Evidential Basis for the Assessment and Treatment of Sex Offenders

This article will review current clinical knowledge on paraphilia and methods of assessment and treatment of sex offenders. In recent years, a better understanding of the physiological and psychological dynamics underlying abnormal sexual behavior was gained through advances on the neurobiology and neuropharmacology of sexual behaviour. Sex offenders form a heterogeneous group that presents a challenge regarding assessment. Components of a full comprehensive sexual behaviors assessment are discussed, detailing the evidence available on the use of penile plethysmography testing. Results of several studies showed that such testing discriminated child molesters from other sex offenders and non-offenders. Treatment modalities include a variety of pharmacological agents and psychological approaches, as treatment outcome studies demonstrate the overall effectiveness of treatment in reducing recidivism of sex offenders. Finally this article discusses future avenues for research, including research aimed at improving the validity and reliability of assessment of sex offenders and the development of non-invasive investigational procedures that make use of new information technology.