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We review and synthesize the literature on the effectiveness of offense-focused treatment for sexual offending.
Specifically, we consider whether the extant literature suggests treatment is effective in reducing sexual reoffending and features of effective interventions. We also consider how the design of program evaluations may influence treatment outcomes. Recent research suggests that offense-focused psychological treatment for sexual offending shows some level of effectiveness in reducing both sexual and general reoffending. Further, there appear to be key program, individual, and study design features associated with treatment effectiveness.
Although recent findings paint an optimistic outlook for offense-focused psychological treatment for sexual offending, further high-quality differential studies are needed to fully understand the range of content, delivery, and individual factors associated with successful treatment outcomes so as to establish what works best for whom.
Keywords: Sexual offense treatment, Sexual recidivism, Treatment effectiveness, Sexual offending, Treatment moderators. Offense-specific treatment for sexual offending is commonly provided in Western countries with the primary aim of reducing risk of sexual reoffending. Treatment is often psychological and is provided across various settings including the community, forensic mental health hospitals, and prison settings. Nevertheless, although treatment is a common feature of forensic practice for sexual offending, there is much variation across programs in terms of content, structure, and delivery [ 1 ].
