Effectiveness of Pretrial Community-Based Diversion in Reducing Reoffending by Adult Intrafamilial Child Sex Offenders

To investigate whether diversion to a pretrial community-based diversion program reduced sexual recidivism in adult intrafamilial child sex offenders, 208 offenders assessed for treatment between 1989 and 2003 were monitored for periods ranging from 2.8 to 18 years. Participants accepted for treatment (n = 88) were compared with those declined (n = 120). After applying propensity score analysis to control for selection bias, Probit regression analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate rates of desistance between the groups. Although differences were not statistically significant, estimated rates of sexual reoffending were lower and time taken to sexually reoffend was longer in the diverted than the undiverted group. An overall effect size for treatment was large (OR = .52 [95% CI 0.18, 1.5]), and examination of the recidivists in the treatment group supported inferences of positive treatment effects. Limitations of this study are examined and future directions for intrafamilial sex offender treatment are discussed.