Sexual Violence

Course Outline

Authoritative, evidence-based guidance on treating sexually coercive and violent men.

This book presents both a compact summary of the voluminous research on sexual violence and a practical, evidence-based “how-to” treatment guide for mental health practitioners working in clinics and institutions that treat men who are sexually coercive and violent toward others.

Those needing intervention may be college students, individuals seeking outpatient help, family batterers, or those who sexually abuse women and children. They may have been arrested for sex crimes or be incarcerated or on probation in sex offender treatment program, though most will never have been arrested. This clearly written and well-structured resource will help clinicians deal with all.

The book first reviews research on the prevalence of sexually abusive behavior, along with diagnostic issues, assessment strategies, and risk assessment approaches, and then presents current integrated theories on the causes of sexually violent behavior.

The primary focus, however, is the specific emotional and behavioral targets of treatment and the therapist skills and strategies that are effective in reducing sexual victimization. Cultural factors that influence treatment are identified and effective prevention programs for sexual violence are also described and evaluated.


About Authors

William R. Holcomb, PhD,ABPP,MBA, has been a forensic psychologist for approximately 30 years. He received his doctorate from the University of Missouri- Columbia and later was Association, He has maintained an active clinical and consulting practice throughout his career. His Primary areas of career focus have been competency,insanity, personal injury, and threat assessment evaluations and the treatment of criminal offenders in community, jail and prison settings.He is currently a Professor and Program Director for Forensic Studies at Alliant International University in San Francisco, CA.


Learning Objectives

After completing this course you’ll be able to:

  1. Define rape and sexual coercion.
  2. Discuss various studies of sexual violence in communities and colleges.
  3. Discuss findings from sexual coercion studies in the community.
  4. Compare rapists and child molesters.
  5. Describe the Hierarchial – Mediational Confluence Model.
  6. Compare the Comprehensive Model of Prediction and the Integrated Theory of Sexual Offending.
  7. Discuss the research of pornography and sexual violence.
  8. Discuss the study of alcohol myopia by Steel and Josephs, 1990.
  9. Discuss rape prevention programs on college campuses.
  10. State the four basic criteria associated with the DSM IV –TR diagnosis of paraphilia.
  11. Discuss the research of Dietz, Hazelwood, and Warren (1990) describing sadists.
  12. Describe the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory.
  13. Discuss co-occurring diagnosis among sexual offenders.
  14. Discuss hypersexuality.
  15. Describe the role of sex hormones as part of hypersexuality.
  16. State the three approaches when studying risk assessment.
  17. Define phallometry.
  18. Discuss the use of polygraph tests.
  19. Define efficacy and effectiveness.
  20. Discuss various examples of research data regarding treatment that does not work.
  21. Describe the sex offender treatment program from the Canadian federal prison system.
  22. Discuss several important skills the therapist must possess.
  23. Describe motivational interviewing.
  24. Describe schemas.
  25. Discuss low self-esteem and acceptance of responsibility as targets of treatment.
  26. Describe victim empathy.
  27. Discuss emotional regulation and dysregulation.
  28. Describe the four behavioral techniques when addressing deviant sexual fantasies.
  29. Describe self-management plans.
  30. List several cultural considerations when treating sex offenders.

Course Contents

  • 1 Description
  • 1. 1 Terminology
  • 1. 2 Definition
  • 1. 3 Epidemiology
  • 1. 4 Course and Prognosis
  • 1. 5 Differential Diagnosis
  • 1. 6 Comorbidities
  • 1. 7 Diagnostic Procedures and Documentation
  • 2 Theories and Models of the Disorder
  • 3 Diagnosis and Treatment Indications
  • 4 Treatment
  • 4. 1 Methods of Treatment
  • 4. 2 Mechanisms of Action
  • 4. 3 Efficacy and Prognosis
  • 4. 4 Variations and Combinations of Methods
  • 4. 5 Problems in Carrying out the Treatments
  • 5 Case Vignette
  • 6 Further Reading
  • 7 References
  • 8 Appendix: Tools and Resources