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A treatment component designed to enhance empathy in sex offenders with an intellectual disability
- Authors:
- MICHIE Amanda M., LINDSAY William R.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Forensic Practice, 14(1), 2012, pp.40-48.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
The authors describe the introduction of a component designed to enhance empathy into an established cognitive behavioural treatment program for sexual offenders with an intellectual disability. The treatment group (n=10, mean age 36.4 years, average IQ 65.8) received an empathy component and was compared with a control group. The study employed a cognitive behaviour approach in a group setting. The empathy enhancing treatment consisted of six sessions over eight weeks aiming to expose participants to the cognitive, emotional and behavioural experiences of victims. Therapeutic efficacy was assessed pre- and post-treatment and at 3, 6 and 9-month follow-up using the interpersonal reactivity index which assesses fantasy, perspective taking, empathic concern, and personal distress experienced due to others' misfortune. There were no significant differences between treatment and control groups at baseline. For the treatment group, significant differences were identified between pre, post and three-month follow-up assessments indicating an increased empathy at post-treatment assessment. The treatment group had significantly improved over the controls. The authors conclude that empathy responses can be included in a programme for sex offenders with ID however they point to a number of limitations of the study. Increased empathetic responses may improve self-regulation.
An evaluation of research and training resources for the sex education of people with moderate to severe learning disabilities
- Authors:
- GRIEVEO Alan, McLAREN Shona, LINDSAY William R.
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 35(1), March 2007, pp.30-37.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
To review the literature on issues surrounding the sexuality of people with moderate to severe learning disability (SLD), and evaluate available assessment and training methods. This research arose from an increasing number of referrals for clinical intervention in the training and education of appropriate social and sexual behaviour in people with moderate to SLD. What became apparent was the lack of suitable materials and assessments, which is significant as a large number of persons with SLD have problems with language, and so require tools and programmes which have enhanced levels of pictorial support. An extensive review of the literature revealed that the research on sexuality in SLD was limited. Furthermore, where research had been conducted, poor methodology or validation issues were common, and materials appeared overly complicated for clients with moderate to SLD. Further research into the development and validation of assessment tools and training programmes which increase appropriate sexual behaviours is urgently required.
Two studies on the prevalence and validity of personality disorder in three forensic intellectual disability samples
- Authors:
- LINDSAY William R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology (The), 17(3), September 2006, pp.485-505.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
There is an extensive research literature on the association between personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and risk of future violent and sexual offences. Several studies have found an elevated prevalence of personality disorder diagnoses amongst those individuals with severe mental illness and criminal populations. While there has been some work on the prevalence of personality disorder among intellectual disability populations, it has been criticised as being unreliable and inconsistent. The present authors have taken account of these criticisms and recommendations in this comparison of 164 offenders with intellectual disability across three settings – community, medium/low secure, and high secure. In Study 1, DSM-IV diagnoses were made on the basis of four information sources: file review, interview with clinician, observations by care staff, and the Structured Assessment of Personality Interview. Across the samples, total prevalence of PD was 39.3%. The most common diagnosis was antisocial personality disorder. There was a higher rate of diagnosis in the high security setting, with no significant differences between the other two settings. There was no diagnosis of dependent PD, indicating that assessors were not overly influenced by the developmental disability itself. In Study 2 it was found that increase in severity of PD (as indicated by PCL-R scores and/or the number of PD diagnoses) showed a strong lawful relationship with instruments predicting future violence (VRAG, RM 2000/V) and a weaker relationship with instruments predicting future sexual offences (Static-99, RM 2000/S). The results indicate the utility of PD classification in this client group and that a number of individuals with PD classification are being managed successfully in community settings. These findings have considerable implications for staffing, both in terms of which individuals can be treated by these services and staff training.
Response patterns on the questionnaire on attitudes consistent with sexual offending in groups of sex offenders with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- LINDSAY William R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 19(1), March 2006, pp.47-53.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This report employs a recently developed assessment on attitudes consistent with sexual offending [Questionnaire on Attitudes Consistent with Sexual Offences (QACSO)] to compare different groups of sex offenders with intellectual disability. Two studies are reported each from a different region and each conducted by different individuals. Study 1 compared 12 sex offenders against adults with 12 offenders against children. The six-scale version of the QACSO was administered including rape and attitudes to women, voyeurism, exhibitionism, dating abuse, homosexual assault and offences against children. Study 2 employed three groups of 10 participants each: offenders against adults, exhibitionists and offenders against children. The seven scale version of the QACSO (stalking added) was used. All questionnaires were administered individually. In both studies, the offenders against adults reported higher levels of attitudes consistent with sexual offending in the area of rape and attitudes to women with medium to large effect sizes and a significant difference in study 1. In both studies, offenders against children reported significantly higher levels of cognitive distortions (large effect sizes) in the area of offences against children. Both differences were in the predicted direction and there were no other significant differences on other sections. In general, all three groups reported higher levels of cognitive distortions than non-offenders. There would appear to be some specificity particularly for the rape and attitudes to women scale, and the offenders against children scale. The same specificity does not emerge from other scales of the QACSO. The study also lends support to the inclusion of techniques which explore and challenge attitudes consistent with offending both generally and in relation to specific offences.
Risk assessment: actuarial prediction and clinical judgement of offending incidents and behaviour for intellectual disability services
- Authors:
- LINDSAY William R., BEAIL Nigel
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 17(4), December 2004, pp.229-234.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Research on prediction of violent and sexual offending behaviour has developed considerably in the mainstream criminological literature. Work on actuarial instruments, dynamic variables, clinical judgement and structured clinical judgement is reviewed. A number of studies comparing actuarial instruments in terms of their predictive validity are reviewed. Relative effectiveness and applicability to intellectual disability is considered. A framework for dynamic variables is outlined and the importance of dynamic variables for inclusion in risk prediction is established. Strengths and limitations of clinical judgement are reported and the importance of reliability is noted. Finally, structured clinical judgement is reviewed in terms of the way in which it combines the other three groups of variables. The information regarding different methods of risk assessment is integrated with research and opinion. Risk prediction will always be a judgement and as such there will always be errors in judgement. As clinicians, researchers and policy makers it is our duty to employ the latest research information to make predictions that are as accurate as possible. However, we must also help to promote a culture that can be tolerant of inevitable errors.
Predictors of sexual offence recidivism in offenders with intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- LINDSAY William R., ELLIOT Susanne F., ASTELL Arlene
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 17(4), December 2004, pp.299-305.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Sexual and nonsexual offenders with intellectual and learning disabilities: a comparison of characteristics, referral patterns, and outcome
- Authors:
- LINDSAY William R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 19(8), August 2004, pp.875-890.
- Publisher:
- Sage
This article reports an evaluation of a community intellectual disability offender service over the period from 1990 to 2001. Men who committed sex offenses or sexually abusive incidents (n = 106) and men who committed other types of offenses and serious incidents (n = 78) are compared on personal characteristics, referral sources, forensic details, and outcome up to 7 years after referral. The cohorts are older than one would expect from the criminology literature, and, at about 33%, the incidence of mental illness is consistent with some previous studies. A greater proportion of sex offenders had criminal justice involvement and a formal disposal from court. Fire raising was not overly represented as an offense. There was a higher rate of reoffending in the nonsexual cohort, which persisted up to 7 years. Investigating only reoffenders, there was a considerable amount of harm reduction recorded up to 7 years, statistically significant up to 5 years following initial referral.
A comparison of physical and sexual abuse: histories of sexual and non-sexual offenders with intellectual disability
- Authors:
- LINDSAY William R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 25(7), July 2001, pp.989-995.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Reviews patterns of physical and sexual abuse in cohorts of sexual offenders and nonsexual offenders with intellectual disability. Forty-six sexual offenders were compared with 48 male nonsexual offenders in relation to their experiences of sexual and physical abuse in childhood. Comprehensive assessments were taken over a period of at least one year, and were conducted independently by a range of professionals. Found that thirty-eight percent of the sexual offenders and 12.7% of the nonsexual offenders had experienced sexual abuse, while 13% of the sexual offenders and 33% of the nonsexual offenders had experienced physical abuse. Concludes that sexual abuse seems a significant variable in the history of sexual offenders while physical abuse seems a significant variable in the history of nonsexual offenders. The results support the view that the "cycle of abuse" is neither inevitable nor an adequate explanation of future offending.
Comparing offenders against women and offenders against children on treatment outcome in offenders with intellectual disability
- Authors:
- LINDSAY William R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 24(4), July 2011, pp.361-369.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The most significant developments in the field of sex offender treatment have been based on problem solving and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy techniques. Several studies have shown the positive effects of sex offender treatment for men with intellectual disabilities who have perpetrated sex offences. The aim of this study was to provide a comparison of the process of treatment change amongst men with intellectual disabilities who have offended either against adult women or against children. The participants comprised of 15 men who had offended against adult women and 15 who offended against children. All were treated for 36 months and had at least 2 years follow-up after the treatment to determine the rate of reoffending. Groups were compared with repeated measures using the Questionnaire on Attitudes Consistent with Sexual Offending. The findings showed that at baseline the offenders against women had higher scores than the offenders against children on the rape scale. Both groups showed significant improvement with scores reducing to levels consistent with non-offenders by 36 months. Significant improvements were recorded from 18 to 36 months of treatment. Re-offending across both groups was 23%. The article concludes that sex offender treatment can produce significant reductions in cognitive distortions in sex offenders with intellectual disabilities. The findings also demonstrate the importance of continuing treatment for longer than 12 months.
Understanding and treating offenders with learning disabilities: a review of recent developments
- Authors:
- TAYLOR John L., LINDSAY William R.
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Learning Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, 1(1), April 2010, pp.5-16.
- Publisher:
- Emerald
This narrative review first presents and discusses recent developments relating to offenders with learning disabilities, looks at the historical association between crime and low intelligence, and then investigates the evidence concerning the prevalence of offending by people with learning disabilities, and their recidivism rates. The authors summarise research concerning service pathways for this population, and outline progress in the development of actuarial, dynamic and clinical assessments of the future risk of offending. Secondly, the paper focuses on a review of the evidence for, and recent developments in, the treatment of offending behaviour (anger and aggression, sexual offending and fire-setting), utilising broadly cognitive behaviourally-based approaches. Finally, the authors propose future directions for research and practice innovation.