Assessment and Obligatory Treatment of Violent and Sexually Violent Offenders Integrating Research and Practice

This book examines the assessment and obligatory treatment programs for violent and sexually violent offenders – primarily adolescents and adults – diagnosed with cluster B personality disorder or a conduct disorder. It describes concepts, theories, and legal aspects as well as the psychological and neurobiological characteristics of violent and sexually violent offenders and forensic psychiatric patients. Chapters review treatment programs and provide guidelines for gathering additional information and formulating functional analyses to establish individual treatment plans. In addition, chapters offer treatment modules for violent offenders and sexually violent offenders and address specific problems that may be encountered in practice and how to overcome these problems. The book concludes with the editors’ recommendations for future research in offender assessment and rehabilitation.

Topics featured in this book include:

• Heuristic models of aggressive and sexually aggressive behavior.
• The use of self-reporting questionnaires in offender populations.
• Reliable assessment instruments.
• The effectiveness of existing rehabilitation programs. 
• Cognitive-behavioral treatment modules for violent and sexually violent offenders.
• Self-regulation and self-management skills to be used in rehabilitation programs.
• Facilitating treatment integrity in penitentiary and forensic psychiatric institutions.

Assessment and Obligatory Treatment of Violent and Sexually Violent Offenders is an essential resource for researchers, clinicians/therapists, and upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in forensic psychology, public health, criminology/criminal justice, and behavioral therapy and rehabilitation.

Ruud H.J. Hornsveld, Ph.D., is a registered clinical psychologist and supervisor of the Dutch Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapy (VGCt). From 1997 to 2013, he was associated as a clinical psychologist and researcher with Forensic Psychiatric Center de Kijvelanden at Poortugaal, Netherlands. During this period, he assessed and treated violent and sexually violent forensic psychiatric in- and outpatients. Also, he developed and evaluated treatment programs for these populations. At the moment, he is affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry of Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Netherlands. He regularly publishes on his work in national and international journals.

Floris W. Kraaimaat, Ph.D., is emeritus professor of medical psychology at Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands. He has published widely on clinical psychology, behavior therapy, and behavioral assessment. His current research includes topics such as the development of cognitive-behavioral interventions for patients with chronic disorders. Areas of special interest are emotion regulation and aggression.

Luk A.C. L. Gijs, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor affiliated with the Interfaculty Institute for Family and Sexuality Studies, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Belgium. He is a healthcare psychologist, sexologist, and supporter of the scientist-practitioner ideal. His main interests are risk assessment of sex offenders, treatment programs for sex offenders, and paraphilia.

Emma J. Palmer, Ph.D., is Reader in Forensic Psychology, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Behavior, University of Leicester, United Kingdom. Her research focuses on offending behavior with specific interests such as the development of offending behavior (particularly social cognition and family / parenting), risk and needs assessment of offenders, and the design and evaluation of interventions with offenders.