On mitigating professional arrogance in the treatment of sex offenders

This article suggests that the adversarial approach of the criminal justice system towards handling of the paraphilias ultimately does more harm than good. The acceptance by helping professionals of the criminal justice model into their diagnostic consideration and treatment procedures is discussed, along with a discussion of some of the debilitating ethical and scientific implications of such an alignment. Historical, political and professional factors which have contributed to these disturbing trends are discussed and proposals are made as to how helping professionals might reclaim and reassert their traditional roles in service of their clientele.