Variables predictive of assessment and treatment outcome in adult sex offenders in Western Australia
This exploratory study examines differences between a) sex offenders who entered treatment (N = 117) and those who did not enter treatment (N =51), and b) sex offenders who completed treatment successfully (N = 83) and those who did not complete successfully (N = 22), The two samples were derived from a total sample pool of 199 adult male sex offenders who were sentenced in Western Australia in 1995 and assessed for treatment suitability by the Sex Offender Treatment Unit (SOTU). Logistic regression was used to determine which variables would best predict a) entry into treatment, and b) treatment Success. Variables used in the study included demographic information, offender characteristics and offence details. The results indicated little differences between those offenders who entered treatment and those offenders who did not enter treatment. Only two variables, marital status and prior non-sex violent offences appear to discriminate between the two groups. Six variables appear to be associated with treatment success. They are age at first conviction, prior sex offence convictions, prior non-violent offence convictions, marital status, education and offender type. This study also reports on the proportion of sex offenders who were assessed for treatment suitability from the total number sentenced in 1995, the proportion of offenders who were considered suitable for treatment, of those considered suitable the proportion who actually entered treatment, and of those who entered treatment the proportion, who completed treatment successfully.
Sex offenders, Rehabilitation., Psychology
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Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia