Attitudes towards sex offenders: a review of therapists’ attitudes and their impact on therapeutic alliance, and a qualitative study of support workers’ attitudes towards sex offenders with intellectual disabilities
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Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Little is known about how therapists’ attitudes impact on
therapeutic alliance in their clinical work with sex offenders, and what attitudes support
workers, who work with sex offenders with intellectual disabilities, hold towards their
clients. Research suggests that therapeutic alliance can strongly influence the
effectiveness of therapy, and that positive attitudes towards sex offenders are important
for their rehabilitation. Understanding how therapists’ attitudes influence the therapeutic
alliance may help in developing more effective psychological therapies, and research on
support workers’ attitudes may provide better understanding of their experience of
working with sex offenders with intellectual disabilities.
The objective of the review was to explore what attitudes therapists working with adult
male sex offenders hold towards their patients, and how their attitudes impact on
therapeutic alliance. The aim of the empirical study was to explore the experiences and
attitudes of support workers who work with sex offenders with intellectual disabilities.
Method: a systematic review was conducted to explore the objective of the review. An
electronic and hand literature search was conducted using PsycINFO, Medline, EMBASE
and CINAHL databases in accordance with outlined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Ten
studies met the inclusion criteria for this review: 6 qualitative and 4 quantitative papers.
The empirical project was conducted using qualitative methodology. The sample of
participants consisted of four female and seven male participants. Data was collected
through semi-structured interviews and analysed in accordance with Braun and Clarke’s
(2006) six stages of thematic analysis.
Results: the results of the review were common themes identified across the literature:
therapists’ attitudes becoming more positive through the experience of working with sex
offenders, and difficulties with establishing therapeutic alliance with sex offenders. The
results of the empirical study were: workers were found to be motivated to enter the
profession by their values and beliefs, such as that everyone deserves help. Participants
reported having positive attitudes towards sex offenders, perceiving them as human
beings, as well as some negative attitudes like mistrust. Some negative impact of the
occupation was described by respondents, although they used coping strategies to manage
some of these.
Conclusion: There were concerns over the methodological qualities of some of the
reviewed papers. The objective of the review wasn’t fully addressed by the assessed
studies. Furthermore, targeted research is needed to examine the impact of therapists’
attitudes on their clinical practice with this population. Attitudes towards sex offenders
with intellectual disabilities were found to be quite diverse. Some gender-related
differences were outlined in relation to the perception of safety and courtesy stigma.
The objective of the review was to explore what attitudes therapists working with adult male sex offenders hold towards their patients, and how their attitudes impact on therapeutic alliance. The aim of the empirical study was to explore the experiences and attitudes of support workers who work with sex offenders with intellectual disabilities.
METHOD: a systematic review was conducted to explore the objective of the review. An electronic and hand literature search was conducted using PsycINFO, Medline, EMBASE and CINAHL databases in accordance with outlined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria for this review: 6 qualitative and 4 quantitative papers. The empirical project was conducted using qualitative methodology. The sample of participants consisted of four female and seven male participants. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed in accordance with Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six stages of thematic analysis.
RESULTS: the results of the review were common themes identified across the literature: therapists’ attitudes becoming more positive through the experience of working with sex offenders, and difficulties with establishing therapeutic alliance with sex offenders. The results of the empirical study were: workers were found to be motivated to enter the profession by their values and beliefs, such as that everyone deserves help. Participants reported having positive attitudes towards sex offenders, perceiving them as human beings, as well as some negative attitudes like mistrust. Some negative impact of the occupation was described by respondents, although they used coping strategies to manage some of these.
CONCLUSION: There were concerns over the methodological qualities of some of the reviewed papers. The objective of the review wasn’t fully addressed by the assessed studies. Furthermore, targeted research is needed to examine the impact of therapists’ attitudes on their clinical practice with this population. Attitudes towards sex offenders with intellectual disabilities were found to be quite diverse. Some gender-related differences were outlined in relation to the perception of safety and courtesy stigma.
The objective of the review was to explore what attitudes therapists working with adult male sex offenders hold towards their patients, and how their attitudes impact on therapeutic alliance. The aim of the empirical study was to explore the experiences and attitudes of support workers who work with sex offenders with intellectual disabilities.
METHOD: a systematic review was conducted to explore the objective of the review. An electronic and hand literature search was conducted using PsycINFO, Medline, EMBASE and CINAHL databases in accordance with outlined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria for this review: 6 qualitative and 4 quantitative papers. The empirical project was conducted using qualitative methodology. The sample of participants consisted of four female and seven male participants. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed in accordance with Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six stages of thematic analysis.
RESULTS: the results of the review were common themes identified across the literature: therapists’ attitudes becoming more positive through the experience of working with sex offenders, and difficulties with establishing therapeutic alliance with sex offenders. The results of the empirical study were: workers were found to be motivated to enter the profession by their values and beliefs, such as that everyone deserves help. Participants reported having positive attitudes towards sex offenders, perceiving them as human beings, as well as some negative attitudes like mistrust. Some negative impact of the occupation was described by respondents, although they used coping strategies to manage some of these.
CONCLUSION: There were concerns over the methodological qualities of some of the reviewed papers. The objective of the review wasn’t fully addressed by the assessed studies. Furthermore, targeted research is needed to examine the impact of therapists’ attitudes on their clinical practice with this population. Attitudes towards sex offenders with intellectual disabilities were found to be quite diverse. Some gender-related differences were outlined in relation to the perception of safety and courtesy stigma.
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