The clinical utility of satiation therapy with juvenile sexual offenders: Variations and efficacy

Abstract

The efficacy of satiation therapy in reducing deviant sexual arousal in residentially treated juvenile perpetrators was evaluated using psychophysiological assessment. A group of twenty-seven youth showed a significant decline in their percent deviant score from baseline to a nine month treatment interval using verbal satiation and other therapies. A group of twelve youths remained relatively refractory through nine months using verbal satiation and other therapies for the first six months, followed by the combination of verbal and laboratory satiation in months six through nine. Age of perpetrator was the only variable which predicted response to treatment, with older youth appearing to have a greater potential for learning to lower deviant arousal while maintaining high arousal to stimuli depicting consensual, age appropriate sexual activity.