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The relationship between serum testosterone and sexual violence was examined in a sample of 501 convicted adult male sex offenders attending an intensive in-hospital group psychotherapy treatment program. It was found that men with higher testosterone tended to have committed the most invasive sexual crimes (p < .001, two-tailed). Further, a positive partial correlation (controlling for age) between testosterone and sexual offense recidivism over a lengthy follow-up period (mean = 8.9 years) was found. When the sample was separated into one group that completed treatment and one group that did not, an important ameliorating treatment effect was observed. Although controlling for age, serum testosterone remained significantly predictive of sexual recidivism for the treatment noncompleter group (p < .05, two-tailed). For those who completed treatment testosterone was no longer predictive of sexual reoffense (p > .05, two-tailed). Among convicted sex offenders, higher serum testosterone appears to be associated with greater likelihood of further sexual violence. Effective therapy, however, appears able to intercede in the influence of testosterone on sexually deviant behavior. It is suggested that serum testosterone may be an informative static risk factor and completion of intensive treatment should be accorded significance in future actuarially based risk prediction instruments.

The best predictor of sexual offense recidivism is believed to be past sexual offending. However, clinical observations of treated individuals often contradict this view. Consequently, this relationship was evaluated, using a minimum follow-up period of 18 months. The samples were adult men and consisted of 127 treatment noncompleters who terminated treatment because of inadequate motivation/unacceptable behavior, legal transfer, or by request and 150 treatment completers who underwent a minimum of 6 months of 32-35 hours per week of therapy. Sexual offense conviction recidivism and prior sexual offense convictions were significantly related in noncompleters (r = .31, p < .05) but were not significantly related in completers (r = .03, p > .05). These two correlations differed significantly (two-tailed p < .05). There was no difference (p > .05) in the average number of prior sexual offense convictions between completers and noncompleters. The findings are supportive of treatment interventions, although they question the validity of prior sexual offenses in treated offenders for release decisions and/or risk prediction.

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