Rehabilitation

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Rehabilitation can offenders be rehabilitated?

#16 Guest__*

Group: Guests

Posted 08 January 2002 - 08:34 AM

Trinity,

It is very interresting to me that you have the experience of seeing someone who has been on both sides of the fence. I have always wondered how anyone could do that--be on both sides, but as you stated, she has admitted that there really is no rehabilitation. This in itself says a lot to me, especially coming from someone who has worked with both sides as your therapist has. Most interesting indeed. I wonder how many other people who work with offenders feel the same way. You know, despite my education in psychology, one can't deny the facts. The act of rape is a crime that is worse than all others in my books. That being said...do we expect murderers to be 'cured'? not likely. We tend to try and lock them up for as long as we can so they can't do it again--because we know they will. Now if murder is a lesser crime then rape, why are the rapists roaming the streets? Why do we not lock them up and forget the whole notion of rehab? Or is it because the crime of rape is primarily against women?
Thoughts?

inex

#17 Guest_SK Redmond_*

Group: Guests

Posted 08 January 2002 - 09:15 AM

Ok my two cents to go along with everyone elses. I'm going to compare the sex offender here with and adict for the purpose of breaking the whole thing down in a way I can understand. I myself am a recovering drug addict, and like most adicts I did not make the choice to get clean until I had hit bottom and the consequences of my using where very severe. I knew if I kept using I was going to die. There is not a day that goes by, where it doesn't cross my mind at least once to use. Where I don't crave and miss my old habbits. But the consequences of using keep me clean. I don't want to die...or lose myself...I want to live. Ok so what does this have to do with sex offenders. I think they can only be "cured" in the since that addicts can be cured. Once and addict alwasy and addict...it is a constant comitment and struggle to stay clean. I would argue that the same holds true for sex offenders. However, what are the consequences for their actions? Are they steap enough that the action isn't worth it? I think the statistics ansewer that with a resounding NO! Most sex offenders will never go to jail, they won't lose their jobs, their families, friends, their lives will be miminally affected, so why stop? Knowing what I was doing was illegal was not enough to get me to stop using. That's why I'm all for capital punishement for repeat sexual offenders...predators.

Do I think sex offenders can be rehabillitated. Not until the legal system and societ admit how wide spread and damaging sex crimes are. Not until a rapist loses everything if they are caught, and not until more of them are caught and prosecuted. Rape is treated like a villianless crime. Society refuse to see the evil in them...just as they refuse to see the devisation in us. The two really go hand in hand...don't you think?

-NiNi

#18 Guest__*

Group: Guests

Posted 08 January 2002 - 04:25 PM

WOW (((((hugs))))) to everyone
I'm so sorry if I offend anyone here, but I am currently training as a social worker and I intend to specialise in sex-offender rehabilitaion.
I'm realistic. My personal belief is that out of all the bastards out there maybe 3% will never do it again...
People ask me all the time, why would you want to? Rapists should be castrated or locked away or shot.
Unfortunatley for us none of those measures seem to either work or be acceptable in our society, so why not?
I know it looks like a hopeless cause, but hey, even if I manage to dissuade even one from ever doing it again in my lifetime then I'd consider it a career well worth having.
But do I think they can be cured as such? NO. The only hope I think we have is that their conscience and soul take over their perversion and maybe they will feel too guilty to ever do it again.
Luv,
Rach

#19 Guest_Lil Tiger_*

Group: Guests

Posted 10 January 2002 - 08:27 AM

((((Kellie))))

You really know how to hit the nail on the head huh....

Now I am quite biased esp with my recent interractions with a male rapist who tred to commit suicide and will be out in the public free in the next 6 months. Rehabilitation is quite a complex issue. To a degree as a nurse I do feel it is possible to rehabilitate esp when the person is experiencinga mental illnes that can be controlled by medicatiosn and behaviour modification. Hmmm I think some people are going to get quite annoyed at this statement but I also feel as a surivivor that there is a small maybe even larger amount or rapists who dont even know what they are doing is rape??? I wont delve too much on the subject cause I dotn want t minimise peoples pain / suffering but I do agrree this to an extent. I however also know there is the 'other' percentage that no matter hwo much behaviour modification, treatment or the like will EVER change the way they act or stop them from commiting these horrible crimes. I fel that some are just plain malicious, enjoy the intense experience they sem to sahre by violating a woman, man or child. No matter what the system is or what it stands for we have to at least try if we dont what hope is there for our children??? I feel though if we place too much emphasis on this that it will affect our healing..I konw my healing has been affected because my attacker was found not guily and even though i said i dont care about the outcome just the fact i stood up there makes a diff inside , deep inside you are really hurt for it means your peers did not believe you, the system, your system, our system had failed what can we do to change this??? We can educate the public on this and make a stand for our own right as human beings to be able to feel safe without having to wory baout what we are wearing who we are with or what w eare doing with them....for there is NO excuse for rape...none whats so ever or any form of abuse. I feel for our own morality though e have to at least try if we give up hope on this...what is left????

just my thoughts

((((((((gentel safe hugs))))))))))

chloe

#20 Guest_tkb_*

Group: Guests

Posted 26 January 2002 - 04:08 AM

This whole thing makes me angry! and scared and gloom-filled, too.
Ok, my first reaction is: Who Cares? Let them rot. I want justice and I want revenge!
My second reaction is gloomy fear. I wonder about the effects of convicted rapists after they are released. Unless rapists are locked away forever, we had better think very carefully about the post-punishment reality. If they are going to be a part of the general population after they serve their sentence, their prison experience could certainly not be more poisonous an experience.
Overall i think 'recovery' for convicted rapists would be difficult in any case. Especially since, in the United States at least, maximum security prisons are places of unparalleled sexual violence and brutality: for many inmates rape is an essential part of everyday life. Even if a prison had a brilliant and highly effective "rehabilitory program", prison environment is so rife and saturated with daily violence I would hazard to guess that American prisons create more rapists than they could possibly rehabilitate.
I think there is probably a much greater chance for recovery for someone who committed second- or third-degree assault, then for someone who exhibits predatory instincts and who has committed numerous acts of rape combined with significant violence and sadism.
Shit. Overall, this is depressing.
I reckon part of the solution is reforming prisons. Also, post-prison tracking and surveilance seem extremely important. Therapy really might help some rapists, but it's no cure all or panacea.
Troy

#21 Guest__*

Group: Guests

Posted 27 January 2002 - 05:12 AM

Actually I totally agree with you, Cheri.

#22 Lis

ex-patriot

Group: Member
Posts: 3,645
Joined: 12-April 01

Posted 09 January 2002 - 07:34 AM

I think I might be more vindictive than most, but for me, it doesn't matter whether someone can be "rehabilitated" or not. They committed a crime, and they should serve the sentence for that crime, regardless of how rehabilitated or remorseful they become.

-Lis

#23 Guest__*

Group: Guests

Posted 25 February 2002 - 12:52 PM

if society was solely responsible for makeing rapists the way they are, we'd all be rapists, b/c we're all exsposed to society.
yes society's misinformed and twisted versions of things it presents as truth don't help the problem, but we all hold PERSONAL responsiblity for how we veiw soceity's messages, and what we do with those messages.
this goes back to nature vs nuture, and like that debate with everything else, they are not mutually exsclusive.
as for rehab-ing them... i'm not really sure there is anything WE can do to rehab them... they can change themselves if they have the reason, drive and desire to do it, but it is not something that can be forced on someone, or even carried out in the same way for different people.

angel

#24 Trinity

may contain nuts

Group: Member
Posts: 1,169
Joined: 19-April 01

Posted 26 February 2002 - 11:43 PM

Jasmine,

Never thought of that way...GOOD point!

You have just reaffirmed my position with the, so called, "rehabilitation" of sex offenders. Not that I needed it, but thanks for your perspective!

Trin

#25 Guest__*

Group: Guests

Posted 07 January 2002 - 06:54 PM

NO!!!!

Ok so from a psychological point of view, i believe with the right treatment and medicaltion, it can be supressed, but i dont hitnk it can ever be cured

once a rapist always a rapist
like they say, a loepard can't change its spots

sorry jsut my opinion

#26 Monika

~~Yogalicious~~

Group: Advisor
Posts: 9,125
Joined: 16-April 01

Posted 07 January 2002 - 08:31 PM

Wow. Good question. Like everyone else I like to believe in the good of all people. I like to think it's possible to take someone capable of creating so much anguish and make that person a more empathetic human being. But the fact that the recidivism rates are so high for sexual offenders...well, it makes me think it's really not possible. You hear way too much about people reoffending...

#27 Guest__*

Group: Guests

Posted 07 January 2002 - 11:43 PM

The sad fact is I don't think they can. A little girl in my city was kidnapped from her front yard, raped and murdered by a repeat sex offender who had been to jail & even went to a sex offender's class I believe. She was 4 yrs old, the same age as my little girl! I posted about this back in November because I was so shaken up about it. The guy who raped me when I was 15, he was 19 or 20 got arrested nearly 2 yrs ago for breaking into a girl's home and raping her while her baby slept in the same bed! I was totally sick at the thought that he did that again to someone else & that I should have called the cops back then. The fact that I was underage at that time would have helped but I was too #### scared. But to your question, I don't really think most people can be rehab'd. I say most because there may be a small exception but I doubt even that. But then again I have been raped twice by 2 different ppl so I'm a little #### skeptical. :( I think anyone who rapes or molests a child/woman should be locked up & never let out. Why give them the chance to hurt someone else! Take care, Kim

#28 Guest__*

Group: Guests

Posted 08 January 2002 - 08:14 AM

This topic is hugely interesting to me.

It really annoys that me that no large-scale study has been done on this topic. It's another way of minimizing us, and our experiences. To my mind rape/abuse/sexual assault is the most serious crime that can be committed, bar murder. It seems staggering that we still know so little about it, and society still refuses to acknowledge what a widespread problem it is. I'm tired of hearing people in the media claim that the 1 in 4 statistic is inaccurate on the basis that it 'seems so high'. #### straight it's high. It's a sign that somehow society is failing to ensure standards of reasonable and civilised behaviour.

The pathetic sentences given to child abusers anger me beyond words. A persistent pedophile here who had kidnapped, raped, and assaulted numerous children was given a two year sentence the other day. TWO YEARS. You can get longer than that for persistent shoplifting. Another signal that the CRIMES we endured were of little consequence.

Grrrr
Aoife

#29 Guest__*

Group: Guests

Posted 08 January 2002 - 12:00 PM

So if they are cured, do you think they can be allowed back in society? Or with repeat offenders should we consider them mentally unfit and send them to a mental hospital. (Which they are currently doing to some offenders presently)

Kellie

#30 Guest__*

Group: Guests

Posted 08 January 2002 - 01:16 PM

((Kellie))

I don't think they should be allowed out jail or a hospital without some major restrictions. Maybe even go as far as tatoo on their forehead with a big red "R" or something else that stands for offender. But truly I think they should have to prove themselves over a period of years while in prision that they do have selfcontrol, and can live by restrictions. Before it's even considered releasing them. And if there is any potential problems, they are sent to the mental insitute for some severe treatment. Or be like Judge Dred and just get rid of them on the street. :)

Just my opinion
Sapphire