Case Formulation in the Treatment of a Man With a History of Sexual Offenses: A Network Approach
Authors
Abstract
Prevention of sexual reoffending is the primary goal of forensic treatment for individuals with a history of sexual offenses. Risk assessment and case formulation form the foundation of cognitive behavioral therapy informed forensic treatment. Integrating both into practice, however, is not always straightforward. This case study explores how risk assessment and case formulation can be integrated using the network-based model of risk of sexual reoffending (NBM-RSR, hereafter referred to as the NBM-RSR case formulation). Peter's NBM-RSR case formulation illustrates the contribution of his own experience of sexual abuse to the development of dynamic risk factors. The interconnections between these factors provide insight into their role in his risk of sexual reoffending. Peter's risk of reoffending appears to emerge from two clusters of dynamic risk factors: one involving emotional loneliness, feelings of shame and guilt, and the other consisting of exhibitionistic fantasies, sex as a coping mechanism, and contact with unknown women and girls. The need for validation and the use of sex as a coping mechanism form the link between these two networks. This case study demonstrates that the NBM-RSR case formulation provides an explanatory model for the onset and maintenance of sexual offending. It provides practical guidance for forensic treatment and helps formulate and prioritize treatment goals through analyzing how dynamic risk factors interconnect.