NCJ Number
243125
Date Published
2011
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This chapter presents a rationale for bolstering sexuality education that includes sexually explicit media in residential treatment programs for offenders.
Abstract
The chapter first presents a detailed outline of the type of sex education program recommended by the authors, along with a listing of resource material. The second part of the chapter reports on a survey of providers of residential sex offender treatment regarding the sex education component of their programs, with attention to their rule regarding access to media with sexual content. In offering a rationale for having a sex education curriculum for sex offenders, the chapter notes that clinicians working with persons who have sexual dysfunction often report that these individuals tend to be anxious about sexual matters and have a significant amount of ignorance, confusion, distortion, and anxiety regarding human relationships and sexual functioning. The objectives of the proposed curriculum are to provide an opportunity to explore sexual beliefs and values with others; to become more comfortable in discussing sexual issues, and to learn about sexual anatomy, physiology, function and dysfunction, and a reference point of healthy sexuality. For the survey on the policies and media content of sex education programs for adult and juvenile sex offenders, there were responses from 60 adult programs and 65 adolescent programs. Sex education as one component of treatment was reported by 78 percent of respondents. The majority of the programs reported using diagrams of sexual systems and still pictures of genitals, but less than 25 percent included still or moving pictures of sexual behavior. Although all programs included content on the names and functions of sexual organs, reproduction, and fundamentals of safe sex, only 13 specifically addressed sexual behaviors and how they relate to societal values. 2 tables, 2 figures, and 2 references