CHILD SEX OFFENDERS - THE CASE FOR TREATMENT

In Ireland growing public awareness and concern about serious sexual c rimes against children has raised the question of whether current effo rts to deal with this problem are adequate. In this country clinical i ntervention with the perpetrators of sexual abuse is in its infancy an d many, including clinicians, those in the criminal justice system, an d the general public, remain to be convinced that treatment programmes effectively prevent further sexual offending. For some there is uneas e that treatment might be used by perpetrators to avoid the full rigou rs of the law. In response to these concerns this paper addresses thre e key issues: whether there are sufficient grounds for developing trea tment facilities for perpetrators of sexual abuse; what the focus of s uch treatment services should be; and how these services could be deve loped in the context of the criminal justice system. In addressing the se three areas the case for the provision of treatment for child sex o ffenders is supported.