Update On Adolescent Sex Offenders: Anna C. Salter
Update On Adolescent Sex Offenders: Anna C. Salter
Update On Adolescent Sex Offenders: Anna C. Salter
Anna C. Salter
Purpose of Treatment
Purpose of Treatment
Reduce recidivism
Any behavior that is self-destructive or has serious social consequences would be the most central initial target. (Kanfer & Goldstein, 1991)
Connecting
Therapists represent world of authority Antisocial teens and adults not accepted the social contract
Allies
Teens Adults
Dont understand Focus too much on responsibilities: not enough on fun Exaggerate risks Obsess on remote dangers Dont understand the teen is immortal Just wants to berate them and make them feel bad
Delinquent Teens
All
of the previous Defiance, not alliance Prone to power struggles Do not identify Share familys view of therapists
It can be challenging to work with teens. Euphemism Verbally provocative Uncontrollably violent
Tightrope Walking
Therapists Cannot . . .
Fail to report infractions Collude in blaming the victim Wink at technical violations, e.g., alcohol and drugs Expect reciprocity
I tell my clients that I do not operate on a trust basis. Trust is whats abusable. . . Feeling confident about them can be dangerous. (Knopp, 1984)
If trust them . . .
No
polygraph No GPS No drug testing No verifying info No collateral supervision No checking in with employer, family, individual therapist, etc.
Fairness Goodwill
Honesty
Verify Verify
Verify
Fairness
More important to teens Gross and elementary (One size fits all)
What to Do?
Teen A
Calms down when sent to a time-out for inappropriate behavior Escalates in time-out Calms down if left in group
Teen B
What If . . .
Whats At Stake?
Therapists represent authority Anti-social teens do not accept authority Group towards or away to an acceptance of legitimate authority
What to Do
Always consider groups view of whats fair Never dismiss it as unimportant Always monitor where you stand on fairness issue Try to come up with solutions accepted as fair
Adults
Assess who has grievance-based thinking Understand they project unfairness onto you Always point to, same rules for everyone Put program rules in writing
Resentment
I started remembering everything. Everything. The death, the pain. I used to get mad. I still do. When I hear people laugh I get mad. Why is life so much fun for you and not for me?.
Leroys Response
That incident in the county jail it wasnt personal. It wasnt one of those things that officer so and so is working today whoever was working it was going to happen. . . You go into that situation knowing . . . Just like if you go in a robbery with a gun, you dont think you are going to kill someone. But you know you need to take the gun in the robbery because you might need to kill someone. Of course thats wrong. But you dont care. Why should I care? Thats why you need to get to the point where you care.
Grievance Thinking
Much of the ruminating on past injustices Unable to see authority in any other light See ambiguous and even benign incidents as malevolent
Right Distance
Risk of Empathy
Wants to please therapist to hold his/her regard Doesnt want to disappoint therapist by admitting hes been lying Wants to look good in front of therapist Disappoints therapist and therapist withdraws
Too close
Too far
Will help client, if client lets him/her Understand clients behavior reflects on client, not on therapist Therapist wishes client well, but does not base self-esteem on clients behavior Therapeutic narcissism under control
No Yo-Yo Therapists
Warm and disclosing in one session Distant and judgmental in the next
Lost Souls
Predators
Lost Souls
Emotional
identification with
children
Lack
of social skills
Low
self-esteem
Predators
Planning
Grooming
of Victims
Callousness
Predatory
Attitude
self-esteem
Emphasize
Social
Approach
Treatment of Predators
Utilizes
confrontation
Focuses
Polygraph/plethysmograph
Community
supervision/management
Fairness
The
right distance
Good-will
Good-Will
No
No
Not
risk
Hopes
Good-Will
Accepts need for external control Always working towards internal control
Fairness
The
right distance
Good-will
Up-front
Will tell you first Discuss in advance what testimony/report will be If consulting/meeting on their case, tell them in advance
Therapist as center of spokes on a wheel? Therapist praises? Therapist confronts? Therapist judges? Therapist engineers a setting, exercises and group culture which fosters change
Most relationships are symmetrical Psychopaths form asymmetrical relationships Anger, hostility can be defused in nonpsychopaths by therapist behavior
Relaxed body language when challenging Use of humor: Riddle me this, batman Giving choices
Side-stepping power struggles I only know one thing; Im not going to jail no matter what you decide.
Group Leaders
Overt
Informal
claim for leadership Older More experienced Smarter More dominant Natural leader
open claim for leadership Group members listen Look at him when speaking May confront acknowledged leader May be independent May give sound advice
group Fail to do homework Teens clown in immature ways Blame victims Collude with other clients denial Disregards group rules
Options
Talk outside of group Engineer group feedback Teens: Supervised time out Warning then probation then dismissal
Group Rules
Confidentiality
Not
too loud No disrupting group One time out pass Watch your language No interrupting
Group Rules
No
physical fighting No put-downs No homework = no snack Be a decent human being Rules can be added as needed
Challenge or Confrontation With the therapist With the group With their future With the consequences
Teen believes sex with 7-year-old sister consensual or she would have said no What to do?
Less Useful
Dont she think she might have frozen because she was scared? Gives him right answer If it were me, I might have been thinking . . . Right answer plus therapist views At center of things
Therapeutic Techniques
Modeling Prosocial Poor Little positive effect Massive negative effect
Prosocial Modeling
Treating group members & co-therapists respectfully Always talking about women and children respectfully Always talking about victims respectfully Admitting to a mistake Refraining from complaining or whining Keeping promises
Inappropriate Modeling
Dominating the group & not allowing cotherapist equal air time Looking bored when co-therapist speaking Ignoring co-therapists point and switching topics Sharing personal troubles Blaming administration for unpopular rules Allowing a likeable member to get away with things
Inappropriate Modeling
Breaking promises when convenient Allowing group members to refer to girls as hos Cancelling group frequently Showing up late for group Not prepared for group Constantly looking at watch during group
Therapeutic Techniques
Praise Not too effusive More often than negative reinforcement Must up in offenders who are acting out to keep balance
Therapeutic Techniques
Self-disclosure
Puts focus on therapist Blurs professional boundaries Allows manipulation and even blackmail by high risk offenders Causes lost souls to take care of therapist
Therapeutic Techniques
Self-disclosure
Borderline clients lose all boundaries Fosters client comparison with therapist Decreases projection Takes time from client issues
The Funnel
Learning a New Skill
Nonsexual examples Sexual but other sex offenders Relating to their offenses