Cognitive impairment and sex offending: management during therapy and factors in offending

Abstract

This paper will discuss the potential impact of a range of cognitive impairments when working with sex offenders who present with them. It will begin by outlining the nature of cognitive impairment and the research examining the extent of such difficulties in sex offenders. It will then explore the impact of such impairments when engaging a sex offender in treatment, including the role that cognitive impairment might play in the function of their offence. Finally, some methods by which to manage and compensate for cognitive impairments will be presented. While the focus of this paper is on sex offenders, the issues presented in this paper are not exclusive to this group and may be applied to offenders in general.

Citation

Ireland, C. (2008), "Cognitive impairment and sex offending: management during therapy and factors in offending", The British Journal of Forensic Practice, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 18-25. https://doi.org/10.1108/14636646200800010