| Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools. |
The Impact of Polygraphy on Admissions of Victims and Offenses in Adult Sexual OffendersColorado Department of Corrections, 2862 S. Circle Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80906, sean.ahlmeyer{at}doc.state.co.us
Colorado Department of Corrections, 2862 S. Circle Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80906
Colorado Department of Corrections, 2862 S. Circle Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80906
Colorado Division of Criminal Justice Sexual offenders are extremely reluctant to disclose their offending histories for a variety of psychosocial and legal reasons. The polygraph has shown promise as a intervention for eliciting admissions of past sexual offending behaviors. For 60 adult male sexual offender (35 inmates and 25 parolees), the number of victims and offenses were recorded from the Presentence Investigative Report, Sexual History Disclosure form, and 2 consecutive polygraph examination reports. Dramatic increases in the number of admitted victims and offenses were found for inmates, but not for parolees, across each source. However, there was a substantial decline in the number of victim and offense admissions by the second polygraph examination for both groups, even though 80% of the examination results reveled deception about sexual offending behaviors. Standardized use of sanctions and privileges for deceptive and nondeceptive polygraph results, respectively, are proposed as a way of eliciting full disclosure of offending histories for these offenders.
Key Words: polygraph admissions deception sanctions.
Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, Vol. 12, No. 2,
123-138 (2000) |
|||