CHEMICAL CASTRATION OF MALE SEX OFFENDERS.   Term Paper ID:30068 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Discusses use of hormone therapy, or chemical castration, as an effective treatment program for recidivist sex offenders.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Discusses use of hormone therapy, or chemical castration, as an effective treatment program for recidivist sex offenders. Describes how hormone therapy works. States that permit its use. Controversy over the treatment regarding medical risks and Constitutional issues. Research studies conducted on effectiveness. Need for psychological therapy Need for future research studies. Paper Introduction: I. Introduction A. Chemical castration and male sex offenders For many years, the U.S. has sought to eliminate sexual offenses by treating sexual offenders with various methods such as behavioral modification therapy, relapse prevention and cognitive reconditioning (“Review of the research literature,” 2001, p. 5). Since 1981, with the discovery of the effectiveness of specific hormones in reducing testosterone levels in human beings (Berlin & Meinecke, 1981), hormone therapy, known as chemical castration, has been tested extensively on sex offenders. Essentially, the objective of administering these drugs is to reduce the blood serum testosterone levels and lead to a concomitant decrease in sexual arousal and sexual preoccupations. The drugs work by acting on the hypothalamus, Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. "Chemical castration" for sex offenders.New England Journal of Medicine, 336(14), 1 3 . References Barbaree, H.E., Marshall, W.L., & Hudson, S.M. However,without the provision of therapy, sex offenders will not have learned toovercome their problems once the effects of the drugs wear off with thetermination of the treatment. Negative aspects of chemical castration First, one of the key concerns about chemical castration is the sideeffects that can place the lives of the sex offenders in danger. (1981). Altogether, 53 percent of the MA-treated sexoffenders relapsed, which equaled the number of reoffending sex offenderswho received the psychotherapy treatment only. Essentially, the objective of administering these drugs is toreduce the blood serum testosterone levels and lead to a concomitantdecrease in sexual arousal and sexual preoccupations. 294-3 ). According to Maletzky (1991), drugs such as MA should only be usedduring a short-term period of approximately three to four months in orderto curb deviant sexual fantasies. NewYork: Guildford Press. (1997, April 3). However, used in combinationwith psychotherapy, Rosler and Witztum (1998) found that this drug had ahigher success rate (1 percent success rate) than the other two drugs (6 to 8 percent). Effectiveness of chemical castration for reducing sex crimesA. 75-81). With safer drugs, authorities will beable to provide a long-term, low-dosage treatment that can be effective incurbing the deviant sexual urges of recidivist sex offenders.B. Medroxyprogesterone acetatetreatment for paraphilic sex offenders. The discrepancy betweenthe measurements of the actual level of arousal (penile engorgement) andthe testosterone levels and the self-reports in this study illuminates theproblems with experiments that rely on the latter measurements fordetermining the effectiveness of chemical castration on deviant sexualbehavior (in Nelson, 2 , p. After threeweeks, they were completely eliminated. 644-5). 646). (1998, Summer). (1986). Hayes, T.K. Conclusion Therefore, chemical castration should not be used exclusively as atreatment for sex offenders. Some sex offenders act out because they are unable to have afulfilling relationship with other adults. 46 -4). 252-7). Considering these motivating factors, it is evidentthat chemical castration may not be an effective treatment program forthese individuals who are not motivated by sexual urges (Turk, 1997, p.12). 254). Other studies have also highlighted the qualitative differencesbetween sex offenders and typical men. Studies on animals Studies about the effects of chemical castration have been conductedon a variety of animals. Others commit sex crimes whenthey are intoxicated. In recent years, five states have permitted courts to treat recidivistsex offenders with Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (MA), or Depo-Provera--thedrug used for the treatment of sex offender in the U.S. (1989). Cooper, A.J., Cernovsky, Z., & Magnus, R.V. Hawker and Mayer (1981) showedthat half of the participants experienced a weight increase. Treatment of sex offenders with medroxyprogesteroneacetate. 2). 254). In addition, the sex offenders who undergo this treatment have thehighest chances of success only when they have the desire to change theirbehavior. Rosler, A., & Witztum, E. Berlin, F.S., & Meinecke, C.F. Inreality, even sex offenders who target children are motivated by differentreasons to commit sex crimes against children. In direct contrast, other research studies have shown that chemicalcastration does not lower sexual arousal by using other criteria formeasuring sexual obsession. Nelson, R.J. Loosen, P.T., Purdon, S.E., & Pavlou, S.N. (1992). In one study, Loosen and others (1994)examined the impact of chemical castration on eight normal men bysuppressing their gonadal functioning and reducing their testosteronelevels. In addition, the fact that the rapists demonstrated a lack ofconcern or sympathy towards the feelings of the women pinpoints anotherfactor that should be considered in using chemical castration to controlthe sexual urges of sex offenders. Bulletin of the AmericanAcademy of Psychiatry & Law, 2 , 249-259. In an early study, Phoenix and others (1973)assessed the effects of castration and testosterone replacement therapy onadult male rhesus monkeys in captivity. Furthermore, Cooper (1981) found that thesubjects in the experiment suffered from side effects such as breastenlargement, tumors and edema (pp. Apart from sex offenders with pulmonarydiseases and diabetes whose lives are endangered by chemical castration,other sex offenders may experience psychologically debilitating emotionswhen they have to deal with severe weight gain or breast enlargement andtumors. Experts in the study of sexoffenders have highlighted the fact that sex offenders possess "defects anddeficiencies in their emotional, psychological and moral makeup" (Hassibi,1998, p. Cummings, G., & Buell, M. Laws, D.R. Thefollowing examination of the drugs used in chemical castration and theresearch studies will illustrate the problems surrounding the currentapplication of chemical castration to sex offenders.B. Although chemical castration can produce unpleasant and life-endangering side effects, extensive research in this area has already comeup with safer drugs that can be administered less frequently than thecommon drugs that are currently used by authorities. has sought to eliminate sexual offenses bytreating sexual offenders with various methods such as behavioralmodification therapy, relapse prevention and cognitive reconditioning("Review of the research literature," 2 1, p. Thestudies on these safer drugs have important implications for the ultimateeffectiveness of chemical castration. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 31, 73-79. Treatment of sex offenders withantiandrogenic medication: Conceptualization, review of treatmentmodalities and preliminary findings. Two other types of hormones have also been used in the treatment ofsex offender. According to Cooper (1986), CA can help first-time sex offenders who want to overcome their problem. Kinder cut: A limited defense of chemicalcastration. (1993).Juvenile sex offender. Furthermore, within the current treatment model of sex offenders inthe U.S., researchers have found that chemical castration withpsychotherapy has been highly effective in reducing recidivism. However,Berlin and Meinecke (1981) discovered the usefulness of MA for paraphiliasbecause it decreased the production of testosterone, thus reducing sexualimpulses and increasing self-control (pp. According to Cooper, Cernovsky and Magnus (1992), CAwas effective in decreasing levels of sexual arousal, serum testosteroneand gonadotropin in sex offenders who suffered from pedophilia. In Scottish Executive [Online], 1-7. As the researchers have pointed out in their studies, chemicalcastration does not have a long-term effect on the sex offenders.Individual and group psychotherapy during the period of chemical castrationenables sex offenders to learn about their problems and examine theirissues without the need to deal with their sexual impulses. Patients reported reducedfrequency of sexual fantasies, sexual stimulation and sexual frustration.When the drugs used for the treatment were replaced by placebos, themeasurements of the levels of serum testosterone LH & FSH reverted to pre-trial levels (pp. Furthermore, thesesex offenders should be surrounded by loved ones who provide them withencouragement (pp. This study is important inhighlighting the specific impact of chemical castration on the cellularmechanism of the testicles (pp. In addition, the research studies examined in this paper have alsoshown a definite need for future research studies on larger samplepopulations of sex offenders. Designing sex: Playing God, have thedoctors gone too far? More importantly, triptorelin produced fewer side effectsthan the other more commonly used drugs (pp. During this treatment, the sex offenders should also undergo therapy("Review of the research literature," 2 1, p. Effectson behavior of modulation of gonadal function in men with gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonists. The use of chemical castration as a form of treatment for sexoffenders has stirred up tremendous controversy from concerns about medicalrisks to constitutional issues ("Review of the research literature," 2 1,p. An introduction to behavioral endocrinology (2nded.). The focus of this paper is to analyze the biological andpsychological aspects of chemical castration and its effectiveness fortreating sex offenders in order to eliminate deviant sexual behavior. Kravitz, H.M., Haywood, T.W., Kelly, J., Liles, S., & Cavanaugh, J.L.(1996). One year later, only 3 percent of the monkeys ejaculated onceduring the mating test. Sunderland: Sinauer Associates. Therefore, chemical castrationmay be an effective form of treatment for the population of older male sexoffenders in the long run (pp. (198 ). Medical and Scientific Books. Effects of chemical castrationA. 418-22).II. In the mating testconducted six months later, 5 percent of the monkeys had at least oneejaculation. This study is significant for the use ofchemical castration on sex offenders because it assesses the validity ofusing a low-dose treatment over a long period of time to regulate theirsexual behavior. In addition, this drug was injected in the patients on amonthly basis, in contrast to the other drugs that require a weeklyadministration. Depo provera treatment forsex offending behavior: An evaluation of outcome. Berlin, F.S. 253-4). Researchstudies highlighted in Section II have reported a large number of negativesymptoms that can adversely affect the physiological and psychological well-being of the sex offenders. According to Loosen and others (1994), all thesubjects demonstrated a significant decrease in external aggression, whilehalf of the participants experienced a reduction in anxiety and sexualdesire. More recently, Nonclercq and others (1997) analyzed the effects ofchemical castration on male Syrian hamsters that were treated withdiethylstilbestrol (DES), a stilbene estrogen. Sex offenderssuffering from diabetes, obesity and pulmonary disease may endanger theirlives with this treatment. Biochemica, 1, 12-15. Sadistic homosexual pedophilia:Treatment with cyproterone acetate: A single case study. Meyer, W.J., Cole, C., & Emory, E. Furthermore, improved methodology thatincludes both qualitative and quantitative dimensions should be employed inorder to produce reliable and revealing information. Cooper, A.J., Sandhu, S., Losztyn, S., & Cernovsky, Z. (1981). The effect of cyproterone acetate on serum testosterone, LH,FSH, and prolactin in male sexual offenders. (Ed.). Chemical castration and male sex offenders For many years, the U.S. No studies have thus far showed thataltering the production of hormones can enable men to better understand theresponses of women in sexual intercourse (Nelson, 2 , p. Apart from the research studies that have undermined the validity ofchemical castration, researchers have also shown that chemical castrationcan produce a large number of unintended side effects. 688-92). In addition,when their testosterone levels reverted to normal, their bodies had ahyperinsulinemic response to glucose load and they had difficulties withtheir gastrointestinal system and gall bladder. Considering the fact that there are othermethods that can used to address the problems of the variety of sexoffenders, chemical castration should not be touted as the only effectivesolution (Laws, 1989). Nonclercq, D., Reverse, D., Toubeau, G., Laurent, G., Zanen, J., &Heuson-Steinnon, J.-A. Journal of Sex andMarital Therapy, 18, 292-3 2. The administration of daily doses of testosteronepropionate enabled the testosterone levels of the monkeys to return tonormal. Roberts, K.S.Solway (Eds.), Violence and the violent individual (pp. Thisgap can have a significant impact on the ultimate success of the sexoffenders. (1987). 5). Four, sex offenders who are treated with the two drugs used inchemical castration can easily neutralize their effects by using otherhormones such as steroids. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry,37, 687-693. Newbury Park: SagePublications. Supervision of the sex offender.Brandon: Safer Society Press. Accordingto Gagne (1981), chemical castration is most effective when it isaccompanied with psychotherapy. Clinical Endocrinology, 13,189-195. The short-term effects of chemical castration were also corroboratedby two other studies. However,three weeks after the last treatment, all three indicators returned tolevels measured before the trial (pp. New York: Guildford Press. Ultimately, chemical castration is a treatment program with limitedeffectiveness that should not be imposed on all sex offenders alike.Because of the vast differences among sex offenders-their personalities,problems, and reasons for committing sex crimes, professionals responsiblefor administering the treatment should be given the leverage to use thedrugs only on sex offenders who are most likely to "recover" from thehormone therapy. In situ demonstration of apoptotic germcells in an experimental model of chemical castration. (1997). 687-92). 6). Third, the laws from the states such as California do not ensure thatthe sex offenders who are most likely to benefit from chemical castrationwill undergo treatment. New York:S.P. In addition,the researchers found that the number of spermatids and spermatozoa in thegerminal epithelium were also reduced within the first week. Once thetreatment has ended, the patients are likely to return to their previouslifestyle (pp. In a longitudinal study, Meyer, Cole and Emory(1992) monitored the development of 4 convicted sex offenders who wereeither treated with MA and psychotherapy or therapy only. 1 3 ). Studies on male sex offenders Over the last twenty years, researchers have further tested theeffects of the different types of hormone treatments used in the chemicalcastration of sex offenders. The objective of this study is to assess behavioral changes innormal men by using mild reductions of serum testosterone levels, insteadof complete suppression. American Journal of Psychiatry, 138, 644-646. 5). According to this law, sexualoffenders would be injected with MA one week before they leave prison.Throughout their parole, they will be injected with the hormone on a weeklybasis. At the same time,the use of these drugs on the sex offenders should be heavily monitored inorder to address health-related side effects that can endanger the well-being of the sex offenders (pp. The long-term effects of these drugs on the sex offenders, thedosage and the time period in which the drugs are administered are notfully known. The reduction of the testosterone levelsand the decreased interest in sex will enable other methods such asbehavioral therapy and psychotherapy to become effective. Furthermore, the long-term MA treatment with low dosage may alsoprove to be significant in diminishing deviant sexual urges withoutundermining normal sexual activity. Positive aspects of chemical castration Advocates of chemical castration have pinpointed many researchstudies that have shown that chemical castration can be effective inreducing sexual impulses and sexual fantasies. (1997, August 25). Thenondiscriminatory use of chemical castration on sex offenders who haveoffended twice assumes that sex offenders are a homogeneous group. As long as the patients are receivingtreatment, their tendencies to commit sex crimes are significantly lowered.Thus, it is possible that a long-term low-dosage regimen may be ideal forrecidivist sex offenders. Medroxyprogesterone and paraphiles: Do testosterone levels matter?Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry & Law, 24, 73-83. Gagne, P. 5). Since 1981, with thediscovery of the effectiveness of specific hormones in reducingtestosterone levels in human beings (Berlin & Meinecke, 1981), hormonetherapy, known as chemical castration, has been tested extensively on sexoffenders. Althoughthe participants with MA treatment had a 68 percent reduction intestosterone levels, both groups of participants who were treated witheither a placebo or MA shared similar patterns of penile engorgement.According to the self-reports of the participants, sexual arousal wasreduced during the viewing of the erotic slides. 12-4).B. Hawker, P.A., & Mayer, W.J. (1998, February 12). Before castration, all the monkeyshad at least one ejaculation during a mating test. Canadian Journalof Psychiatry, 32, 22-33. American Journal of Psychiatry, 138,6 1-6 7. (1997). In a study by Langevin and others (1979), theresearchers measured the penile engorgement (as measured by aplethsymograph) of participants while they watch erotic slides. Eighteen percentof the offenders who were treated with MA relapsed compared with the 53percent recidivism rate of the offenders treated only with psychotherapy.However, when the MA treatment was terminated, another 35 percent of thefirst group relapsed. 353-373). The drugs work byacting on the hypothalamus, thus triggering the release of hormones fromthe pituitary gland, which controls sperm production. Moreover, theheavy reliance on self-reports in many of the research studies alsoundermines the validity of the results. Bradford, J.M., & Pawlak, A. (1994, February). American Journal of Psychiatry, 151, 2. Comprehensive Psychiatry,22, 458-465. Maletzsky, B. Description of different types of hormone treatments Derived from the hormone progesterone, MA was initially used to treatbreast cancer, secondary amenorrhea and abnormal uterine bleeding. While the nonrapists were not sexually aroused, the rapists weresexually stimulated by the scene (in Nelson, 2 , pp. Available:www.scotland.gov.uk/cru/kd 1/green/s-off- 7.htm [2 1, March 2 ]. In this experiment, the testosterone levels in olderpatients who were given the MA treatment returned to normal after a longerperiod of time than the younger patients. More significantly, it is important to recognize that theseexperiments have only identified these side effects during the experimentalperiod. The long-term useof cyproterone acetate in pedophilia: A case study. A review of the research literature on serious violent and sexualoffenders. Otherwise, they are most likely to relapse into their formerpatterns once the treatment program has ended (Berlin, 1997, p. (1992). (1992). Accompaniedby psychotherapy, chemical castration inhibits sexual impulses so that thesex offender can focus on examining his issues and dealing with hisproblems ("Review of the research literature," 2 1, p. Assessing the effectivenessof both MA and CA, Cooper and others (1996) showed that both drugs loweredthe levels of serum testosterone LH & FSH. (1981). Jeffcoate, W.J., Matthews, R.W., Edwards, C.R., Field, L.H., & Besser,G.M. 5). Many research studies have highlighted thatoffenders have different motivation for committing their crimes. This study demonstrates that both human beings and nonhumanprimates share similar patterns of sexual behavior in response to changesin hormones (in Nelson, 2 , p. Instead, it should be incorporated in acomprehensive treatment approach in order to increase the chances ofsuccess. 253). The first one is Cyproterone Acetate (CA), or Androcur thatis used principally in Europe, Canada and Israel to treat sex offenders. Turk, C. Treatment of men withparaphilia with a long-acting analogue of gonadotropin-releasing hormone.New England Journal of Medicine, 338, 416-422. Therefore, beyond using a seemingly objectivemeasurement of testosterone levels, it is important for researchers toprobe deeper into the different types of sexual stimulants in order tounderstand how drugs such as MA can be effective in curbing deviant sexualbehavior. In J.R. Sex offenders who are dependent oncourt assessments are likely to report a reduction in sexual preoccupationand sexual desire, regardless of the actual reality. In their study in which rapists andnonrapists were requested to view different types of pornographic films,Malamuth and others (198 ) found that the average blood concentrations ofandrogens did not different significantly between the two groups ofparticipants. (2 ). IntroductionA. Nonetheless, in another study, Kravitz and others (1996) found thatchemical castration was still a promising method for reducing deviantsexual behavior. With their studies, Berlinand Menicke (1981), along with Gagne (1981), listed the following negativesymptoms experienced by their participants: fatigue, weight increase, hotand cold flashes, nausea, vomiting, headaches, sleeping problems,nightmares, hypoglycemia and leg cramps.III. As with the other twodrugs, triptorelin reduces testosterone levels, thus leading to a decreasein sexual preoccupations and sexual behavior. For example, while themeasurement of testosterone levels of the participants may provide anobjective criterion for assessing sexual preoccupation, it may not reflectthe sexual arousal of the participants (penile engorgement). The New Republic, 217(8), 12-14. Furthermore, the patients are most likelyto succeed in their recovery when they are committed to participate in thetreatment program (p. Cooper, A.J. Hassibi, M. I. 4). The third type of hormone treatment that has been testedexperimentally is Decapeptyl-CR, or Triptorelin. As with athletes and body-builders, sexoffenders can buy steroids on the street without a prescription (Hassibi,1998, p. Triptorelin, one ofthe drugs described in this study, has been found to produce less severeside effects than the other drugs. Placebo-controlled trial of the antiandrogencyproterone acetate in deviant hypersexuality. This experiment highlightsthe fact that MA treatment is a short-lived treatment that exerts asignificant impact on the patients only during its course. Cooper, A.J. Second, because there are many sex offenders, states such asCalifornia do not provide the necessary therapy that should accompanychemical castration ("Review of the research literature," 2 1, p. Thus, even a low reduction of testosterone levels can affect theexternal behavior of men (p. After two weeks, the weight of the testes continued to plummetuntil it was less than five percent of the controlled values. 6 4-6). 4).IV. Treating the sexual offender. 253). Aswith all types of therapy, chemical castration will only be a successfultreatment program with the cooperation and commitment of the sex offenders. (Eds.). Most significantly,men using these drugs can still enjoy normal sexual activity, while curbingdeviant sexual tendencies (Cummings & Buell, 1997). Researchers have alsoidentified certain types of male sex offenders such as paraphilias as beingideal for this type of treatment. (1981). Their findings wereverified by Gagne's work. Furthermore, it only needs to beinjected in the patients on a monthly basis, instead of a weekly basis. On the Issues, 7(3), 1-1 . 191-2). In spite of its potential, chemical castration is not acure that eliminates deviant sexual behavior; rather, it diminishes thedegree of sexual obsession so as to create a positive environment forundergoing therapy (Money & Bennett, 1981, in Nelson, 2 , p. For example,California passed a mandatory castration bill that required chemicalcastration of a second-time sex offender guilty of committing a sex crimeagainst a child below the age of 13. Relapse prevention with sex offenders. (1991). Aswith MA, CA curbs the sexual obsessions of sex offenders by reducingtestosterone levels, thus leading to a decreased interest in sexualimpulses and sexual behavior. Within one to two weeks ofthe DES treatment, the weight of the hamsters' testes decreased by 84percent. Adouble-blind placebo controlled trial of medroxyprogesterone acetate andcyproterone acetate with seven pedophiles. Both rapists and nonrapists were equally aroused when theysaw the film depicting consensual sex and one that showed a simulated rapescene in which the women projected a sense of pleasure. Gagne (1981) also found that paraphilias who weretreated with MA for three weeks had decreased testosterone levels andreported diminishing interest in sexual fantasies and sexual urges, alongwith an enhanced ability to control sexual impulses (pp. Where the twogroups deviated from one another in their reactions was during the viewingof an actual rape scene in which the women displayed signs of pain andsuffering. This studyis significant in distinguishing between typical sexual interest anddeviant sexual interest. Progestogens in the treatment of male sexoffenders: A review. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.