Evaluating an Individual Psychological Treatment Intervention for Men Convicted of Sexual Offenses With Elevated Risk of Sexual Recidivism: Targeting Risk and Protective Factors

This study presents the first evaluation of BASIS, a recently established psychological treatment for people convicted of sexual offenses with high risk of recidivism. This offense-focused treatment builds on risk-need-responsivity and good lives model principles and is delivered in an individual format by qualified psychologists. Data were extracted from the Norwegian Medical Quality Registry for Sexual Offense-Related Problems (KvaSO) for the first 17 men who completed the treatment. Changes in sexual offense–related risk and protective factors following treatment as well as patient-reported experiences with the service were examined. Sexual offending risk and protective factors were assessed pre- and post-treatment using the Violence Risk Scale–Sexual Offense Version (VRS-SO) and the Structured Assessment of Protective Factors against Sexual Offending (SAPROF-SO). Treatment satisfaction was measured with the PasOpp questionnaire. Participants had significantly lower VRS-SO dynamic risk at treatment completion ( Z = −3.47, p < .001, r = −.59), whereas SAPROF-SO protective factors did not change significantly. Individual-level analyses of reliable and clinically significant change supported the group-level findings. Participants reported high treatment satisfaction. This early study provides preliminary support for BASIS as an individual treatment option associated with reductions in dynamic risk for sexual reoffending and high user satisfaction.