| The purpose of this dissertation was to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of sex offender treatment programs in the United States and Japan, and to discover if treatment modalities existed that would provide cross-cultural utility. A better understanding of the current issue was achieved by looking at the history of sexual offending, sex crimes and perpetrators, sex offender theories, laws created to lower recidivism rates and protect the community, and past and current treatment modalities. By administering a questionnaire to a sample of the general population and interviewing mental health professionals, this dissertation revealed a need for further research on and implementation of sex offender treatment approaches that would be more effective than current programs. It has also revealed continued beliefs in sex offender myths, and a perceived ineffectiveness of current sex offender management laws. |
