- Shame about the public revelation of your actions
- Fear of what will happen
- Despair that there’s nothing you can do to improve your situation
People often judge sex offenders by their title. In addition, no investigation of what actually happened takes place. And the criminal justice system can make things worse. Here’s how Roberto Di Fazio of Collins Bay Institution’s Program for Violent Offenders puts it:
“Incarceration, or any other penalty the criminal justice system can impose, has proven to be a largely ineffective deterrent and incapable of changing sex offenders’ behaviour. What has been found to be effective, in concert with the role played by the criminal justice system, is treatment.”
Michael Hubbard, a mental health specialist at Oregon State Hospital, writes in Counseling Today:
“[S]ociety demands and deserves protection … Yet our society is also responsible for erecting many of the barriers that stand in the way of the recovery that sex offender therapists and our clients strive to achieve.”
Despite how harshly the law and society treat sex offenders, this is not the end of the road. Furthermore, there are many treatment options available for sexual offenders. But which are the most effective?
The short answer is “It depends.” We’ll address a few of the common treatments below. However, at the end of the day, it’s between you and your therapist to nail down a program that works best for your situation.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) attempts to normalize a person’s thoughts and beliefs. Thus, the idea is to address and correct the irrational/distorted thinking itself that led to antisocial behavior and practice ways to engage in prosocial behavior.
CBT is the prevailing form of sex offender therapy. Consequently, Hubbard calls it “the most evidence-based therapy for sex offenders, with the best outcomes.”
Relapse prevention
Relapse prevention is a theoretical treatment method that works by identifying situations and triggers that might initiate a relapse response and then help construct a strategy for how to deal with those particular situations. Often used in conjunction with CBT, relapse prevention takes aim at controlling thoughts and beliefs rather than changing them.
Psychotherapy
Whereas CBT and relapse prevention focus on cognition and thought patterns, psychotherapy focuses on deriving insights about behaviors and their underlying causes. This method of counseling places more emphasis on educating the offender about the impact of his actions and the need to take responsibility for them.
The CoSA model
The Circle of Support and Accountability began with a Mennonite pastor in Canada in 1994. The program’s “restorative justice” approach provides community support and guidance in the form of “circles” of volunteers who befriend, watch out for, and meet regularly with sex offenders who are reentering society.
CoSA has seen tremendous success over the years. Some studies indicate it can reduce sex offender relapse by up to 70 percent.
Medical intervention
Medical intervention is rare these days, and usually only on a case-by-case basis.
There is, however, one current, hormone-suppressing drug garnering attention. Lupron.
It’s pricey, and it can lead to some devastating side effects like blood clots and osteoporosis. Yet, Dr. Renee Sorrentino, medical director at the Institute for Sexual Wellness, said this in a 2013 Time Magazine interview:
“I was struck by how effective this medication was and how it had such a profound effect on individual lives. They’re able to live life without being preoccupied, they don’t have the craving anymore.”
According to the National Institute of Justice, medical intervention is typically used in conjunction with some kind of psychotherapy “so that if offenders stop taking their hormones, they will still have had some type of treatment.”
Most important, recognize that decisions about sex offender therapy will need to be that of a qualified counselor. These are a few examples of common therapies, but ultimately, a consult with a professional is most productive.
Whatever happens, just remember that your life isn’t over. Your own thoughts and what society thinks about you need not control you. It’s time to move on. Get in touch with a sex offender therapist today.
