Amanda Dillehay, L. Mickey Fenzel, Ph.D.
Counselor Perceptions of Sexual Offenders: Changeability and Dangerousness
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Previous literature suggests that the therapeutic alliance between a counselor and
a client has a significant impact on clinical outcomes regardless of the type of treatment
utilized and that the lower a counselor’s level of knowledge regarding sexual offenders,
the more stereotypical their ideas will be. Literature also suggests that the gender
of the counselor may also impact the formation of perceptions and may influence the
clinical progression of the offender. In order to obtain a greater understanding of
the impact of counselor perceptions during clinical work with offenders, this quantitative
study examines two specific areas of perception: first, counseling professionals and
their perceptions of sexual offenders’ capacity for change and second, counseling
professionals and their perceptions of the sexual offenders’ dangerousness. Specifically,
the gender of the counselor as well as how many hours of human sexuality training
that the counselor received were analyzed to understand how they impact counselors’
perceptions of an offenders’ potential for changeability and dangerousness.
This sample consisted of 84 participants who identified as either counselors in training
or professional counselors. Each participant completed a survey that measured counselor
perceptions of possible changeability and dangerousness of sexual offenders. Data
was collected through an online survey, participants were on average 37 years old,
were primarily well-educated Caucasian women and the counselors’ human sexuality training
was measured by how many hours a counselor had attended human sexuality training.
Participants were divided into groups through a median split: no training and one
or more hours of training. Zero-order independent samples t-tests were conducted to
examine differences among gender and changeability, gender and dangerousness, human
sexuality training and changeability and human sexuality and dangerousness. Two 2-way
ANOVAS were utilized to determine the degree of difference between groups for counselor
perceptions of changeability and dangerousness and counselor gender and level of counselor
human sexuality training.
Findings indicated few significant differences among counselor perceptions of changeability
and dangerousness from the influence of training and gender. A significant interaction
occurred between counselor’s perceptions of an offender’s changeability depending
on the counselor’s level of training and gender combined. These findings suggest that
the gender of a counselor and the presence of human sexuality training might result
in different outcomes between men and women. Further research is necessary for greater
understanding of how gender and training impact counselor perceptions of offenders.
Limitations to the study included a small sample size that was predominantly women,
a median-split that resulted in only two groups to measure the levels of training
and only one item on the scale that measured counselor perceptions of offender dangerousness.
Suggestions for future research include the consideration of specific types of sexuality
training to better understand how counselor training impacts outcomes. The execution
of a longitudinal study that observes counselor perceptions before and after training
as well as one that assesses the level of experience a counselor has working with
offenders would provide much greater insight into the process. Finally, as more research
is realized surrounding counselor perceptions improved educational training can be
provided to best match the needs of counselors and those they work with.
