Can child molesters be rehabilitated?????

[dark_shadows]

A 67 year-old man in my unit "graduated" a sex offender treatment program and went on to be charged 3 times after the program.He completed the program in 1996 and was charged again in 2000,2004 and then again a couple of months ago..
Fondling childeren.
He was allowed to re-enter the program each time after 1996.As a matter of fact he was still in the program when he was arrested.
He is only going to do a short time with us because he plea bargained.He will do less than a year.
No,he does not see any mental health workers.


So since I have been in my job for well over a decade and have to work in their living unit(not like a caseworker,mental health or anyone who only sees these people for a short period of time if they even see them at all),I can answer no to the question on this thread.

 

[Mel1024]

HECK NO and i think it's been proven a lot.

 

[kazzbar]

No they are incurable. I guess some control their urge but most seem to just reoffend within a short time.

 

[southcitymom]

Is it out on DVD? I think they are both great actors.

Yes, it is on DVD - was released last year.

 

[poco]

Can alcoholism be cured?
Can drug addiction be cured?
Can a child molester be cured?

I think all of the above, in addition to other addictions, can be put under control with proper (AND INTENSE) counselling and therapy, but THEN ONLY IF THE person wants the help --- Help or no help, the addiction doesn't go away - it is always in the back of their mind, somewhere, lurking, patiently, reading to grab control of you again should you NOT keep yourself on a straight and narrow path.

Also, I believe we all do have some type of addiction, wanna share yours?

 

[GlitchWizard]

It's also a good arguement for studying the brain more in depth. While I'd be first in line to want to zap a repeat child sex offender, I'd also like to know if we can prevent this kind of behavior with a test and surgery or a drug or something. You are right, we have learned a little. We have learned enough to know we need to learn more.

Serial killers, repeat child sex offenders, rapists - I'm sure that the majority of them, victims, parents of victims, wish they knew why they were that way, and would have prevented it.

As a society we can barely understand and deal with mental disorders of any kind. Not to long ago people who were schizophrenic were thought to be possessed. Now a few hundred years later we know better but we still have only scratched the surface on that one mental disorder as well as many other aberrations of the mind. Literally, the mind is the last truly unexplored frontier.

As of now we know next to nothing about how a pedophile gets to be that way. There are some hypothesis about physio-socio environment but no one has come forward with anything concrete such as a gene marker for example. Because of lack of knowledge this horrific pathology is shrouded in the vagueness of the time we happen to be living in right now.

Pedophiles have a high rate of recidivism. That is even after intensive therapy. That is the best case scenario. Addressing this mental disorder as a crime sends them to prison (if they are caught) but that does nothing whatsoever to treat the condition.

As much as I hate to write anyone off as hopeless, I think this is the reality until and unless we know more later about how this pathology functions.

These people prey on the most innocent and vulnerable of society. They dont change and they cannot be helped. In my opinion this would be a good argument for use of the death penalty in todays society.

 

[Masterj]

Yes, it is on DVD - was released last year.

I've heard that movie is very good, although tough to watch. I have to be careful and make sure I am in a strong enough frame of mind when I watch it. I made the mistake of watching the Accused once when I was in a fragile state emotionally and it left me feeling pretty wrecked for a while. I still can't watch that movie.

 

[southcitymom]

Can alcoholism be cured?
Can drug addiction be cured?
Can a child molester be cured?

I think all of the above, in addition to other addictions, can be put under control with proper (AND INTENSE) counselling and therapy, but THEN ONLY IF THE person wants the help --- Help or no help, the addiction doesn't go away - it is always in the back of their mind, somewhere, lurking, patiently, reading to grab control of you again should you NOT keep yourself on a straight and narrow path.

Also, I believe we all do have some type of addiction, wanna share yours?

I like the points you make. As a recovering drug addict, I believe I have an incurable condition. I also know that it doesn't have to run my life. But that takes tremendous effort - well worth it to me.

However, while I agree that some folks are bonifide sex addicts, I don't necessarily agree that all child molesters are bonafide sex addicts. (Tho some are just as some heterosexuals and homosexuals are).

Child molesters are pedophiles and pedophelia, like other sexual orientations, is not cureable. By definition, a pedophile who acts out on his/her sexual orientation is committing a criminal offense. But I don't think all pedophiles molest addictively - they simply ARE a molester when they act out on their proclivities.

 

[southcitymom]

I've heard that movie is very good, although tough to watch. I have to be careful and make sure I am in a strong enough frame of mind when I watch it. I made the mistake of watching the Accused once when I was in a fragile state emotionally and it left me feeling pretty wrecked for a while. I still can't watch that movie.

Yes, I hear you. There are certain movies that trigger things in me that I have to be wary of.

The Woodsman is a powerful movie, but I think it could certainly bring up painful survivor issues for some people. It is not for everyone.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Yes, I hear you. There are certain movies that trigger things in me that I have to be wary of.

The Woodsman is a powerful movie, but I think it could certainly bring up painful survivor issues for some people. It is not for everyone.

I can't bring myself to watch that movie. I think I read too much about children being hurt by moderating this forum and by watching the news. I don't need to try and see this stuff on purpose too.

 

[Mira]

i am physically attracted to BIG men. (get yall's mind out the gutter, i mean as in TALL and BIG/FAT teddy bears!) nothing will ever cure me of this addiction.

my bestest friend from childhood is a lesbian. one time, when we were about 20, she and her sister and i got smashed on winecoolers and the talk got weird. short story, i now know that i could never find a female physically attractive. (oddly enough, her sister and both brothers are also homosexual...maybe genetic?)

neither of these things hurt anyone, much less children. being physically attracted to children is not gonna 'go away'. it may be inborn, or a result of experiences, but its not 'cureable', it just is...

 

[Amraann]

Yes, those cases were horrible and those men should not have been out on the street, although I don't think Carli Brucia's killer, Joseph Smith, had been convicted as a sexual predator before.

However, there are good Florida laws for sexual predators, including the Jimmy Ryce Act which is the one that started the commitment program after their prison sentence is completed. However, a lot of them are not funded adequately so are not as successful as possible. According to the OPPAGA report for 2004, 5% of the offenders that were released from the commitment program have reoffended.

Here are a couple of good sites with information about Fl. sexual predator laws and a link to a flowchart about the commitment process. As of 6/30/06, 940 had been recommended for this program and 532 are held. As least those are off the street for now, but I agree much more needs to be done.

http://www.oppaga.state.fl.us/profiles/1079/

"In addition to sexual offenders and sexual predators, the law defines a third category, sexually violent predators. The Jimmy Ryce Involuntary Civil Commitment for Sexually Violent Predators' Treatment and Care Act provides for the civil confinement of a group of sexual offenders who are found likely to engage in future acts of sexual violence if they are not confined in a secure facility for long-term control, care and treatment. The Florida Legislature passed this act in 1998 to protect the public by keeping those sexual predators from reentering society until they have been judged fit for release from custody."

http://edr.state.fl.us/criminal%20justice/sexually%20violent%20predator%20program/sexually%20violent%20predator%20program%20information.htm

Thank you for the links
I appreciate you posting them.

I do have to dispute a few posts above.
I don't think child predators equate to those with a drug addiction.
I think its more like a sexual orientation.
There is no cure. they should be locked away forever.

 

[Jeana (DP)]

Thank you for the links
I appreciate you posting them.

I do have to dispute a few posts above.
I don't think child predators equate to those with a drug addiction.
I think its more like a sexual orientation.
There is no cure. they should be locked away forever.

Me too.

 

[GlitchWizard]

I say we give all sexual predators a chance to redeem themselves in their next life, but not this one.

 

[SewingDeb]

I say we give all sexual predators a chance to redeem themselves in their next life, but not this one.

Amen.

 

[Reader]

Thank you for the links
I appreciate you posting them.

I do have to dispute a few posts above.
I don't think child predators equate to those with a drug addiction.
I think its more like a sexual orientation.
There is no cure. they should be locked away forever.

You're welcome, I learned from looking up that information too.

Agree with you about pedophilia not being an addiction, and, of course,I had to find a link! The one below has a lot of other information also.

http://www.answers.com/topic/pedophilia

pedophilia, psychosexual disorder in which there is a preference for sexual activity with prepubertal children. Pedophiles are almost always males. The children are more often of the opposite sex (about twice as often) and are typically 13 years or age or younger; they may be within or outside the pedophile's family. Sexual fantasies, looking, or fondling are more common than genital contact. Sexual offenses against children make up a significant proportion of reported criminal sex acts.
The cause or causes of pedophilia are not well understood. Personality problems may be evident, and the pedophile often shows little or no concern for the effects of his sexual behavior on the child. Researchers have reported that psychotherapy in conjunction with the use of testosterone-lowering drugs has substantially reduced the desire in male pedophiles to molest children.

 

[Indy Gal]

Yes, but I'm not sure how much good it would do without "real" names, etc. You could type up a form for posters to copy and fill in and send to their state reps. What do you think about that?

ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN DOING NOTHING AT ALL....COULD YOU HELP ME....SORRY EVERYONE I AM KINDA YOUNG AND REALLY JUST LEARNING ABOUT THESE TYPES OF THINGS THANKS ALL

 

[Indy Gal]

I voted NO. In Florida, we also have a program that keeps the sex offenders, of any type, confined after they complete their prison sentences, if a mental exam shows they are still a danger to the public.

They are suppose to receive treatment in this special mental health facility and can only be released when they improve to the point where they are no longer a danger to society.

Hint: very few are ever released.

Good buut IMO we are spending too much time and money that could be used elsewhere...the is really no answer for this WE ALL SHOULD PULL TOGETHER AS ONE AND KNOCK OFF ONE STATE AT A TIME...i really dont like the DP but in this case IMO it is the only way to stop the huge problem we have

 

[Indy Gal]

I voted no and will add that I have thought for sometime that if they lost their eyesight the world would be a safer place. I know it sounds cruel, but what they do is much worse!

Sabego

How about cutting something else off....sorry but i had to

 

[Jeana (DP)]

ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN DOING NOTHING AT ALL....COULD YOU HELP ME....SORRY EVERYONE I AM KINDA YOUNG AND REALLY JUST LEARNING ABOUT THESE TYPES OF THINGS THANKS ALL

I think this could be a group effort, what do you think??? Everyone could post their ideas on what they would like included and we can get something drafted up! Do a bit of research on the net and so will I and we'll see what we can come up with! You may even find information on the five states who already have this law and find the exact laws they have on their books and say you'd like to implement the same thing in all of the other states.