The question of whether sex offenders should be punished or treated is currently receiving serious attention from health, welfare and correctional authorities. Considerable enthusiasm is being expressed for the apparent advantages of treatment. It has been argued that treatment of offenders is more likely than punishment to reduce further offending and is consequently better for the community and more cost effective. This review looks at some of these issues, especially as they affect young sex offenders.
References
1.
Our Children, our Shame. “The Age”. Melbourne. July 1988
2.
LoweB. The Secret Crime. “The Weekend Australian”. Sydney. July 2–3, 1988
3.
Child Sexual Abuse Task Force: A Report to the Government of Western Australia, Department of Premier and Cabinet. December 1987
4.
South Australian Government Task Force Report on Child Sexual Abuse. S.A. Health Commission, 1987
5.
Working Party Report on Sexual Offender Treatment to the South Australian Minister for Health & Welfare, S.A. Health Commission, 1988
6.
FehrenbachPASmithWMonasterskyC.Adolescent sex offenders: offender and offence characteristics. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry1986; 56:225–233
7.
RyanGLaneSDavidJ.Juvenile sex offenders. Development and correction. Child Abuse and Neglect1987; 11:385–395
8.
AbelGGBeckerJVRathnerCunningham J. Complications, consent & cognition in sex between children and adults. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry1984; 7:89–103
9.
AbelGGMettelmanMBeckerJV. Sex offenders: Results of assessments & recommendations for treatment. In: Ben-AronSHuckerSWebsterC eds. Clinical Criminology. Toronto: M. & M. Graphics, 1985; 191–20
10.
LewisDOShankokSSPincusJH. Juvenile male sex assaulters. American Journal of Psychiatry1979; 139:1194–1196
11.
PackardWSRosserR. Psychiatric evaluation of sex offenders. Journal of Forensic Science1985; 30:715–720
12.
KovoussiRJKaplanMBeckerJV. Psychiatric diagnosis in adolescent sex offenders. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 1988; 27,2:241–243
13.
KnoppFH. Report on Nationwide Survey of Juvenile & Adult Sex Offenders: treatment programs and providers. New York: Safer Society Press, 1986
14.
SinetsA.C.CebulaC.M.A group treatment program for adolescent sex offenders: Five steps towards resolution. Child Abuse and Neglect1987; 11:247–254
15.
BarlowDH. Increasing heterosexual responsiveness in the treatment of sexual deviation: a review of the clinical and experimental evidence. Behaviour Therapy1973; 4:655–671
16.
CohenAHDaroD. Is treatment too late: What 10 years of evaluative research tells us. Child Abuse and Neglect1987; 11:433–442
17.
MooreHAZusmanJRootGC. Non-institutional treatment of sex offenders in Florida. American Journal of Psychiatry1985, 142:964–7
18.
LongoRE. Sexual learning & experience among adolescent sexual offenders. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology1982; 26:235–241
19.
Freeman-LongoRE. The impact of sexual victimization on males. Child Abuse and Neglect1986; 10:411–414
20.
BurgessAWHartmanCRMcCormackA. Abused & abuser: antecedents of socially deviant behaviours. American Journal of Psychiatry1987; 144:1431–1436.19
21.
PierceRPierceLH. The sexually abused child: a comparison of male and female victims. Child Abuse and Neglect1986; 9:191–199
22.
RogersCMTerryT. Clinical intervention in boy victims of sexual abuse. In: StuartIRGreenJG eds. Victims of Sexual Aggression: Men, Women & Children. New York: Noshard Reinhold, 1984; 91–103
23.
ReinhartMA. Sexually abused boys. Child Abuse and Neglect1987; 11: 229–235
24.
Kendall-TackettKASimonAF. Perpetrators and their acts: Data from 365 adults molested as children. Child Abuse and Neglect1987; 11:237–245
EsmanAH. Letter to the Editor. American Journal of Psychiatry1978; 135:1438
27.
ReichenthalJA. Letter to the Editor. American Journal of Psychiatry1979; 136:122–3
28.
KoskyR. Incest: What do we really know about it?Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry1987; 21:430–440
29.
ConstantineLL. The effects of early sexual experiences: A review and synthesis of research. In: ConstantineLLMattinsonFM eds. Children and Sex: New Findings, New Perspectives. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1981:9–19
30.
TongLOatesKMcDowellM. Personality development following sex abuse. Child Abuse and Neglect1987; 11:371–383
31.
AbelGG. Treatment of sex offenders. Paper presented to South Australian Health Commission. Adelaide, 1988
32.
AbelBecker GGIVMittelmanMSRouleauJLMurphyWD. Self-reported sex crimes of non-incarcerated paraphiliacs. Journal of Interpersonal Violence1987; 2:3,25
33.
MortF. Dangerous sexualities: medico-moral politics in England since 1830. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.1987
34.
KoskyR. From morality to madness: a reappraisal of the Asylum Movement 1840–1940. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry1986; 20:180–187
