Circles of Support and Accountability - Interim report [PDF ... - Quakers

acceptance and inclusion. Men are filled with fear as they enter the community, fear of being
found out, fear of re offending, fear of rejection. In order to positively and appropriately meet
their needs and maintain abstinence they need to have combined internal and external factors to
assist them maintaining responsibility and motivation to abstain from offending.
Laws (2000) argues that sexual offending is ‘everyone’s business’. He emphasises that communities
must be informed of the characteristics of sexual offending and the strategies implemented by
professionals to address the issue. He discusses the need for ‘primary intervention’, a strategy now
being implemented through the work of Stop it Now! UK (see www.stopitnow.org.uk).
Men require a balance of self-management combined with an adequate support network where
full disclosure has taken place. For some men in the community this support is not available.
Circles of Support and Accountability is a new initiative calling on community volunteers to
accept responsibility to create safer communities and move away from an environment of social
exclusion and ignorance to one of social acceptance and inclusion:
‘This is an important pilot project that has the potential to grow into a key aspect of relapse
prevention work with all high risk/high need offenders, as it combines the best aspects of
public agency and community-based restorative justice themes. (Baim, 2003)
Resettlement is beginning to be a key word amongst professionals but the nature of what this
means and requires needs to be explored further. Men within the community can provide a
realistic picture of what their needs are, whether treatment has helped them and what are the
difficulties they are facing and how if necessary can they be assisted. Men living within the
community do require access and recognise the need for long-term support services such as
maintenance groups and Circles of Support & Accountability.
For many the development of a support network can be a difficult experience. For some
individuals they have experienced the rejection of family and friends as a result of their offending
behaviour, they are in a new area, and find it difficult to form new relationships due to the fear of
disclosure. For others their support network identified in treatment has deteriorated and has never
been replaced.
Regardless of the reasons, professionals have a responsibility to the victims, the offender and the
community, and to their own professional integrity, that public protection remains a top priority.
Through the work of Circles of Support & Accountability and the recognition and action of further
long-term support services this can begin to be achieved and safer communities can be created.
Rebekah Saunders
References
Baim, C. (2003) Nota News Issue 45.
Beech, A.R., Fisher, D., & Beckett, R.C. (1998). STEP 3: An Evaluation of the Prison Sex Offenders
Treatment Programme. London: HMSO Publications
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