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Addressing the Issue Through Services and Interventions
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What services or interventions are available to address this issue?
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Early intervention and preventive measures are essential to protect possible future victims and in helping sexual offenders learn healthy and appropriate ways to express their sexuality. Due to limited intellectual abilities, they often need different treatment compared to those without disabilities, and such treatment is rare and hard to find.
Community agencies commonly used the following interventions when addressing sexually offensive behavior: increased supervision, behavioral intervention, mental health services, environmental modifications, sex education and legal sanctions (Ward et al, 2001).
In most cases, services for these individuals are virtually non-existent, overly restrictive, or fragmented. One study found that 81% of community agencies surveyed believed that services available for this population are inadequate. In addition, there is little outcome data on the efficacy of treatment programs for offenders with developmental disabilities. Available studies and anecdotal reports are favorable (Haaven, Little & Petre-Miller, 1990). Other studies found that when offenders with developmental disabilities are in group therapy, rearrest is infrequent.
Additional problems include the lack of mental health professionals and sex therapists with expertise in this area, a lack of accurate diagnosis and a lack of police understanding and intervention.
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