NCJ Number
189226
Journal
Forum on Corrections Research Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2001 Pages: 56-59
Date Published
January 2001
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article reports on a study that examined the efficacy of the Regional Treatment Centre (Ontario) Sex Offender Program (RTCSOP), which consisted of group plus individual therapy, compared with individual therapy alone.
Abstract
All offenders who participated in this study were referred to the RTCSOP for assessment or treatment and completed treatment in the period between January 1, 1989, and January 1, 1996. The individuals selected represented consecutive admissions to either the RTCSOP full treatment program or the individual treatment program. In the full treatment program, all clients attended two groups a week related to victim empathy and self-management. Clients also attended two groups per week operated by nursing staff. All clients in the full treatment program attended two individual sessions a week with a psychologist and one individual therapy session with a nurse. Clients assigned to the individual treatment program were provided three individual sessions a week with a psychologist and 1 hour of individual treatment with a nurse. Participants in the full treatment program and individual treatment program did not significantly differ on most of the pretreatment variables. Follow-up analyses were performed among those sex offenders released to the community. No significant differences in rates of sexual recidivism emerged between the full treatment and individual treatment approaches. One possible implication of the findings for researchers and practitioners was that rather than championing one treatment modality over the other, attempts should be made to determine which modalities are most effective with offenders with particular characteristics. 1 table and 9 notes