Measurement of the effectiveness of sex offender treatment

The aim of this paper is to review various methods of examining treatment effectiveness. A number of research methods used to examine the overall effectiveness of sex offender treatment, such as random assignment, risk band analysis, and matched control groups are discussed. Each of these designs offer advantages, but also have methodological shortcomings. While there are those who feel that only the most scientifically rigorous methodology must be employed if one hopes to draw meaningful conclusions, others feel that less stringent criteria in terms of comparison groups can yield meaningful inferential results. As a means of overcoming some of the shortcomings of recidivism outcome studies discussed, we suggest that the examination of more proximate outcomes, such as change within treatment, provide a useful addition to studies of treatment effectiveness. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.