The Treatment of the Sex Offender
| Published date | 01 July 1949 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455054900502206 |
| Author | J.C. Spencer |
| Date | 01 July 1949 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
THE TREATMENT OF THE SEX OFFENDER
As the probation officer is well aware, there are few
Not only must success not always be expected but &dquo; it
subjects on which public opinion so readily expresses a
is too readily assumed by the Courts that because an
traditional view based largely on prejudice and on ignor-
offence is repeated during treatment the case is therefore
ance, and on which the wide gap between the experience
to be written off as a failure suitable only for condign
of the psychiatrist) and the attitude of the man in the
measures of punishment.&dquo;7
street can be so clearly observed, as on that of the treat-
In the case of the category (a) it is likely that help
ment of sex offenders.’
1
from a probation officer or the advice of a local child
For this reason two very important though inexpensive
guidance clinic will be all that is necessary. For cate-
pamphlets which have been published recently deserve
gory (b) it seems probable that the best way of dealing
careful attention, and are greatly to be welcomed. The
with the case is to place the offender on probation with a
first is a Report of the Joint Committee on Psychiatry
condition in the order that the probationer shall under-
and the Law appointed by the British Medical Association
go treatment for his mental condition.
and the Magistrates’ Association.
The second is a
But it is from category (c) that we may expect to find
report by the Scottish Advisory Council on the’ treat-
the greatest difficulties. There is an important distinc-
ment and rehabilitation of offenders, and is concerned
tion to be made between institutional and non-i_ZStitu-
with the treatment of the sex o,ffender. Both committees
tional treatment, and in the case of categories (a) and
included men and women experienced in the adminis-
(b) I have referred only to the latter. For category (c),
tration of the law and in the practice of psychiatry.
however, it seems most likely that the court will decide
One broad conclusion stands out in both of these
that a prison sentence is required. In that case it can-
reports. It is that &dquo;so many of those found guilty of
not be too strongly emphasised that a short sentence is
sexual offences are sent to ordinary prisons-probably in
perfectly useless both for treatment and for training.
most cases without treatment.&dquo;2
In Scotland the com-
The institutional treatment of the sex offender cannot
mittee observed that of the 2,066 persons...
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