Sex Offender Treatment, Essay Example

I think it is difficult to determine which approach to Sex Offender Treatment should be taken. This is because so many different things have been tried over the years and some seem to work out okay, while others show no evidence of improvement. Pedophilia has been considered a mental abnormality for legal purposes because of the fact that it is “not normal” for adult men and women to be sexually interested in children.

From the lecture material, I learned that there are medications given to sex offenders that can reduce aggression and sexual impulses. While I do not agree with using the medication that metaphorically “castrates” an individual, I do believe the other type of medication is useful. As stated in the lecture, the medication does not work too well when it is on its own. It needs to be used in combination with congnitive-behavioral therapy. As far as I am concerned, I would consider the combination of these to be the best type of treatment for sex offenders. This is because the medication helps to reduce aggression in the individuals as well as reduce the inappropriate sexual impulses. The congnitive-behavioral therapy will help teach the sex offenders ways to cope with their sexual urges and to use mind over matter rather than acting selfishly on their impulses.

It goes without saying that sex offenders have to be treated by the law differently from other types of offenders, mainly because they are very dangerous for the society and for children, and the community has to know that once a sex offender is caught and incarcerated, they may feel safe. However, the medical treatment indeed is not a good way of treating sex offenders if it is used alone – individuals may stop taking the medication and restore their evil inclinations and physical forces. At the same time, they may abuse children psychologically even during taking medication, and in case they spend much time close to children, talk to them, and give them presents, parents will be equally terrified by the threat even knowing about the pharmacological “castration” of the person. Hence, incarceration is also obviously needed for sex offenders, and mental health services should obviously be used in a combination with the pharmacological treatment.