Pass, Fail...Inconclusive?

While it seems easy to conclude that those who deny sexually abusive behavior are more likely to continue it; research linking denial to recidivism among  youthful offenders  is limited.  It may be that an adolescent's unwillingness to acknowledge his or her behavior reflects an underlying risk. On the other hand, David Prescott cautions that “we should not expect that someone would decide to re-offend in the future just because they said, ‘I didn't do it’ today” ( Prescott, 2009).   

However, most therapists agree that the first goal of treatment is to assist the youth  in acknowledging that they exhibit behavior that is problematic in the first place and thus,  there is a need for full disclosure.  The polygraph has become increasing common as a means of facilitating disclosures among youth. 

Several different types of polygraphs are commonly used with youth who sexually offend. “Sexual history” polygraphs are the most common type of polygraph, involving verification of the completeness of the entire sexual history a youth has disclosed; this is generally accomplished by having the youth  complete a comprehensive sexual history questionnaire. “Maintenance” polygraphs, those required for an individual’s treatment and/or probation, verify a  youth’s report of compliance with supervision rules and restrictions. Finally, “specific issue” or “instant” offense disclosure polygraphs test the accuracy of a youth’s report of his or her behavior in a particular sex offense.

Proponents of  the polygraph  argue that it can be used to attain more accurate information about a youth’s history, range of victims, types of offending behaviors, and possible paraphilic interests, resulting in treatment that addresses a youth’s  specific needs as closely as possible.

On the other hand, some practitioners question the need for complete and total disclosure of all details of a youth’s sexual history. Instead, it could be that having a broad understanding of a youth’s patterns and offenses may be sufficient for assisting him or her with making progress in treatment and developing effective plans to manage their behavior. Further, we may reach a point of diminishing returns when it comes to trying to uncover every single detail pertaining to a youth’s sexual history.

As with other psychophysiological tools, the Center for Sex Offender Management (2008) recommends that polygraphs never be used in isolation, and treatment decisions should not be made solely on the basis of their results.  In  any case polygraph results can at times be inconclusive.  Click here for an explanation of an inconclusive polygraph result.