The development of a sex offender programme targeting adult male sex offenders in Lesotho correctional facilities

Abstract

Globally, sexual violence against women remains an increasingly serious concern. This is true for Lesotho, where there is an upward trend in the conviction and sentencing of sex offenders for the period 2013 to 2020. However, the Lesotho Correctional Service has no rehabilitation policy; hence, the current rehabilitation programmes offered to sex offenders are neither needs- nor evidence-based. The study's goal was to develop a prototype sex offender programme targeting adult male sex offenders within Lesotho correctional facilities. The study followed the pragmatic paradigm as a frame of reference, and the type of research was applied. Specifically, intervention research (IR) and the design and development (D&D) model were followed, while a convergent mixed methods research design was applied. For the qualitative component, focus group discussions were conducted with rehabilitation staff (n = 37), and for the quantitative component, self-administered questionnaires were distributed to sex offenders (n = 88). The integrated results outlined the needs that ultimately informed the design of a prototype sex offender programme: offender illiteracy and the lack of knowledge and awareness of the Sexual Offences Act 3 of 2003, alcohol and drug misuse, anger towards women, behavioural and emotional skills deficits, the influence of media and pornography, socio-cultural practices, socio-economic factors, and history of childhood trauma and abuse. Based on the study’s results, the researcher developed the ‘New Us’ Sex Offender Programme (NUSOP), which comprises seven modules. This programme is the first of its kind in Lesotho to address the needs of adult male sex offenders and it significantly contributes to sex offender rehabilitation in the Global South