The rehabilitation of offenders is a relevant field of research on the interface between forensic and clinical psychology domains.
The prevention of delinquency, criminal behavior and reoffending can be achieved by interventions able to reduce risk factors and/or strengthen protective factors. Recently, clinical and forensic interventions aiming at the rehabilitation of offenders have seen significant expansion and development. It seems utterly important to highlight and reflect on this quantitative and qualitative growth, especially by analyzing the kind of demanding and complex professional practices seen within this field, which require specialized technical skills.
The main purpose of these specific interventions is to change aspects embodied in variables (e.g., behaviors, attitudes, cognitive styles) that may influence people to reoffend. Intervention strategies from primary prevention (e.g., communication skills enhancement, conflict resolution, social skills and abilities to resist negative peer pressure) to specialized intervention (e.g., psychopathy, violent behavior, sexual offenses) have in many cases been found to be effective in reducing antisocial acts and behavior problems in juvenile as in adult offenders.
Meta-analytic research has robustly established that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) based programs are among the most efficient in recidivism reduction, and a considerably wide range of different CBT programs are available for delivery within rehabilitation of young and adult offenders in community and forensic settings. While current research has mostly focused on recidivism reduction as the major outcome, research about the mechanisms of change is still scarce. In addition, recent developments in CBT interventions (e.g., contextual therapies) delivered in different settings set the base for new approaches to offender rehabilitation.
While most of the existing research focus on traditional CBT group programs with recidivism reduction as the main outcome variable, recent advances and expansions on CBT interventions set the base for new challenges when addressing the rehabilitation of individuals with antisocial/aggressive behavior, psychopathic traits and criminal behavior. Additionally, specific types of crimes (e.g., sex offenders) seem to be resistant to traditional interventions, and there is a great need to offer proper treatment within health and/or forensic settings. Finally, research on this topic should move behind recidivism reduction as the main outcome and investigate mechanisms of change in order to bring light into the change process underlying behavioral change.
In this Research Topic, authors are invited to submit their empirical work on the effects of different and new approaches for the rehabilitation of offenders, including juvenile and adult offenders, covering community delivered interventions, as well as programs to be delivered in forensic settings.
We welcome the following topics:
• Efficacy of interventions to reduce recidivism in young and adult offenders, males and females
• Treatment may address a wide range of topics including: violence risk mitigation, trauma-related disorders, sexual aggression, general patterns of offending behavior, substance misuse related offending, family relationships, families with risk factors, community integration, specifically for people with learning disabilities, and other issues relevant for forensically involved individuals
• Description of therapeutic approaches and programs developed and applied in a variety of forensic and/or community settings
• Primary prevention interventions
• Randomized and non-randomized clinical trials
• Distinct methodological approaches to study mechanisms of change
Studies may include methodologically different approaches, such as qualitative or quantitative research, laboratorial, randomized clinical trials and quasi-experimental studies such as non-randomized trials. Findings are expected to add to the discussion of timely issues within this area.
The rehabilitation of offenders is a relevant field of research on the interface between forensic and clinical psychology domains.
The prevention of delinquency, criminal behavior and reoffending can be achieved by interventions able to reduce risk factors and/or strengthen protective factors. Recently, clinical and forensic interventions aiming at the rehabilitation of offenders have seen significant expansion and development. It seems utterly important to highlight and reflect on this quantitative and qualitative growth, especially by analyzing the kind of demanding and complex professional practices seen within this field, which require specialized technical skills.
The main purpose of these specific interventions is to change aspects embodied in variables (e.g., behaviors, attitudes, cognitive styles) that may influence people to reoffend. Intervention strategies from primary prevention (e.g., communication skills enhancement, conflict resolution, social skills and abilities to resist negative peer pressure) to specialized intervention (e.g., psychopathy, violent behavior, sexual offenses) have in many cases been found to be effective in reducing antisocial acts and behavior problems in juvenile as in adult offenders.
Meta-analytic research has robustly established that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) based programs are among the most efficient in recidivism reduction, and a considerably wide range of different CBT programs are available for delivery within rehabilitation of young and adult offenders in community and forensic settings. While current research has mostly focused on recidivism reduction as the major outcome, research about the mechanisms of change is still scarce. In addition, recent developments in CBT interventions (e.g., contextual therapies) delivered in different settings set the base for new approaches to offender rehabilitation.
While most of the existing research focus on traditional CBT group programs with recidivism reduction as the main outcome variable, recent advances and expansions on CBT interventions set the base for new challenges when addressing the rehabilitation of individuals with antisocial/aggressive behavior, psychopathic traits and criminal behavior. Additionally, specific types of crimes (e.g., sex offenders) seem to be resistant to traditional interventions, and there is a great need to offer proper treatment within health and/or forensic settings. Finally, research on this topic should move behind recidivism reduction as the main outcome and investigate mechanisms of change in order to bring light into the change process underlying behavioral change.
In this Research Topic, authors are invited to submit their empirical work on the effects of different and new approaches for the rehabilitation of offenders, including juvenile and adult offenders, covering community delivered interventions, as well as programs to be delivered in forensic settings.
We welcome the following topics:
• Efficacy of interventions to reduce recidivism in young and adult offenders, males and females
• Treatment may address a wide range of topics including: violence risk mitigation, trauma-related disorders, sexual aggression, general patterns of offending behavior, substance misuse related offending, family relationships, families with risk factors, community integration, specifically for people with learning disabilities, and other issues relevant for forensically involved individuals
• Description of therapeutic approaches and programs developed and applied in a variety of forensic and/or community settings
• Primary prevention interventions
• Randomized and non-randomized clinical trials
• Distinct methodological approaches to study mechanisms of change
Studies may include methodologically different approaches, such as qualitative or quantitative research, laboratorial, randomized clinical trials and quasi-experimental studies such as non-randomized trials. Findings are expected to add to the discussion of timely issues within this area.
