Methodological issues in evaluating the effectiveness of aversion therapies for institutionalised child molesters.

Abstract

Child molesters confined to secure settings because of their dangerousness present those responsible for their release with thorny problems of assessment. Penile volume measurements can provide valuable information regarding the sexual preferences of these persons but such information is not an infallible predictor of a child molester's dangerousness. Similarly, the fact he has received aversion therapy does not make the decision regarding his release appreciably easier because success rates with this therapy are not high enough to allow confidence in making individual decisions. Further research is needed to determine the relation of penile volume and other measures to recidivism in this population, to clarify the theoretical nature of aversion therapy and to develop more effective methods of therapy.

Therapists’ experiences in their work with sex offenders and people with pedophilia: A literature review

“…In the 1990s this was the standard procedure in most sex offender treatment groups ( Nori, 1992 ). Recommended therapeutic measures included various kinds of aversion therapy ( Priest & Smith, 1992 ), for example, by pairing an arousing image with electrical shock ( Quinsey, 1973 ). Drug therapy or “chemical castration”, which is still widely used in some countries but may entail intolerable side effects, is also an available tool (see Panesar, Allard, Pai, & Valachova (2011) for a detailed description hereof).…”

The assessment and treatment of child molesters: A review.

“…As was discuussed above, inappropriate sexual preferences are believed to be strongly associated with recidivism and have been incorporated into a number of classification schemes. Because there are obvious difficulties with assessing sexual preferences using the child molester's verbal report or history, an objective and sensitive measure of sexual preference would be a valuable aid (Quinsey, 1973). Most of the work on the psychophysiological assessment of sexual preference has used some measure of penile expansion.…”

Changes in physiological and verbal responses of child molesters during aversion therapy.

“…The assessment of therapeutic change among institutionalized child molesters is complex and difficult for theoretical as well as practical reasons (Quinsey, 1973). There have been very few behaviour therapy studies that have focused exclusively on child molesters and most investigators have included them with other sex offenders on the dubious assumption that the response to treatment of different types of sexual offenders is similar.…”