Enhancing Consensual Social Skills to Prevent Non-consensual Sexual Acts

Summary

A challenge to Canadian society is the establishment of effective evidence-based interventions to prevent non-consensual sex acts. The Sexual Behaviours Clinic (SBC), located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, is an innovative and effective program devoted to the management of adults with persistent problematic sexual interests and behaviours (paraphilias). The primary aim of this project is to test the hypothesis that the SBC's success is due in part to its focus on consent and the enhancement of lawful and fulfilling social relationships (social skills). The study participants will include 60 voluntary male participants who have undergone an intake assessment with the SBC and show signs of paraphilic interests in children (based on the standard SBC intake questionnaire) who will be randomized into a social skills group or a control group focused on adult interests. Participants will attend these groups weekly for 3-months (12-weeks). Outcome measures will include pre-and-post social skills, sexual consent, sexual fantasy, and sexual urges surveys, pre-and-post phallometric testing (to test for objective sexual arousal), qualitative interviews of the study participants, their friends, and family members, and records of recidivism (self-report). Groups will be inclusive of individuals from varying ethnicities, backgrounds, sexual orientations, and intellectual and developmental levels.

Conditions

• Paraphilias and Paraphilic Disorders

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Social skills group psychotherapy

Groups are 1.5-hours and facilitated by a psychiatrist and social worker. The groups follow Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and the Good Lives Model (GLM). Groups involve a check-in to receive advice from group members and then revolve around 1-2 topics. The facilitators are responsible for asking probing questions about the topic to facilitate group discussion and learning. CBT treatment involves efforts to change thinking patterns which might include: Learning to recognize one's distortions in thinking that are creating problems, and then to re-evaluate them. Gaining a better understanding of the behavior and motivation of others. Using problem-solving skills to cope with difficult situations. GLM conceptualized healthy sexuality as the natural outcome of success in achieving life goals. Some patients have difficulty changing their self-identity from that of "sex offender" to that of "former sex-offender". The GLM principles are helpful in achieving this aim.

BEHAVIORAL

Adult interest group psychotherapy

Groups are 1.5-hours and facilitated by a psychiatrist and social worker. The groups follow Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and the Good Lives Model (GLM). Groups involve a check-in to receive advice from group members and then revolve around 1-2 topics. The facilitators are responsible for asking probing questions about the topic to facilitate group discussion and learning. CBT treatment involves efforts to change thinking patterns which might include: Learning to recognize one's distortions in thinking that are creating problems, and then to re-evaluate them. Gaining a better understanding of the behavior and motivation of others. Using problem-solving skills to cope with difficult situations. GLM conceptualized healthy sexuality as the natural outcome of success in achieving life goals. Some patients have difficulty changing their self-identity from that of "sex offender" to that of "former sex-offender". The GLM principles are helpful in achieving this aim.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• John Bradford, MD · The Royal Ottawa Health Care Group (ROHCG)

• Dave Holmes, PhD · The Royal Ottawa Health Care Group (ROHCG)

• Emily Tippins, MSc · The Royal Ottawa Health Care Group (ROHCG)

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

MALE

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-02-06

Primary Completion

2025-01-30

Completion

2026-03-31

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations