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The Missing Link in Assessing and Treating Sex Offenders: Considering Substance Abuse as a Criminogenic Need

Author: Jeremy Braithwaite.; Donna M. Vandiver.

Source: Volume 18, Number 02, July/August 2014 , pp.17-20(4)

Abstract:

Substance abuse and substance-use disorders have consistently been linked to sexual offending (Langevin et al., 2006; Testa, 2002). It is estimated that about half of all sex offenders have a history of some form of substance abuse—in particular, alcohol abuse (Kraanen & Emmelkamp, 2011). Moreover, mounting evidence suggests that a lifetime history of substance abuse may represent an important dimension that can add to the prediction of recidivism risk (Kingston et al., 2008; Långströmet al., 2004; Looman & Abracen, 2011). This suggests that substance abuse is not only an important consideration for thorough risk assessment, but also a critical issue for sexual offender treatment programs.

Keywords: Seto and Barbaree’s (1995) disinhibition model; substance abuse–crime nexus; sexual offense recidivism; comorbidity; nonbehavioral psychotherapy; castration; cognitive behavioral therapy; AASI; Static-99R; Stable 2007/Acute 2007; polygraph; femal

Affiliations: 1: University of California, Social Solutions International; 2: Texas State University.