Northumbria Sex Offender Groupwork Programme

Programme aims:

To reduce sex offending by adult male sex offenders

Who is suitable?

Male sex offenders who:

• are within the normal IQ range
• commit any type of sexual offence
• are assessed as suitable in a PSR

Who is not suitable?

• Female sex offenders
• Sex offenders with an IQ of less than 80
• Men with severe drug/alcohol misuse behaviour
• Men with current mental health problems
• Men assessed as psychopathic
• Men in total denial of their sex offending

The programme involves:

• 160 hours of attendance consisting of sessions run for one or two days per week
• The core programme consists of four modules.  Men can attend at the beginning of any module
• High risk/high deviancy men will attend the core group followed by Relapse Prevention (36 hours)
• Low risk/low deviancy men will normally complete individual preparation work followed by the Relapse Prevention Programme
• Offenders released from prison will follow similar routes according to their assessment of risk and deviancy

The programme aims to help offenders develop understanding of how and why they have committed sexual offences.  The programme also increases awareness of victim harm.  The main focus is to help the offender develop meaningful life goalsand practice new thinking and and behavioural skills that will lead him away from offending.

Back