Therapeutic Engagement Styles of Child Sexual Offenders in a Group Treatment Program: A Grounded Theory Study

Abstract

It is widely observed that child sexual offenders typically exhibit considerable reluctance to self-disclose at a level that reflects the full reality of their offending. Their successful engagement in relapse prevention-based programs is therefore problematic. This paper describes a study involving men undertaking a prototypical group treatment program, facing the challenge of revealing to others the details of their offense process. A procedure was developed to access their covert responses at the time of this encounter. From a grounded theory analysis, participants were found to employ various strategies to manage situations where self-disclosure was required. Four distinct disclosure management styles emerged: exploratory, oppositional, evasive, and placatory; the latter three of which appear unfavorable to effective engagement in treatment. As well as suggesting ways of influencing disclosure management style, analysis indicated that it might be possible to predict these different orientations during routine assessment.

Child Sexual Abusers’ Views on Treatment: A Study of Convicted and Imprisoned Adult Male Offenders

“…Those working with child sexual abusers are faced with the challenge of providing effective treatment and assuaging public concern about safety. Over the past two decades, much research has focused on the assessment and treatment of sexual offenders in the UK, United States, Australia, and Canada (e.g., Abracen & Looman, 2004Chaffin, 1994;Eastman, 2004;Frost, 2004;Houston, Wrench, & Hosking, 1995;Jenkins-Hall, 1994;Kear-Colwell & Boer, 2000;Langton, Barbaree, Harkins, & Peacock, 2006;Levenson & Macgowan, 2004;Lindsay, Neilson, Morrison, & Smith, 1998;Looman, Dickie, & Abracen, 2005;MacDonald, 1994;Marshall, 1996;Marshall, Anderson, & Fernandez, 1999;Marshall, Jones, Ward, Johnston, & Barbaree, 1991;McGrath, Cumming, Livingston, & Hoke, 2003;Petersilia, 1990;Polizzi, MacKenzie, & Hickman, 1999;Raynor & Vanstone, 1997;Schofield, 1994;Schweitzer & Dyer, 2003;Seager, Jellicoe, & Dhaliwal, 2004;Shanahan & Donato, 2001). Yet debate persists as to the effectiveness of treatment in reducing recidivism (Brooks-Gordon et al, 2004;Hanson et al, 2002;Matthews & Pitts, 1998;Schweitzer & Dwyer;Seager et al, 2004;Terry & Mitchell, 2001).…”

A Conceptual and Empirical Review of 25 Years of Cognitive Assessment Using the Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations (ATSS) Think-Aloud Paradigm

“…Procedural clarity is necessary for validation and replication, which leads to our emphasis on accuracy of designation. Some examples of inaccurate ATSS designation yielded by our literature review include requiring participants to report their thoughts retrospectively (e.g., Johnston et al 1997;Frost 2004;Frost and Connolly 2004), instructing them to suppress particular types of thoughts (e.g., Johnston et al 1997Johnston et al , 1999, or asking them to think aloud while performing a specific task (e.g., planning a party as in Johnston et al 1999). Such experiments, of course, are perfectly legitimate but for our present purposes are not to be regarded as ATSS in nature.…”

Psychotherapy Experiences of Perpetrators of Child Sexual Abuse

“…He argued that sex offenders' own personal narratives may be negated or changed as a result of CBT, as offenders attempt to display the self-perceptions and personal narratives that the treatment staff deem more desirable. Another weakness of group therapies is the reluctance of group members to openly discuss their past criminal offenses for fear of shame and embarrassment, thus limiting their ability to fully engage in their therapy sessions (Frost, 2004).…”