scores of boys:

"The report asserts that Sandusky traded on his status as a Penn State football demigod.  Many of the alleged assaults occurred either in the university's football facilities or at football functions.  The Nittany Lions program became Sandusky's bait.  He brought victims to games at State College, allowed them to attend coaches' meetings, facilitated their meeting players, cast them in instructional videos, and in one case took a boy to the Alamo Bowl, in San Antonio.  Sanduskly was charged with 40 counts of various sex crimes, seven of them involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, a felony." (Italics are mine)

 Photo: Chicago Man

 

Internet Addiction Statistics

From its earliest beginnings individuals have used the Internet for illicit purposes.  In one of only two times I have been in a Chat Room an individual IM'd me asking if I had ever been to Costa Rica. I told him I had.  He then said he was in the travel business and wondered if it would be okay to send me some material.  I said sure and gave him my name and home address.  (Keep in mind that this was in 1996 - I would never disclose my personal information over the Internet now!) 

I soon forgot about the conversation.  Approximately two weeks past and I received a letter in the mail.  I couldn't recall who I might know in Nashua, NH and, as I opened the letter, a color photograph of a young woman, whose age I guessed to be 16 or 17, dropped out.  She was wearing a bikini and on a beach.  As I read the letter it said that for a set price I would get a package deal that included air fare to Costa Rica, a room at a resort hotel on the beach and a beautiful woman to accompany me while I was there for my week's stay.  There would be other men from the US there as well and, if any of wanted to exchange our "dates" we were free to do so.

Since this experience in 1996 using the Internet for illicit purposes as grown....dramatically grown.  Some statistics:

• 12%, or 24, 644,000 websites are pornographic
• Every second approximately $3,100 is spent on pornography
• 25% of all search engine requests are pornographic
• 35% of all Internet downloads are pornographic
• AdultFriendFinder.com is the most popular porn site
• In 2006 Federal authorities arrested approximately 15,500 people on charges of receiving children pornography

Common forms of Internet pornography are pornographic websites, sex chat rooms, voyeur cams and real time webcams.  The allure of these forms can be so strong they have been compared to cocaine addiction. Often the behaviors are subsumed under the rubric of "sexual addiction."  Other terms that are used are compulsive sexual behavior, sexual compulsivity and sexual impulsivity." There appears to be a wide variance in what these terms mean, especially sexual addiction, but generally sexual addiction is defined as 1) the individual is not reliably able to control the sexual behavior and 2) the sexual behavior has significant harmful consequences and continues despite these consequences.

It is important to note that "sexual addiction" is not a diagnosis that is listed in the Diagnostic and Statiscal Manual of Mental Disorders-IV (DSM-IV). A new disorder, Hyper Sexual Disorder, will be in DSM-V but not as a diagnosis but rather in the appendix due to it's requiring further empirical validation.

Photo: Emilio Labrador