An intensive, well-established programme for people who have committed sex offences.
Program aims
To prevent future sexual offending by:
- Increasing awareness of the way an offender's attitudes and behaviour has affected the victim and those close to the victim
- Confronting sex offenders' denial by encouraging them to take full and active responsibility for their sexual behaviour
- Conducting a detailed analysis of the offending behaviour to assist in making an accurate assessment of risk
- Teaching offenders ways of interrupting their offending behaviour patterns and increase their ability to lead an abuse-free, new life
- Identifying and examining the perceptions and attitudes of group members towards women, children, men and sexuality, which may have contributed to their offending.
Who is suitable?
Male sexual offenders who:
- Are convicted of any sexual offence including non-contact sexual offences
- Are aged 21 or over
- Are subject to a condition of attendance in a community sentence or post-custodial licence.
It is not suitable for:
- Female sexual offenders
- Sex offenders with an IQ of less than 80
- Men with severe alcohol/drug misuse behaviours
- Men with current mental health problems
- Men assessed as psychopathic
- Men who are unable to speak/understand English
- Men in total denial of their sexual offending.
What does the programme involve?
- Assessment by psychometric measures for deviancy and to determine which blocks of the programme need to be undertaken
- Structured pre-groupwork to build on an offender's motivation to do the program.
The four program blocks are:
- Foundation - requires full-time attendance, 9am-5pm for 2 consecutive weeks
- Victim Empathy - requires twice-weekly attendance for 4 weeks
- Life Skills - requires twice-weekly attendance for 10 weeks
- Relapse Prevention - requires weekly attendance for 24 weeks.
