Offending Identities

This book aims to explore sex offenders' perspectives of the way they are treated and managed. Whilst a great deal has been written about sex offenders and their treatment within the criminal justice system, few studies have approached the issues through an understanding of offenders' own views and perspectives on their offending behaviour and others' responses to it. This book aims to redress this imbalance. The book is based on in-depth interviews with 32 convicted male sex offenders attending three different sex offender treatment programmes (the prison based Sex Offender Treatment Programme, Behaviour Assessment Programme and the community-led Sex Offender Groupwork Programme). Through a rigorous and systematic analysis of the participants accounts of their offending behaviour, and of aspects of their own identity, both in their and in others' eyes, this book presents an understanding of the social construction of the sex offender, and identifies ways in which this can hinder crime reduction strategies. By examining the participants perceptions of their respective treatment programme, and the impact their treatment has on their thinking (in particular exploring their ability to effectively manage their risk of re-offending), this book contributes to the 'what works' literature on the treatment of sex offenders. Through gaining an understanding of offenders perceptions of initiatives designed to both treat and control their risk of future offending Offending Identities at the same time helps us to evaluate the effectiveness of such schemes.