Written question asked by Lord Bellingham (Conservative) on Monday, 13 March 2006, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 15 March 2006. It was answered by Fiona Mactaggart (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 March 2006 on behalf of the Home Office.

Sex Offender Treatment Programmes

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the role of attachment theory in the (a) construction and (b) delivery of sex offender treatment programmes; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: The three core sex offender treatment programmes provided by the national probation service, all cover attachment theory although in different ways. One programme is explicit in teaching attachment theory to group members, while the other two take a more implicit approach and address the offender's attachment styles based upon a structured assessment of the offender's risk and need.An important treatment target for all three programmes is to address how sex offenders relate to others and how this may need to change in future to reduce risk. This will include specific work throughout each of the three programmes on life skills including the social and emotional management of relationships, together with self management skills.In the Prison Service, treatment programmes for sex offenders, attachment theory is the basis for modules of the Rolling Sex Offender Treatment Programme (for low risk offenders) and the Extended Sex Offender Treatment Programme (for high risk offenders). In both programmes, participants are taught the basics of attachment theory, helped to identify their individual attachment styles, and develop and practice strategies for moving towards a more secure attachment style. Additionally, all the Prison Service Sex Offender Treatment Programmes involve group work, which, as with the probation service, carries the benefit of offering an opportunity for group members to learn how to interact positively with one another.

Secondary information