the management and
treatment of sex
offenders
This chapter will look at how criminal psychology helps us under-
stand some of the reasons why men and women become sex offend-
ers and how sex offenders are punished, treated and managed once
they are caught. The chapter will also talk about the effectiveness of
these treatments; do the punishments work? Do they stop sex
offenders committing crimes once they are let out of prison?
Sex offending is thought of as a very serious problem within
contemporary society. It is an offence that seems to be more than
just a crime; it is regarded as a social and health problem and is fre-
quently reported in newspapers and on the television and radio.
Sex offending in the UK includes crimes such as rape (penetration
by the penis of someone’s vagina, anus or mouth without
consent); assault by penetration (penetration by a body part or
object of someone’s vagina or anus without consent); sexual
assault (sexual touching); administering a substance with intent
to commit a non-consensual sexual act (this covers spiking some-
one’s drink); sexual activity with a child (under the age of sixteen),
causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity; engaging in
sexual activity in the presence of a child; meeting a child following
sexual grooming (this new offence has been triggered by child
abusers using the Internet to meet children); abusing positions of
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