Working with deaf people who have committed sexual offences against children: The need for an increased awareness.

Little research is available on the assessment and treatment of deaf people who commit sexual offences. Most studies provide statistical information on offenders or medical discussion on the causes of violence among deaf people. Sex offender treatment programmes for deaf people are rare internationally and only two such groups exist in Europe. The first of the European treatment programmes was set up at the National Centre for Mental Health and Deafness (NCMHD) in Manchester, United Kingdom. This paper reviews the literature around deaf people and forensic mental health needs, describes the sex offender treatment programme based at the NCMHD, discusses distinguishing characteristics of a deaf sex offender, why treatment should be specialized for deaf offenders and why current treatment should be researched. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]