Treatment strategies for professional sexual misconduct

Abstract

The therapeutic process in the clinical and social management of professional sexual misconduct is complex and complicated by legal reports and procedures, the involvement of professional association review boards and the negative impact of the media. Crisis interventions and supportive individual, couple and family counseling are frequently necessary before therapy can more directly focus on the sexual misconduct. Offenders usually hope to maintain, or expect to resume, their professional practice, increasing the use of deception, denial of problems and avoidance of self-revelation and self-examination. Through the course of treatment, reintegration into their professional practice may or may not be recommended. If reintegration is feasible, modification of their professional roles may also be preferable and recommended. However, prognosis is usually considered better than with most other types of sex offenders. A major focus of this anaylsis is to provide a description of current treatment procedures for professional sexual misconduct. A brief review of the immediate and deeper causes of this sexual problem will also be presented. When reintegration in the workplace is feasible, issues concerning posttreatment maintenance planning, identification of the victim pool and the establishment of preventive measures and safeguards will be reviewed.

Sexual Misconduct: What Does a 20-Year Review of Cases in Quebec Reveal about the Characteristics of Professionals, Victims, and the Disciplinary Process?

“…While it can be argued that adults involved in a professional relationship can freely choose to engage in sexual intimacy or contacts, the question of whether clients can give true consent to the sexualization of the relationship has been raised. In view of the power differential that marks this relationship, even competent and consenting adults can be influenced by professionals or fail to grasp the potential consequences of sexual boundary violation (Ravart, 2007). Moreover, sexual consent may be invalidated by the fiduciary nature of the relationship between professionals and their clients (Black, 2017;Slimp & Burian, 1994).…”