The use of sex offender treatmentsprogrammes have developed and expanded immensely over the recent decades. A sexoffender treatment programmes are becoming a fundamental part of countries’criminal justice system. Within the United Kingdom, all offenders who aresentenced for a sexual offence are assessed for their ability to complete anintervention that they are most suitable for them (Brown,2010).

Prior to this, offenders should receive interventions accordingto their levels of risk, should receive interventions that address their criminogenicneeds and interventions that meet their specific characteristics, such as intellectualfunctioning (Andrews et al. 1990). The management of sex offenders within the criminaljustice system can have a significant impact on the offender’s risk ofrecidivism (Hanson and Thornton, 2000).

Mostconvicted sex offenders are eventually released back into the communitysettings under parole supervision or probation (Centrefor Sex Offenders Management, 2000). Once released into the community,the average sexual recidivism rate for convicted sexual offenders is believedto be between 10% and 15% over 5 years (Hanson &Morton-Bourgon, 2005). The majority of sex offender treatment programmeswithin the United States of America and Canada currently use a combination ofcognitive behavioural treatment programmes (CBT) and ____________  (Centre for SexOffender Management, 2000) Cognitive-behavioural therapyprogrammes Cognitivebehavioural therapy is based on a cognitive model that posits that distortedand dysfunctional thinking is a common symptom of all psychological problemsand illnesses and that these distorted thoughts influence a person’s mood andbehaviours (Becks, 1995).

One of the main reasons into why cognitivebehavioural therapy is used with sexual offenders is to reduce sexualrecidivism (Marshall , Anderson,& Fernandez, 1995). Brown (2005) gave a detailed reviewon the development of cognitive behavioural programmes for sex offenders. Brownfound that traditional behavioural programmes, such as aversion therapy, weredesigned to reduce deviant sexual arousal.