Needs Assessment of Rapists with the Aim of Developing an Intervention Programme

• Published in: Tydskrif vir geesteswetenskappe 2007-12, Vol.47 (supplement), p.69-85
• Main Authors: Strydom, Herman, van der Berg, Karen
• Format: Article
• Language: Afrikaans
• Subjects: Intervention; Prisoners; Prisons; Rape; Self Help Groups; Sex Offenders; Treatment Methods
• ISSN: 0041-4751

This study focuses on interviewing rapists incarcerated at the Klerksdorp Correctional Services. In order to develop an intervention program for rapists, it was necessary to obtain knowledge & insight into their psycho-social needs. Fifty long-term prisoners sentenced for rape were included in this study, of whom a number have sentences with aggravating circumstances, meaning that extreme violence was executed & the victim was stabbed or died as a result of the incident. A combination of quantitative & qualitative approaches to research was followed in this study. A self-developed structured measuring instrument with both a quantitative & qualitative component was used, taking about an hour to complete. In this manner triangulation of data could be gained. The questionnaire was completed individually in more or less an hour per participant in the privacy of an office. All ethical issues had been adhered to in this study, with a special focus on the avoidance of misleading of participants, informed consent, privacy, confidentiality & anonymity. This article thus had its focus on issues such as age & ethnicity of participants, highest qualification, family circumstances, sexual history, involvement in relationships, knowledge of victim, feelings towards victim & consequences of rape for victims. Motives for rape, the role of alcohol & drugs in committing rape, the degree of aggressiveness involved in the incident & the involvement of gang activities in incidents of rape were also investigated. False accusations of rape & the degree to which women evoke rape were also studied. The attitude towards therapy & the possible involvement of participants in a prospective program was investigated in order to determine who might be interested to participate in this program. From the findings of this study it is evident that some participants do not have a proper idea of what they can expect from such a program. Although some participants in this study only wished to participate in the program in order to gain parole, some could make excellent suggestions regarding intervention. It was very important to explain to all possible participants in the program that only motivated people will gain from the program & that the others will only waste their own time & that of the therapist. In spite of the refusal of some participants to admit that they had committed the crime, interesting topics came to the fore that can be included in such a prospective intervention program. Th