Coercion and Sex Offenders

Abstract

Sex offenders represent a variable group of law violators, yet they are often viewed as suffering from a generalized mental illness and in need of treatment and management different from other types of criminal offenders. This often occurs within the context of some form of coercion. However, little is known about how coercion adds to or detracts from the successful treatment and control of sex offenders. This article explores the historical role of coercion in treating sex offenders and controlling their behavior along with the changing and evolving emphasis on treatment of sex offenders. It concludes with a discussion of the proper role that coercion can and should play relative to the overall effectiveness of treatment and a theoretical explanation of how coerced sex offenders may ultimately benefit from treatment.