The Swedish Sex Offender Treatment: To be replicate in Philippines?

Abstract: Sweden is known for its good welfare system and the society highly values equality. In this country, the government responded to the individual needs of its citizen. When a person commits mistakes, the person is regarded as one having with problems and in need of help. Instead of purely imprisonment, therapeutic intervention and reintegration to society were given emphasis in helping these offenders no matter what kind of offence they committed. The aim for conducting this research is to describe and discuss the work methods in Sweden in dealing with male sex offender. Upon grasping the theories and concepts behind these work methods, this will allow the analysis if the Swedish sex offender treatment is possible to be implemented in other country such as Philippines. A face to face interview was done to five therapists working with male offenders. Three of the respondents are employed in Kriminalvården and implementing the ROS Programme-the Swedish Sex Offender Treatment, while the other two respondents are connected to different agency. Except for my one respondent, the rest of their clientele has have court order to undergo treatment. From the materials gathered, it shows that the treatment methods in Sweden are based on the cognitive-behavioural, psychodynamic and attachment concept. Aside from the framework being used by the therapist in doing their work, the effectiveness of the treatment relies on the relationships established between the offenders and implementors. The work methods such as individual and group approach cannot be generically use to all offenders since each of them has individual risk and needs. Sweden and Philippines has both clear laws and policies regarding rape and other sex offences. However, in Philippines, the penalty is more punitive than rehabilitative because of prisons lack of resources, poor implementations of services, over crowdedness; degree of penalty imposed and no specific probation for treatment. On the other hand, because of Philippines conservative/corporatist welfare state, the family and churches does an important role in complimenting to what is lacking in our government services and it is in this view that spirituality component is the well established intervention we have in which not included in the Swedish context. The Swedish Sex Offender Treatment-ROS is possible to be implemented in Philippines however; there are many issues to be considered such as availability and capability of professionals who would implement the programme, resources and the nature of the existing laws on sex offences. The structured societal perception due to patriarchal belief still exist in Sweden and other country such as Philippines despite of many liberating move of feminism and this affects the development and implementation of sex offender treatment.