The Integrated Theory of Sexual Offending–Revised

Abstract

The Integrated Theory of Sexual Offending (ITSO) is a multifield and interlevel theoretical framework that shows considerable potential for bringing together theories from different levels of theory in the sexual offending area. In this sense, it is a good example of integrative pluralism. Furthermore, the ITSO provides a clinically useful framework for the assessment and treatment of sexual offenders. Its ability to account for multiple offence trajectories and varying clinical presentations means that it will help clinicians to formulate cases in ways that focus on offenders' unique problems. The multifield and interlevel nature of the ITSO prompts therapists to take into account a variety of causal variables when formulating a case, to think dynamically with respect to their interaction, and to appreciate the role of ecological (i.e., social, cultural, circumstantial) variables both in creating the conditions for abuse and in shaping offender vulnerabilities. Finally, the ITSO is really an abstract theoretical framework for thinking systematically about sexual offending and its constituent causal variables. It assumes that there are multiple explanatory levels to human functioning and, although naturalistic in orientation, it argues that personal agency plays an important role in the initiation and maintenance of offending. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)