The purpose of this paper is to review methods for evaluating the efficacy of treatment programs for sexual offenders. Even though recidivism reduction is the ultimate goal of treatment, the low base rate of detected recidivism makes this an impractical outcome criterion in many settings. In this paper, I discuss three general approaches that can be used to advance our knowledge: (1) large, well-controlled single-site research studies; (2) pooling of small studies through meta-analysis; and (3) detailed examination of within-treatment change on dynamic (changeable) risk factors. Each approach has its own strengths and weaknesses. It is only through the accumulation of consistent results from diverse studies that we are able to learn what works with sexual offenders.
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