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Sex offender management using the polygraph: a critical review
Ewout H Meijer1, Bruno Verschuere, Harald L G J Merckelbach
1Department of Psychology, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. eh.meijer@psychology.unimaas.nl
International Journal of Law and Psychiatry
|September 16, 2008
Summary
Polygraph testing for sex offender treatment lacks evidence. Claims of its effectiveness, compared to urine analysis for drug addiction, are misleading and risky, with weak scientific support for its clinical use.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychology
- Criminology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Recidivism reduction is a key goal in sex offender treatment.
- European interest is growing in polygraph use for convicted sex offenders.
- This interest stems from U.S. clinicians' positive reports on polygraph utility.
Purpose of the Study:
- Critically evaluate the validity and utility of post-conviction sex offender polygraph testing.
- Examine the evidence supporting polygraph use in sex offender treatment and risk assessment.
- Address the analogy drawn between polygraph testing and urine analysis.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of existing studies on polygraph testing in sex offender populations.
- Critical analysis of claims regarding the clinical potential and effectiveness of polygraph tests.
- Comparison of polygraph testing with established treatment monitoring tools like urine analysis.
Main Results:
- The evidence supporting the clinical potential of polygraph tests for sex offenders is weak or absent.
- Claims of polygraph effectiveness are not substantiated by rigorous scientific data.
- The analogy to urine analysis in drug addiction treatment is not supported by current evidence.
Conclusions:
- Post-conviction polygraph testing for sex offenders is not a validated tool.
- The portrayal of polygraph testing as equivalent to urine analysis is inaccurate and misleading.
- Relying on polygraph testing in this context presents significant risks to treatment and assessment accuracy.
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