Competency and deficit models in the understanding and treatment of sexual offenders

The majority of etiological models of sexual offending have tended to adopt a deficiency perspective and stressed the absence of core skills or competencies in offenders. They are based on the plausible assumption that men who sexually abuse children or rape women lack the necessary skills to meet their needs in more socially acceptable ways. In this paper the utility of adopting a competency or expertise model to complement deficit models is explored. It is argued that many sexual offenders skillfully control the behavior of women and children, and have developed an extensive knowledge base and a range of strategies in the service of the goal of sexual offending. The literature on expertise and its application to different domains is reviewed and then applied to the area of sexual offending. Finally, the research and treatment implications of the expertise perspective are considered.