NCJ Number
69815
Journal
Archives of Sexual Behavior Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: (1979) Pages: 281-304
Date Published
1979
Length
24 pages
Annotation
The recent European literature on surgical castration in treatment of sex offenders is reviewed and critiqued. An historic overview is given and recommendations are made.
Abstract
Results are reported of the most important empirical studies conducted in this field of sex research in Germany, Switzerland, Norway, and Denmark. The article focuses on results of two previously untranslated German-language studies, Langelueddeke (1963), and Cornu (1973). Methodological problems of follow-up studies are examined. The issues of voluntary and involuntary castration in European penology are discussed. The article reports shortcomings in analyzing recidivism rates (remedied only for the Danish study), and a lack of controlled followup studies on treated and untreated sex offenders. In addition, the authors believe that the rationale for castration in the treatment of sex offenders is based on biological theories, i.e., hormonal components, which are both overaccentuated and tenuous. They conclude that castration is punishment by surgical means. A multifactorial paradigm for the study of sexual deviance is recommended. Over 40 references and 7 tables are appended.