Psychopathy, personality disorder and sexual offending: Addressing personality disordered schema, therapy interfering behaviours and risk through an integrated human needs based treatment for reducing risk of sexual offending

Abstract

The purpose of this paper will be to explore the treatment of psychopathy, personality disorders and sexual offending in order explain the rationale for a new group treatment intervention designed to target risk of sexual offending amongst high risk males with complex personality disorder. The paper will argue that as a result of early childhood and adolescent experiences, this client group may develop schemata which presents in treatment as therapy interfering and that this should be targeted within the group prior to exploring offending behaviour. The paper outlines each sequential aspect of the ‘Positive Pillars’ sex offender treatment group which attends to all of the principles of risk, need and responsivity in terms of ‘What Works’ when treating sexual offending and at the same time provides an integrative treatment that is evidence based for targeting therapy interfering behaviours.