Treating Sex Offenders in Correctional Institutions and Outpatient Clinics: A Guide to Clinical Practice

Successfully treating sex offenders is a major sexual abuse prevention task and more necessary than ever amidst rising victim rates. Based on William Prendergast's nearly 30 years’experience in the field, this book addresses two major components of treatment: the “who” of sex offenders--principal characteristics of various types of sex offenders--and the “why” of sex offenders--clients’motives for seeking treatment. Professionals who have desperately wanted information on the identification and treatment of both sex offenders and the survivors of sexual abuse will find Treating Sex Offenders in Correctional Institutions and Outpatient Clinics a thorough and helpful book. This riveting book features principles and facts of treating offenders, illustrated by one or more case studies pertinent to the issue. These profuse case examples support the practice findings and treatment principles presented throughout the book. One of the more intriguing topics addressed is the need for greater recognition of sex offender development in young children and adolescents. Treating the young person before they commit, or attempt to commit, sex crimes would drastically reduce the number of active sex offenders. Practical topics include therapist qualifications and cautions; clinical interviewing techniques; comparisons of different types of offenders; treatment considerations and caveats; specific treatment techniques for each type of case; and aftercare considerations.Treating Sex Offenders in Correctional Institutions and Outpatient Clinics assists those new to the field in making appropriate treatment decisions, thereby enhancing their clients’success in therapy. A wide selection of readers will find this book a welcome addition to the available literature, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, and those in the criminal justice field who deal with sex offenders on a daily basis. Parents and significant others involved in the lives of sex offenders and survivors of sexual abuse or assault who are trying to understand abusers and their motives will find the case studies especially intriguing and enlightening.