ABSTRACT
The psychological treatment of incarcerated sexual offenders in Hong Kong has been developing since 1998. This chapter discusses how the Sex Offenders' Evaluation and Treatment Unit (ETU) adopted different approaches when developing its treatment programmes. The ETU's programmes are heavily based on the relapse prevention model, which originated in the substance abuse literature in the early 1980s when Alan Marlatt began to disseminate research into the determinants of relapse, particularly for alcoholics, according to the risk, need, and responsivity principles and the principle of professional discretion. Instead of focusing treatment exclusively on negative terms, T. Ward and K. A. Clarke-Stewart proposed a strength-based approach, namely the Good Lives Model, which promotes the enhancement of strengths, skills, and abilities rather than the suppression of negative behaviour in an attempt to promote a "good life". Treatment at the ETU is conducted through group therapy and is based on cognitive behavioural treatment.
