CUP Undergraduate Research
Title
Comparative Efficiacy of Three Treatment Modalities for Juvenile Sexual Offenders: A Meta-Analysis
Date of Award
Fall 10-1-2015
Document Type
Restricted Access Thesis
College
College of Theology, Arts, & Sciences
Department
Psychology
Degree Name
Psychology, BA
First Advisor
Reed Mueller, Ph.D.
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to identify the most effective treatment modality: prescriptive residential, self-contained residential, or outpatient treatment, for juvenile sexual offenders as measured by recidivism rates. Juvenile sexual offenders can be partially understood through their designated Tier level. This determines the risk that they pose to the community as well as the length of their registration under the Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), if they qualify as juveniles to register (Caldwell, Ziemke, & Vitacco, 2008). This study used a meta-analysis and measure of heterogeneity, using a Q statistic, of 11 studies to determine the most effective treatment modality. A planned qualitative phase would have allowed for interviews with program directors, counselors, case managers, and other members of the treatment team for the two residential modalities and counselors, and other members of the treatment team for the outpatient modality. These would be performed with facilities located in Oregon that provided raw data for the quantitative meta-analysis. There was no significant difference found between the treatment modalities. Future research including a pre-treatment recidivism risk rate may allow for more definitive results in the effectiveness of different treatment modalities.