Beyond the individual: Clinicians' perspectives on interventions for sexually based offenses through an ecological lens
The current interventions used for the treatment of individuals convicted of sexual offenses focus primarily on individual risk and protective factors, with minimal incorporation of environmental and social factors. The purpose of the current study was to explore how, if at all, treatment providers incorporated non-individual level factors into the treatment of individuals convicted of a sexual offense, what benefits they perceived to this incorporation, and what barriers they perceived to further incorporation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen (n = 15) providers across three midwestern states. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze participant interviews for each research question, resulting in eight themes. Three themes were found related to how providers incorporate non-individual level risk and protective factors into treatment: (1) Addressing from the Inside-Out, (2) Preparing for Social Consequences, and (3) Supporting the Support Systems. Two themes were found related to the benefits providers perceived to the incorporation of non-individual level factors into treatment; (1) Treatment Buy-In, and (2) Pro-Social Growth. Finally, three themes were found related to the barriers providers perceived to further incorporation of non-individual level factors into treatment: (1) Enduring Social Contempt, (2) Institutional Apathy, and (3) What is Broken Cannot Expand. These findings suggest that despite ecological level barriers, providers are working to incorporate nonindividual level factors into their treatment approach, perceive a benefit to this incorporation, and are interested in the further incorporation of these factors into current treatment methods.
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