The Effects of Adolescent Sexual Offending Group Therapy on Shame, Masculinity, and Self-Compassion

Background Treatment for adolescents who have sexually offended, aimed at reducing risk and recidivism, must be specialized and distinct from adult sexual offending treatment (McPherson et al., 2024). Group therapy can offer psychoeducation to numerous clients concurrently, support youth in developing social skills, and enhance treatment engagement (Rich, 2011). A ims : This study presents the quantitative portion of a mixed methods explanatory sequential design to assess the Unite and Redefine group therapy program in reducing feelings of shame, endorse less hegemonically masculine constructs, and increase self-compassion. Methods This study concerns the quantitative survey portion of a larger mixed methods design. Participants were adolescent participants in treatment for sexual offending and attending. The community based Unite and Redefine Group Therapy program. Participants completed five scales on the first and last day of the twelve-week group. Results A total of nine participants (M _age =16.89, SD = 1.17) completed both pretests and post-tests and demonstrated a diverse sample of youth. Participants demonstrated reductions in the masculinity ideology ( p  < 0.05), guilt ( p  < 0.05), and overidentification subscale ( p  < 0.10). The participants also experienced an increase in pride ( p  < 0.10) and therapeutic inventory factors ( p  < 0.001). Although hypothesized, shame did not see a significant change, while shame and guilt were significantly higher than population norms. Discussion This study offers tentative quantitative support, despite limitations, for the Unite and Redefine group therapy, speaking to the importance of offering interventions that target factors beyond recidivism.