‘Should we worry about sex offenders who deny their offences?’

Abstract

This piece is a response to Jackie Craissati’s article ‘Should we worry about sex offenders who deny their offences?’ Craissati takes the view that current practices should be more reflective of the current research and evidence relating that there is a lack of association between denial and increased risk of sexual recidivism. However, through exploring these points, she recognises that the research is unequivocal, and that there are moral and ethical dilemmas faced by practitioners in attempting to adopt such an approach to treatment, risk assessment and management. This article seeks to further explore the dilemmas faced by practitioners, the role of ‘responsibilisation’ and alternative ways of working with total denial.