About the Book
A Circle of Support and Accountability is a group of trained volunteers who meet on a regular basis with a high risk sex offender living in their community. This innovative strategy, which helps the offender both to maintain accountability and reintegrate into the community, is proven to be effective in combating child sexual abuse.
This book explains this pioneering approach to managing the behaviour of sex offenders in the community. It provides an overview of sexual abuse, sex offenders and their management, and the Circles approach. The authors set out the development of Circles since they were first started in Canada, the principles of Circles and how they work in practice, and evidence and evaluation of their effectiveness. The use of Circles is brought to life by testimonies from four sex offenders and four volunteers who tell, often movingly, why they joined a Circle, their experiences, and the effects upon them.
This unique book, on a ground-breaking approach to managing sex offenders, will be of great interest to professionals across social care and the criminal justice system, including prison and probation services, the police, social workers, counsellors and all those working with sex offenders, including volunteers.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements. Introduction. 1. The Beginning of the Circle: A History of Circles of Support and Accountability. 2. A Man Like Others? What We Know About Sex Offenders. 3. Managing the Problem: Working with People Convicted of Sexual Offences. 4. Within the Circle: The Realities of Practice. 5. The Men's Stories and the Volunteers' Stories. 6. But Does it Work? Evaluation and Evidence. 7. Publish and Damn: The Media and Sex Offending. Endnotes. References. About the Authors. Subject Index. Author Index.
About the Author :
Stephen Hanvey is Chief Executive of Circles UK, the national body supporting the development, quality, coordination and effectiveness of local Circles. He is also a qualified social worker. Terry Philpot is a journalist and writer, and has written and edited several books on subjects including adoption, sex offending and work with children traumatised through abuse. He also works as a volunteer to befriend long-term prisoners. Chris Wilson is National Development Manager of Circles UK. He was instrumental in adapting the Canadian Circles model to a British context, and is also a qualified social worker. Circles UK won the Social Care and Welfare category at the Charity Awards 2011.
Review :
... written by three authors perfectly placed to comment on this important and growing contribution to the risk management of sex offenders... Overall, this is a valuable book. Although, as stated by the authors, it is not an academic contribution, it will nevertheless be useful for students at both an undergraduate and postgraduate level. It is thus described as a text for those who either know very little about sex offenders or who want to find out more, or who particularly want to know more about Circles. Notwithstanding this, as stated above, Chapter 5 and the empirical
research contained within it should be of interest to all academics and practitioners involved in the treatment and management of community-based sex offenders, and for this reason the book is highly recommended.
(...) the child sex offender accounts were well judged and sensitively portrayed, and would certainly provide a non-sensationalist and balanced glimpse of the emotionally complex world of the child sex offender which would be instructive to all professionals developing their understanding in this area of work.
Hanvey et al have produced a gem of a book, which successfully explains and explores one approach to sexual offending that is appearing to succeed in genuinely addressing these quandaries effectively...I would recommend this book to all and sundry, indeed it would offer the wider world an antidote to the portrayal of monsters that is the stuff of the tabloid journalism. More specifically though, this has book has an immense amount to offer both those already engaged in working with sexual offending and its consequences, and to those students of psychology and social science.
It is a must read for anyone working (or planning to work) within the criminal justice system and allied fields, as well as for students across a wide range of disciplines from criminology to theology.
essential reading for those working in statutory agencies considering or already involved in a circle, and for potential circles volunteers. Would-be core members themselves, if they were to read the book, might already start to see themselves differently.
As a circles volunteer myself, I would say that this book provides an accurate account of the work of circles, as seen from a number of viewpoints. What I read in the book matches precisely my own experience! I would see it as essential reading for those working in statutory agencies considering or already involved in a circle, and for potential circles volunteers. Would-be core members themselves, if they were to read the book, might already start to see themselves differently.
The book explicitly targets the interested lay person as its primary audience, and in doing so, achieves an easy conversational style and a refreshing absence of jargon throughout. Certainly, the intelligent public and the non-specialist professional (perhaps police or local authority staff) will find both the COSA model and this book interesting and informative... My own view is that the child sex offender accounts were well judged and sensitively portrayed, and would certainly provide a non-sensationalist and balanced glimpse of the emotionally complex world of the child sex offender which would be instructive to all professionals developing their understanding in this area of work.
They have created a hugely accessible book, in which we are provided with some contextual background for Circles "evolution, explicit narratives of those involved, evaluation considerations of Circles" contribution and an exploration of media portrayals of sexual offending... I would recommend this book to all and sundry, indeed it would offer the wider world an antidote to the portrayal of monsters that is the stuff of the tabloid journalism... Such a successfully retelling of one of the more alternative and effective interventions in a world currently obsessed with offender and care management, can only help to readdress and inform a balance of perspectives.
The book will appeal chiefly to those who have a professional interest in the supervision of sexual offender; but it also provides a fascinating read for anyone interested in safeguarding children and adults at risk of sexual aggression... The book's positive message is that whilst sexual offending takes place within the community and causes much harm, the community can respond and successfully manage sexual offenders. This is a highly readable, informative and welcome addition to the literature on sex offending, safeguarding and public policy.
It is a must read for anyone working (or planning to work) within the criminal justice system and allied fields, as well as for students across a wide range of disciplines from criminology to theology.
This book offers an unusual and interesting perspective on work with one of the most unpopular of all offender groups. It should be of interest to all those who work with offenders in the community.
This book is written by three authors perfectly placed to comment on this important contribution to the risk management of sex offenders... I think this is a good book... probably better served as a resource for those who either know very little about sex offenders or who particularly want to know more about Circles... if you a pondering whether or not to become a Circles volunteer then this should be core reading.
The book's strength lies in (...) the largely-unedited stories of eight Circles' participants gathered through in-depth interviews, four with men convicted of sex offences against children, four with community volunteers. The probing interviews offer insightful, frequently unheard, perspectives, particularly when it comes to the former offenders themselves... in addition to their interviews, the authors provide a useful summary of academic research, including recidivism studies, on the model's effectiveness... This is an engaging, informative book, suited to academics, policy makers, practitioners, as well as current and potential community volunteers interested in constructive responses to sexual offending.
