From Research

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Dr. Gerald R. Hover

• From Research
• to
• Reality

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Whats working and Whats not working?
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Today I will wish to know what you think is
working and/or not working in your country in
terms of laws, procedures, and public policies
regarding sex offenders.
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I will also be asking what you believe are the
next steps for you and your nation to take.
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I will now summarize the U.S. state of affairs.
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• Discordant
• information

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It is getting better and it is getting worse.
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Signs of Improvement Harris and Hansen (2004),
N4,724 After 15 years 76 of sex offenders are
not charged with another sex offence.
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• Why?
• Economic prosperity
• More detectives and social workers
• Longer sentences
• Better community supervision, i.e., more
  offender specific
• Psychotropic medications
• More willing offenders

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• And
• Sex Offender treatment works
• Hansen, Gordon, Harris, Murphy, Quinsey, and
  Seto, 2002
• 17 of the untreated offenders reoffended
• 10 of those sex offenders in sex offender
  treatment reoffended
• Effect Size .40
• Meaning the treated offenders were 40 better
• Good results, but not great

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• But let us compare other Effect Sizes
• Chemotherapy for breast cancer is 8
• Anti-inflammatory drugs (aspirin) are at 14
• By pass surgery for artery blockage is 15
• Nicotine Patches are at 18
• Clozapine (schizophrenia medication) is at 20
• Viagra is at 38
• From Marshall McGuire 2003,
• Meyer, Finn, Gyde,
• Kay,Dies, Gismdn, Kubiszyn, Reed, 2001

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Is sexual abuse becoming worse?
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Bureau of Justice Statistics National Crime
Victims Survey, 2005 Substantiated a decline of
51 in sexual abuse reports between 1991 2005
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And in May, 2011 Tabachnick Klein published a
report for ATSA A Reasonable Approach
Reshaping Sex Offender Policy to Prevent Child
Sexual Abuse
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Adapted from Tabachnick Klein, 2011
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The vast majority of sexual assault goes
unreported. Why?
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Hypothesis Our laws are not driven by science.
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• The vast majority of sex offender laws
• Lengthen incarceration
• Add electronic monitoring
• Require community notification
• Restrict where offenders can live

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• Other Variables
• Charges are pled down to lesser crimes
• Some folks distrust our law enforcement
  officers our criminal justice system
  believe not all are treated fairly.
• Some victims are fearful and/or ashamed at not
  having been able to stop someone they love from
  offending them.

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The uninteded consequences

• Victims do not report crimes to the police

• Perpetrators are unable to return to the home
  they own

• New housing is both distant from services
  remote from support

• Ancillary services are decreased or hard to
  access

• Offenders are less connected to support
  people

• Larger numbers of homeless sex offenders

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What Works?

• Stability
• Housing
• Employment
• Pro-social associates

• Matching our response to risk not treating
  all offenders alike

• Specialized treatment for sex offenders

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Your three questions are
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(1) What is happening in your nation that is
working?
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(2) What is occurring that is not working?
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(3) What are your next steps?
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Contact Information gerald.hover_at_doc.wa.gov 360-79
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