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Abstract
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VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The goal of this study by Turner and Van Hasselt was to investigate a multiple behavioral treatment approach to improve a juvenile's heterosexual interactions and decrease his risk for sexually assaultive behavior.
METHODOLOGY:
A quasi-experimental case study design was employed for this study. The subject was a 17-year-old male who was referred to the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School for attempted sexual assault. The subject was evaluated and determined to have poor heterosocial relations and obsessive sexual thoughts. These delinquent thoughts were made more serious by his frequent "trailing behavior" of women. The Behavioral Assertiveness Test-Revised (BAT-R) was used to identify and select a representation of seven problematic areas involving social and interpersonal situations for this juvenile. Eye contact relative to speech duration, number of words relative to speech duration, appropriate intonation, number of smiles, number of positive statements, appropriate affect, and appropriate content were selected for attention in a social skills program. These indicators were examined over a period of 80 days through videotaping interviews and coding these videotapes by 2 different raters. Interrater reliability was over .90 for eye contact, speech duration, and number of words spoken. Percentage of agreement between raters was 67% for intonation, 78% for smiles, 71% for affect, and 63% for content. The program for this juvenile also included response prevention and flooding techniques to combat the subject's compulsive behaviors. Self-monitoring was employed during the first month of treatment to assess negative thought patterns. Eye contact, speech duration, and number of words spoken were followed up after 8 months.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
Social skills training involved guided "in vivo" experiences; this program improved social skills deficits in this patient. Social skills training improved the response component including increasing eye contact and number of positive statements. Number of positive statements improved by nearly 100% from the first interview. Self-monitoring involved efforts by the subject to control his distressing and uncontrollable thoughts. After 30 days, the self-monitoring ended with an overall decrease in frequency of distressing and obsessive thoughts. The subject's frequency and duration of urges to harm others was found to decline as well. After the 30-day period ended, the patient reported that thoughts of harming others were no longer a problem. After an 8-month follow-up interview, the patient displayed less anxiety and greater self-confidence in heterosexual encounters. No further sexual assaults had been attempted or had been contemplated.
AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
The authors viewed these findings as preliminary, but they concluded that the multiple behavior approach could be useful with sexually aggressive males when used with caution. Additional investigation of empirical data with respect to assessment and treatment of rapists was seen as needed.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - Pennsylvania
KW - Juvenile Violence
KW - Juvenile Offender
KW - Juvenile Treatment
KW - Juvenile Male
KW - Juvenile Aggression
KW - Sexual Aggression
KW - Aggression Treatment
KW - Sexual Assault Treatment
KW - Sexual Assault Offender
KW - Male Offender
KW - Male Violence
KW - Offender Treatment
KW - Social Skills Training
KW - Cognitive Behavioral
KW - Case Studies
KW - Prosocial Skills |