The management of sex offenders: perspectives for psychiatry

In the effort to identify and manage sex offenders, the differences between legal and medical/psychiatric terminology and approaches are readily apparent. This article discusses the different definitions and approaches of the two fields and considers both the behaviors that create risk to others and the strategies for reducing that risk. Particular attention is paid to the subcategory of paraphilic sex offenders. Treatment goals, modalities, and efficacies are discussed, as are evolving legal strategies for risk control and the need for interaction between law and medicine/psychiatry in order to accomplish common goals of risk management.