1. Dr Peter Chamberlain Senior Clinical Psychologist
Owenia House Specialist Rehabilitation Service for Sex Offending December 2012
Dr Peter Chamberlain
Senior Clinical Psychologist

2. Owenia House: Effectively a behavioural clinic within the Forensic Mental health Service
Our core objective is to prevent sexual abuse of children by intervening with offenders and potential offenders
Provides:
Community based assessment and treatment services for adults who have sexually offended against children, or fear they may do so.
A treatment service for paraphilias e.g. exhibitionists, public masturbators

3. Owenia House (As at 12 December 2012)
Staff: 6
Director, 4 Clinicians, Administrative Officer
Clients: 72* (waiting list of 23)
All Male, average age 43 with ages ranging from
* We have a capacity for approximately 120
Groups: (Closed/Open)
Standard (2 phased) – normally functioning
Skills Based Treatment – intellectually impaired
Rural – rural clients, normal functioning, full day each month
Individual Sessions: NOS (other paraphilias & child sex offenders as required)

4. Principle Theoretical Models
Finklelhor’s (1984) Precondition Theory
motivation*, internal and external barriers and victim resistance
*3 components:
emotional congruence: emotional need to relate to children
sexual arousal: children are a potential source of sexual
gratification
blockage: adult sexual & emotional gratification unavailable
Ward & Stewart’s (2003) ‘Good Lives’ Model
constructive & holistic approach beyond a single focus on risk management
enhancement drives rehabilitation
realising an offending-free life that is beneficial and rewarding in ways that are socially acceptable & personally fulfilling
Offending Trajectory
Therapeutic Philosophy

5. Pathways Model of Child Sexual Abuse (Ward and Siegert 2002)
Principle Theoretical Models Continued:
Pathways Model of Child Sexual Abuse (Ward and Siegert 2002)
Sexual Offending
Intimacy Deficits
Normal sexual scripts
Offend at specific times;
child is pseudo-adult
Multiple Dysfunctional Mechanisms
Deviant sexual scripts
Deviant fantasies
Generally comorbid
psychopathologies
Antisocial Cognitions
No distorted scripts
Offending reflects
general pro-criminal
beliefs/attitudes
Emotional Dysregulation
Dysfunctional emotional
regulation
Deviant Sexual Scripts
Distorted (subtle) sexual
scripts
Interact with
dysfunctional
relationship schemas
Theoretical morphing:
Finklelhor's Precondition Theory
Hall & Hirschman’s Quadripartite Theory (critical threshold)
Marshall & Barbaree’s Integrated Theory (negative early – life experiences

6. Typologies of Child Sex Offenders
Preferential (fixated) versus Situational (regressed) offenders.
Fixated: Primary sexual orientation is to children
- interest generally begins in adolescence,
- pre-planned, premeditated persistence interest
- males primary target
Regressed: Primary sexual orientation to age mates
- interest in children emerges in adulthood
- pseudo adult substitute
- females primary target

7. General Characteristics
Clinical Profile Considerations (DSM-IV-TR):
Axis 1 (Clinical Disorders)
depression common (suicidal),
psychosis 5-8%,
Axis 2: (Personality & Intellectual Disorders)
Personality disorder 5-7%
Intellectual disability 15%
Presentation variable
Sexual abuse (estimates 40-50%); earlier and more severe abuse associated with earlier offending

8. Criminality > 60 % of child sexual offenders have at
least one previous conviction
almost twice as likely to have been for non-sexual offences than for sexual offences.

9. Sexual Preference
48% of non-familial offenders have arousal to children.
28% of father-daughter incest offenders have arousal to children.
15% of non-offender males have arousal to children.

10. Assessment Referral Information Current Legal status
Detailed personal history (family of origin & current family situation, relationship history, education, occupation, medical & mental health history, medications, substance use/abuse)
Sexual and non sexual offending history
Detailed sexual history
Psychometrics as indicated
Recidivism risk
Sexual attitudes and beliefs inventories
Treatment Plan

11. Degrees of Denial WHY DID YOU SEXUALLY ASSAULT THE VICTIM?
NOTHING HAPPENED
‘I never laid a finger on her’
‘The boy’s lying’
‘The cops are out to get me’
SOMETHING HAPPENED
BUT
AND
IT WASN’T MY IDEA
‘The kid came on to me’
‘She was all over me’
IT WAS MY IDEA
BUT
AND
IT WASN’T SEXUAL
‘I was being affectionate’
‘I was angry at my wife’
‘I was teaching her to be
careful’
IT WAS SEXUAL
AND
BUT
IT WAS WRONG
IT WASN’T WRONG
‘There’s nothing wrong with it’
‘She liked it’
BUT
BUT
THERE WERE EXTENUATING SITUATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES
‘I was having money problems’
‘I was drinking too much’
‘My wife wouldn’t sleep with me’
THERE WERE EXTENUATING PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS
‘I was sexually abused as a child’
‘I don’t know what got into me’
‘Women scare me’

12. Group Treatment Programmes
Closed (set programme, 2 stage)
Open/Continuous (own pace, enter & at leave different times)
Intensive (Country, short time)
Skills-based (IQ compromised)
SOIG (Information, support, supervising adult)
* NOS (Other paraphilias) – Individual Treatment

13. Group Content cognitive, behavioural, situational antecedents, values
pattern/offence cycle
high risk moods and thinking
concept irrelevant decisions
lapses and strategies
developing support network
changes in lives – focus/orientation to children
individual relapse prevention plan

14. Offending Cycle 5 4 6 3 1 2 Self - Centred Internal Conflict
Shame, self-pity, personality driven depression, self-defeating behaviour 5
Offending Behaviour
Along continuum of sexual aggression
Self - Directed Cognitive Distortion
Denying, rationalising, minimising, sanitising, and avoiding detection 4 6 3
Offence - Directed Behaviour
Victim targeting, grooming, setting up the offence scenario 1 2
Conscious Intentions to Offend
Acting in a manner that enhances the fantasies, imagery, arousal and/or impulses
Deviant Sexual Fantasies and Images
Experiencing feelings/arousal that reinforces the deviant imagery

15. Treatment Goals Understanding patterns of abusive behaviour
Understanding consequences of abusive behaviour
Victim empathy
Take responsibility for actions
Changing associated emotional, behavioural and lifestyle patterns
Recognition of lapses
Individualised risk management programme

16. End of Treatment Expectations
responsibility for abusive behaviour
responsibility for future offence-free life
disclosure of personal information
recognition pro-offending attitudes
avoidance of minimising/justifying effects
insight into victim issues
understanding impact lifestyle factors
understanding and implementing relapse prevention strategies
motivation to change as evidenced by value action plan

17. Treatment Success Heterosexual: treated 18% (7.5%) untreated 43% (18%)
Homosexual:
treated 13% (5.5%)
untreated 43% (19%)
Familial/Incest
treated 8% (3%)
untreated 22% (7%)
NB Figures outside of brackets are unofficial police records and
child protection services statistics. Those inside brackets are
official police records.

18. Referral Criteria Two pathways: Mandated or Voluntary Criteria:
Must have sufficient time if mandated
Voluntary must self-refer and not be before the court
Offences must have been against children (i.e. adult victim offences not accepted). NOS clients the exception
Must accept some responsibility (deniers precluded)
>17 years of age
Male

19. Referral/Discharge considerations
No child contact
Likelihood for change
Motivation for change
Social supports