Recidivism of Sex Offenders Essay example - 2488 Words

Sex offenders have been a serious problem for our legal system at all levels, not to mention those who have been their victims. There are 43,000 inmates in prison for sexual offenses while each year in this country over 510,000 children are sexually assaulted(Oakes 99). The latter statistic, in its context, does not convey the severity of the situation. Each year 510,000 children have their childhoods destroyed, possibly on more than one occasion, and are faced with dealing with the assault for the rest of their lives. Sadly, many of those assaults are perpetrated by people who have already been through the correctional system only to victimize again. Sex offenders, as a class of criminals, are nine times more likely to repeat their†¦show more content†¦Barbaree looked at 224 sex offenders. Of those men, 33 committed a new offense of some kind for a general recidivism rate of 14.7 percent. Even more interesting was the study did not support the idea that good treatmen t behavior, as in positive or appropriate behavior in group sessions, good homework assignments, and positive ratings of motivation, could be associated with a less of a chance for recidivism. They gave two possible reasons for this finding. Sex offenders, by the very nature of their criminal behavior, are masters of manipulation and exploitation. These individuals can exhibit behavior that contributes to favorable assessments. The second possible reason is these skills are learned, or enhanced, in the treatment setting. Data from a program evaluation by Quinsey et al in 1998 is consistent with this interpretation. They hypothesized that it was due to exposure to sexually deviant material or by learning about others modi operandi. A more recent study, published in the same journal, by Looman et al in 2000 suggests the opposite. Of the released sex offenders they studied they found a 23.6 percent recidivism rate for those treated while a 51.7 percent rate for the untreated group. They also conducted an analysis separately on the outcome for men who had previous sexual convictions. Those with no previous sexual offense convictions had a 20.9 percent recidivism rate of the treated men compared to 42.9 percent of the untreated men. OfShow MoreRelatedThe Recidivism Rate of Juvenile Sex Offenders between Uses of Legal Sentencing as Adults or Utilizing Psychological Treatment2308 Words   |  10 PagesThe Recidivism Rate of Juvenile Sex Offenders between Uses of Legal Sentencing as Adults or Utilizing Psychological Treatment It is typically thought that sex offenders are the type of individual that needs to be tried in our courts and then sentenced because there is really no hope for an individual that harms the most innocent of our society. But there just may be an exception to this way of thinking. Juveniles who at one point themselves may have been victims, and as they have grown into adolescenceRead MoreSexual Violence and The Adam Walsh Act1343 Words   |  5 PagesManaging sex offenders is still an issue in the criminal justice system. Repeat offenders are extremely difficult to monitor. The national legislature monitoring system contains an absence of effective research in monitoring sex offenders. Sexual offender registration and notification Act (SORNA) operates in all the US states and territories. The objective is to monitor and track sex offenders by law enforcement. Also they provide information to the public and the communities about the offenders. ForRead MoreSex Offenders1410 Words   |   6 PagesTreatment providers recognized that sex offenders evidenced had a high prevalence of cognitive distortions, or thought processes that allowed the offenders to neutralize their feelings of guilt and shame (Abel, 1989). No matter what setting that cognitive therapy is used in, its purpose is to focus on the way an individual thinks and to change any type of â€Å"thinking errors†. For our purposes, cognitive treatment is used in the correctional and community setting to help offenders think rationally and responsiblyRead MoreThe Effects Of Sexual Offending On Adult Offenders1202 Words   |  5 Pageson adult offenders, however, juveniles also engage in such behaviors. Official records indicate that juveniles are responsible for 17 to 20 percent of all sexual crimes, except prostitution, and victim reports, as well as, youth self-reports suggest even higher rates of juvenile sexual offending (Letourneau Borduin, 2008). Although it remains clear that there is no spec ific â€Å"cure† for sex offenders, various treatment programs and punishments have been put in place as remedies to limit sex offendingRead MoreSexual Offenders Is The Most Vilified Type Of Offenders Within Public Opinion And The Criminal Justice System1672 Words   |  7 PagesSexual offenders are the most vilified type of offenders within public opinion and the criminal justice system. The American precedent cases of Jacob Wetterling, Pam Lyncher, Megan Kanka, and other notorious crimes perpetrated by sexual offenders with a prior history of conviction have demanded a response from the criminal justice system to increase public safety. In 1994, the Jacob Wetterling Crimes against Children and Sexually Violent Offender Registration Program was passed (Scholle, 2000), theRead MoreThe Positive Effects Of Employment On Lowering Recidivism1344 Words   |  6 Pagesthe positive effect employment has on lowering recidivism. However, little research has been done to determine th e effect a criminal record, including registration as a sex offender, has on finding gainful employment. Holzer’s 1996 study (as cited by Johnson, 2006) found that two-thirds of employers in major cities would avoid hiring known ex-offenders, indicating that regardless of public policies that may make finding employment difficult, ex-offenders ultimately still have to overcome the socialRead MoreCriminal Justice Sex Offender Strategies Essay1120 Words   |  5 Pagesprofessionals use strategies to monitor sex offenders. The main three general categories of supervision are statutory mandates, treatment, and electronic monitoring devices. Due to the fact that sex offenders are the hardest to supervise, there needs to be effective strategies. This group is the hardest to supervise because a sexual act can occur at anytime and anywhere in a quick timeframe. Statutory Mandates The laws and sanctions that sex offenders must adhere to while under some type ofRead MoreReducing The Rate Of Reoccurring Offenses For Juvenile Offenders731 Words   |  3 Pagesreducing the rate of reoccurring offenses for juvenile offenders is directly related to understanding the factors that increase the recidivism rates for this age group: the origins of the offenders, the behavior problems and causes, the adjudication process, and the type of offense committed. Aalsma, M., White, L., Lau, K., Perkins, A., Monahan, P., Grisso, T. (2015). Behavioral Health Care Needs, Detention-Based Care, and Criminal Recidivism at Community Reentry From Juvenile Detention: A MultisiteRead MoreUnderstanding And Treatment Programs For Adult Pedophiles1568 Words   |  7 Pagesenforcement and laws regarding sexual offenders, people are more aware of the crime. The awareness is of the risks that make people more likely to become a victim. However, awareness should also shed light on the predictive factors as to why people commit sexual assaults in the first place. This paper will evaluate and review the understanding and treatment programs for adult pedophiles. A simple question has been asked: What works, if anything, to lower the criminal recidivism rates of adult pedophiles?Read MoreThe Use Of GPS Monitoring System908 Words   |  4 Pagesinteractions of the offender(s) on a daily basis. Electronic monitoring is an alternative form of punishment instead of going to jail. This method helps lower the rate at which individuals are being sent to prison. GPS tracking uses a combination of networks to channel the data that is received and transmits them into the device. A tamper resistant bracelet or anklet is worn by the offender (Bulman, 2013). This type of monitoring is especially reserved for high risk offenders who commit serious offenses