Adolescents commit between 30% and 50% of the sexual offenses against young children in the United States. Adolescents who complete specialized treatment for sexual offending, including family therapy, have lower rates of sexual recidivism. Despite the evidence that including families in adolescents' treatment may contribute to lower sexual recidivism rates, there are few descriptions of family therapy with adolescents who sexually offend. In particular, there are no conceptualizations or models of family involvement derived from parents and adolescents' perspectives on treatment. To address this need, this study examined adolescents' and their parents\' experiences of participation in family therapy when the adolescent son had been required to complete treatment for sexual offending. In addition, the study explored how parent and adolescent participation in family therapy was associated with adolescents' progress in treatment for sexual offending. Using constructivist grounded theory methodology, a conceptualization of family therapy was developed through semi-structured interviews with ten adolescent boys who have sexually offended and their parents/caregivers. In addition, a focus group of seven family therapists who specialize in the treatment of adolescents who sexually offend reviewed the findings and offered input on refining the emerging clinical conceptualization. Findings suggest that youth have more successful outcomes when therapists foster hopefulness and use parents to help motivate youth and facilitate change. Positive outcomes of family therapy for youth included expressing himself more clearly, caring about people, thinking about his future and setting goals, having more confidence, following the rules, "progressing in treatment, being accountable for his behavior, becoming more honest, developing life skills, and understanding and expressing regret for sexually offending. Positive outcomes of family therapy for families included changes in household rules, family roles, setting boundaries, and having respectful communication. Implications for how to best include families in adolescents' treatment of sexual offending are addressed. / Ph. D.

Three studies conducted in Vermont yielded data on 82 sexual recidivists’ index offenses (Time 1) and sexual reoffenses (Time 2) across 16 modus operandi (MO) characteristics. The current study examines the stability of these 16 characteristics between Time 1 and Time 2 offenses. Probabilities of Time 1–Time 2 characteristic combinations are reported, including when controlling for static risk as measured by the Static-99R and Vermont Assessment of Sex Offender Risk–2 (VASOR-2). Overall, considerable stability of offenders’ MO was evident between Time 1 and Time 2 offenses. Victim characteristics and offense behaviors were the most stable MO characteristics, and degree of force used and victim injury were less stable and trended toward less forceful and less injurious reoffenses. Controlling for static risk had little impact on the patterns of MO stability.

Sex offenses in the United States are a major public health concern. Attitudes toward sex offenders are generally very negative and to be officially identified as a sex offender brings on collateral consequences that reduce incentives not to reoffend. The extent to which attitudes toward sex offenders affect discriminatory behaviors and collateral consequences is not fully understood. The Sex Offender Attitude Scale was developed in an attempt to reliably and accurately measure attitudes and stigma toward sex offenders. Initial analyses indicated the SOAS was a reliable and valid instrument. This study aimed to provide additional evidence of the psychometric properties of the SOAS via statistical analyses, and findings supported this overarching goal. Future research and clinical implications are discussed.

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Although the available literature suggests that only a small percentage of youth who engage in sexually abusive behaviors go on to commit additional sex offenses, these youths tend to be versatile in the type of offending behaviors that they engage in and are at much greater risk of recidivism for nonsexual criminal offending. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been linked to a greater likelihood of both general and sexual offending behaviors. However, previous empirical investigations have produced mixed results with regard to how varied adverse experiences and other environmental factors interact to influence the development and course of delinquent and sexually abusive behaviors across samples. In the present study, we used structural equation modeling (SEM) to confirm factors of ACE survey items and indicators of sexual boundary problems in the home through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and analyze pathways between confirmed factors and patterns of delinquent nonsexual and sexually abusive behaviors. Our sample consists of male adolescents (N = 285; 84% Caucasian; age at first admission: M=14.8; SD=1.6) who have engaged in sexually abusive behaviors and received treatment at a youth facility. As predicted, CFA revealed a three-factor model, including: nonsexual abuse and neglect; household dysfunction; and sexual abuse and indicators of sexual boundary problems within the home of origin. Variations in individual ACE experiences were differentially associated with the onset, nature, and persistence of nonsexual delinquent and sexually abusive behaviors (see Tables 1 and 2). Additional discussion regarding findings, implications, and areas for future research will be included.

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Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT; Linehan, 1993) is an empirically supported, skills based, cognitive-behavioral therapy used to treat a myriad of symptoms including chronic suicidality and self-harm, emotion dysregulation, reactive aggression and other mood dependent behaviors. Because of its emphasis on self-regulation and a wide range of problem behaviors, DBT can be readily applied to sex offender treatment programming. In this workshop, participants will learn about DBT’s method of conceptualizing and addressing client problems, important strategies for engaging offenders in treatment using this approach, and DBT skills. Important updates from the most recent DBT skills manual will also be addressed. be discussed.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT; Linehan, 1993) is an empirically supported skills-based, cognitive-behavioral therapy originally developed for use with clients with borderline personality disorder and associated self-harm behavior. Its unique combination of individual therapy, skills group, in vivo skills coaching, and support for the therapists in the form of a weekly consultation team meeting, provide a comprehensive framework for treating difficult behaviors in a client population who do not demonstrate positive outcomes when participating in traditional psychotherapy practice. Multiple randomized control trials have demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing chronic suicidality and self-harm, particularly among those with personality pathology and substance abuse problems. Since its initial use, DBT has been applied to a myriad of treatment needs, including emotion dysregulation, reactive aggression, and other mood-dependent behavior. Recent evidence indicates that self-regulatory problems are quite common among sexual offenders (Stinson, Becker, & Sales, 2008; Stinson, Robbins, & Crow, 2011; Stinson, Sales, & Becker, 2008; Ward & Hudson, 2007), including difficulties with emotion regulation, violent and sexual aggression, interpersonal skills deficits, suicidality, and problems with substance use. Sex offenders benefit from DBT’s emphasis on self-monitoring, interpersonal and emotional skills development, and the use of a hierarchical treatment structure that addresses multiple behavioral problems and life concerns. Further, some sex offenders – particularly those who present with personality pathology or pronounced self-regulatory deficits – may be unable to meaningfully engage in sex offender specific treatment until they address more acute symptomatology. DBT presents an interesting new take on addressing complex emotional and behavioral problems in adolescent and adult sex offenders. Therapists using DBT benefit from a comprehensive and empirically-supported framework, as well as techniques specifically designed to protect clinicians from the burn-out so often associated with treating challenging and high-risk clients. But admittedly, for those unfamiliar with DBT, this novel way of conceptualizing and addressing sex offender clients can be difficult. The primary objective of this workshop is to introduce sex offender therapists to the tenets of DBT and facilitate the implementation of DBT principles and techniques in sex offender treatment. A secondary goal is to familiarize practiced DBT therapists with recent updates to the DBT skills manual.

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No description available.