An investigation into the Ward and Hudson self-regulation model with sex offenders who have intellectual disabilities

• Main Author: Maxted, Helen Claire
• Published: University of East Anglia 2005
• Subjects: 616.8583
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.426896

Background Recent research into sex offending focuses upon the offence chain. The Self-Regulation Model represents a conceptual advance, as unlike previous models of the offence chain, it can account for offenders who intend to commit offences. It consists of four pathways which comprise two goal types and two strategy types. This study aimed to ascertain whether or not this model could be used to classify a sample of men with intellectual disabilities who had committed sexual offences. It was hypothesised that if reliable classification was possible, the participants should differ by goal type and strategy type on several psychometric and demographic variables. Method The study utilised a cross sectional independent between groups design and adapted the methodology used in a previous study (Bickley & Beech, 2002). Thirty four participants from an ongoing treatment study were classified according to the model and data gathered for the ongoing project were used to test the hypotheses. Results The participants were classified with 81% interrater reliability and were distributed across the four pathways in similar proportions to two previous studies (Bickley & Beech, 2002; Keeling, Rose, & Beech, in press). The expected differences between goal types and between strategy types were not found. However, those with an avoidancegoal had been reported to the police more frequently and had received more previous convictions than those with an approach goal who committed more serious offences. The only difference between strategy types related to the approach offenders. The approach automatic offenders showed significantly more shame than approach explicit offenders when others discovered they had committed an offence. Conclusion The capacity of the Self-Regulation Model to account for offenders who intend to commit offences signifies that it is a useful model for conceptualising the offences of men with intellectual disabilities. Why sex offenders with intellectual disabilities did not differ according to goal type and strategy type in the same ways as sex offenders without intellectual disabilities is considered and the implications for the model are discussed