This is a cognitive behavioral treatment and relapse prevention program for repeat and compulsive sex offenders. It focuses on reconstructing the offender’s cognitive distortions, recognizing patterns, and breaking the cycle of recidivism into sexual crimes.
The treatment has five sequential levels:
1) At the first level, patients receive orientation about the treatment in order to acquire the necessary skills to participate more fully in advanced psychotherapy;
2) At the second level, patients begin to apply the knowledge they have acquired to their own lives, including responsibility and empathy for victims;
3) The third level focuses on mastering previous information in less structured groups and when starting relapse prevention exercises;
4) The fourth level deals with preparations for release;
5) The final level deals with referral to a therapeutic community.