Adapted Sex Offender Treatment Programmes for Individuals with Autism
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigation into adapted sex offender treatment programmes for individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum conditions: clinician and service user views.
IRAS ID
179066
Contact name
Clare Louise Melvin
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Kent
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
The vast majority of individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) do not display criminal behaviours however evidence has highlighted a greater prevalence of ASC in forensic populations than in the general population, with other research suggesting longer stays in forensic services for individuals with ASC (Hare et al., 1999). It has been proposed that the clinical features of ASC may leave an individual vulnerable to committing a sexual offence (Dein & Woodbury Smith, 2010). These features include social naivety, difficulties in understanding another's perspective, inflexible thinking, and special interests/‘obsessions’. These same features may also result in barriers to treatment, particularly in programmes for sexual offenders which are typically delivered in a group and whose therapeutic objectives include increasing victim empathy and addressing ‘faulty thinking styles’ (e.g. ‘I didn’t hurt them’) - areas individuals with ASC may find challenging.
Clinically, there is a generally accepted supposition regarding the possible role of ASC in sexual offending and its potential impact on treatment, however little empirical investigation has taken place.This project aims to investigate the effectiveness of adapted sex offender treatment programmes (SOTP) for individuals with ASC by seeking service user and clinician views on the effectiveness and appropriateness of currently available programmes. The project aims to select individuals diagnosed with ASC who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour or committed a sexual offence, and have completed an adapted SOTP. Additionally, a clinician, ideally a treatment group facilitator will also be recruited. Semi-structure interviews will be undertaken with the service user and the clinician in order to document their experience and views of the treatment and any perceived benefit in reducing future incidences of harmful sexual behaviour for men diagnosed with ASC.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/0105
Date of REC Opinion
24 Mar 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion