Citation

Wakeling HC, Webster SD, Mann RE. J. Sex. Aggress. 2005; 11(2): 171-186.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13552600412331321323

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

HM Prison Service Sex Offender Treatment Programme (SOTP) has been running since 1992. Despite the collection of standardised psychometric data, no qualitative data to ascertain sexual offenders' treatment experiences within HM Prison Service have been gathered to date. This study evaluates participants' experiences of SOTP using qualitative and quantitative methods. A semi-structured interview was administered to 46 adult male sexual offenders. The interviews were transcribed and subject to grounded theory analysis. Treatment Summary Documents and psychometric measures were also interrogated to examine the relationship between subjective treatment experiences and other progress assessment. The results indicate that participants' experiences of the Core Programme were multidimensional; they experienced both positive and negative affects during treatment, and learning points were drawn from every treatment 'block'. Findings support the recommendation of using qualitative exploration, and triangulating methods of programme efficacy. The results are discussed in terms of implications for the improvement of future programmes for sexual offenders.