Citation

Dolan MC, Fullam R. Med. Sci. Law 2005; 45(4): 303-310.

Affiliation

University of Manchester. mairead.dolan@bstmht.nhs.uk

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, British Academy of Forensic Sciences, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

16302375

Abstract

The study examined the psychosocial characteristics of 99 sex offenders against children referred for treatment to a forensic community sex offender programme. The subjects had high levels of substance misuse problems and personality disorder but low rates of Axis I disorder. Subjects accepted for treatment could not be distinguished from those rejected as unsuitable on the Child Sex Questionnaire (CSQ) (Beckett et al., 1994), apart from the question on whether or not subjects believed it was wrong to have sexual contact with children. Substance misuse, antisocial personality disorder and past criminal history did not determine whether subjects were accepted or rejected. Differences in scores on actuarial measures of risk (STATIC-99) were also not significant. Clinicians' ratings of motivation, level of denial and poor social skills were the key factors determining rejection for treatment. Reconviction rates in the treatment group were low (7%) at five-year follow-up.

Language: en