Psychological Treatment of Sex Offenders - Term Paper Example

? Ethical Considerations in the Psychological Treatment of Sex Offenders A sex criminal is an individual who commits a sex felony. This individual violates the sexual legislation. The main issue surrounding sexual criminals is how to reprimand or rehabilitate them. Media publicize the commitment and the prevalence of sexual offenses as well as the criminals involved. However, it is the obligation of society and legislators to decrease the prevalence of this crime. In addition, they should devise techniques to evade the crimes, as well as reprimand sexual criminals. There exists controversy on whether to send sexual criminals to penitentiaries or to a treatment facility. In 1980s, Federal rules, upheld the ideology of reprimanding the crime but not the offender. Nonetheless, there is the inadequacy of attention and finances to obtain successful treatment for these individuals. A sexual criminal can only be evaluated for mental health disarray before his or her liberation from a penitentiary. This evaluation is what determines whether or not to liberate the offender. If the detainee appears to have the tendency to repeat the offense, then he or she should be admitted into a secure facility. Though professionals are presently able to recognize the risks involved, facilities are inexistent or State legislation that provide practitioners with support and persuasion for better upshots than the existing ones (Craissati, 2004). Introduction Treatment of sexual felons is a topic of enormous significance for practitioners, professionals as well as legislators. The basic ideology for this treatment mainly concentrates on cognitive, behavioural techniques and other psychoanalysis methods; however, the recent utilization of pharmacotherapy has been successful. Pharmacotherapy is the utilization of medicine to reduce testosterone levels, which results in diminishing of unusual and usual sexual desires. It replaces the utilization of the permanent and debatably barbaric choice of surgical castration; however, it accomplishes analogous results. This discourse is an evaluation of the legislative and ethical issues that surround the utilization of psychological techniques in treating sexual felons. It reflects on whether the treatment should be voluntary or compulsory. In addition, it delves into whether the treatment should be perceived as a reprimand and whether it should only be for sexual felons (Gooren, 2011). The most contentious issue connecting to the utilization of pharmacotherapy with sexual felons is whether it should be a choice or compulsory; and hence this varies enormously globally. California and Florida, for instance advocate for Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (MPA) on obligatory grounds. These states combine the utilization of this technique with penitentiary or parole liberation. California was foremost state to enforce legislation on this treatment. Felons commence the intake of this medication a week before their liberation, and it is compulsory to continue this intake for the span of their license phase. The courts have the caution to necessitate that the situation additionally be employed to the first time felons; if it believes that the technique is suitable and valuable. If the felons refute to take the medicine, or they are incapable because of health implications, there is the alternative of surgical castration. Their only other alternative is incarceration (Berner and Briken, 2008). This mandatory treatment has positive upshots since it controls sexual felons. However, there exist quandaries in sustaining observance, principally when treatment administration is by the felon. Moreover, even if, the treatment is through injection by a professional there are still techniques to get illicit testosterone. Consequently, there is still a supposition that there exists compromise on the implications of the medication. Furthermore, there are ethical concerns to reflect on since the replacement of incarceration with medication might have severe implications. The probable additional consequences comprise of weight increase, headaches, vomiting, suicide contemplations, sluggishness as well as depression amongst other extremely severe implications. It is straightforward to presume that if treatment is a voluntary deliberation of the felon, however, the felon’s approval is still questionable. The queries comprise the legality of the felon’s approval as well as all probable additional implications. This assists in guaranteeing that the felon is not stimulated by self detestation and desire for self reprimand; to confirm that mental disarray is nonexistent and that the felon comprehends all the hazards. Moreover, there should be a neutral third party to confirm that the felon’s approval is legitimate and voluntarily provided. The felon’s spouse should be updated on the perils and implications of the medication in the treatment. However, it is still intricate to presume that the felon’s approval or that of external parties is valid since all long lasting implications are still mysterious (Grubin, 2004). Furthermore, it is intricate to decipher whether this management is a punishment or simply medical treatment. This ideology connects with the issue of whether it is optional or compulsory. The voluntary involvement might appear to be treatment and the compulsory involvement being a reprimand. The surgical technique is an insidious alternative. This technique insists on the significance of separating the evasion of the offense and the prohibiting all sexual doings, comprising which is legislatively acceptable. The main query is whether the treatment surpasses the cure. Surgical castration alleviates all sexual endeavours; and thus, it is retribution and not a treatment technique. Some of the felons who obtain pharmacotherapy are incapable of accomplishing erection or ejaculation. However, most offenders undergoing medication are still capable of accomplishing sexual endeavours. Consequently, they can engage in age suitable sexual interrelations. Therefore, medication is partially treatment and partially punishment (Ovey and White, 2006). Additional ethical concerns involving the utilization of medicine with sexual felons include the utilization of off label medication. This is in circumstances where medication is being utilized for a different function other that the correct one. This calls for precise medical investigation of these drugs before using them in treatment. There are drugs that are for curing depression, but they can diminish androgen intensity; hence, they are applied to sexual felons. This is due to its additional implication of diminishing sexual functioning and urge. There is a notion that the utilization of this drug is legal. The justification of this emanates from the assertion that it is expensive to evaluate each drug for a single treatment. However, there are ethical quandaries since there is no verification of additional implications of the medication. Worse still, this medication’s application is obligatory and inside the criminal justice organization. All the professionals involved in treatment of sexual felons should ensure that utilization of medication adheres to protocol. This will aid in safeguarding health of the sexual felon. It is, therefore, crucial that prior to beginning treatment the sexual felon be totally monitored for different for different circumstances to ensure that the medication is appropriate. The felon might be ready for treatment, but it is still significant that the health is constantly tested. Moreover, felons should be evaluated appropriately to guarantee that their approval is voluntary, informed and devoid of pressure or conviction that it will influence prison liberation. It should be part of peril control technique and can be utilized in combination with other therapies. It is vital to license the medication for sexual felons’ treatment. Additionally, they should be availed to all who wish for them. References Berner, W., & Briken, P. (2008). Practical Aspects in the Biomedical Treatment of Sexual Offenders, paper presented at the 10th IATSO conference, 27-20 August 2008, Cape Town, South Africa. Gooren, L. (2011). Ethical and Medical Considerations of Androgen Deprivation Treatment of Sex Offenders. The Endocrine Society. Grubin, D. (2004). The role of the polygraph in the assessment and management of risk in sex offenders in the community. In Sex Offenders in the Community (ed. A. Matravers). Cullompton: Willan Publishing. Craissati, J. (2004). Managing High Risk Sex Offenders in the Community. A Psychological Approach, New York: Routledge. Ovey &White. (2006). The European Convention on Human Rights, 4th Ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press. Read More