Applied Psychophysiology and Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy in the Treatment of Sex Offenders

This article presents an application of applied psychophysiological and cognitive and behavioral strategies to the treatment of sex offenders. The participants were 21 sex offenders treated as outpatients at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in White River Junction, Vermont. A repeated-case-study format was used. Because hyperventilation destabilizes the autonomic nervous system (disrupting and/or preventing erection and other aspects of male sexual arousal) and dramatically changes brain function (degrading train of thought and shifting neuroendocrine function), clients were taught to hyperventilate in response to thoughts and images of the targets of their illegal behavior. Psychophysiological indices included skin conductance and penile plethysmograph. Participants were treated in six individual sessions, and most have been followed up for more than 2 years. Results show that with motivated clients, this procedure produces convincing, positive results.