Evaluation of intervention programmes for juvenile sex offenders: Questions and dilemmas

Abstract The seriousness with which juvenile sex offences are viewed by professionals must be matched by the skill and rigour through which therapeutic goals are achieved. This paper argues for an empirical, creative and flexible approach to therapeutic intervention and to the research needed to demonstrate its effectiveness. It provides a model for the conduct of large‐scale therapeutic trials without losing sight of the need for smaller descriptive studies which may create new opportunities for therapy and research design.