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“I Mean Who Likes Pedophiles”; Psychological Assessments of Men Who Have Sexually Offended. The Assessees’ Experiences

Chawke, Gemma; Randall, Patrick; Duff, Simon C.

“I Mean Who Likes Pedophiles”; Psychological Assessments of Men Who Have Sexually Offended. The Assessees’ Experiences Thumbnail


Authors

Gemma Chawke

Patrick Randall

SIMON DUFF SIMON.DUFF@NOTTINGHAM.AC.UK
Associate Professor in Forensic Psychology



Abstract

Pre-sentence psychological assessments of men who have sexually offended can provide useful information regarding an individual’s pathway to offending, risk of recidivism, and treatment needs. The outcome of the assessment can be used in court and has implications for the assessee and society at large. This research sought to explore offenders’ opinions regarding the clinicians’ approach to the assessment, to identify facilitative aspects of the clinicians’ style and to understand how accuracy and honesty can be enhanced in these interactions. Six interviews were conducted with sex offenders on completion of a pre-sentence forensic assessment at a private practice. Applying Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, the findings highlighted the relational nature of the assessments, the assessees’ feelings of powerlessness, and their perceptions that the interaction helped them personally. The findings and approach advocated for by the assessees are discussed in terms of the associated ethical considerations and practice implications.

Citation

Chawke, G., Randall, P., & Duff, S. C. (2024). “I Mean Who Likes Pedophiles”; Psychological Assessments of Men Who Have Sexually Offended. The Assessees’ Experiences. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 68(1), 3-21. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X211009497

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Jun 2, 2020
Online Publication Date Apr 15, 2021
Publication Date 2024-01
Deposit Date Jun 4, 2020
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
Print ISSN 0306-624X
Electronic ISSN 1552-6933
Publisher SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 68
Issue 1
Pages 3-21
DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X211009497
Keywords Forensic psychological assessments, Sex offenders, Clinical interviews, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4574896
Publisher URL https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0306624X211009497

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