Use of satiation therapy in the treatment of adolescent-manifest sexual interest in male children: A single-case, repeated measures design

Satiation therapy was employed as an adjunctive therapy in the residential treatment of a 19-year-old male sexual offender with treatment-refractory sexual interest in prepubescent male children. Satiation therapy was administered on a 14-day cycle according to an "A-B-A-B" treatment design. Self-reported sexual interest, sexual fantasy, and emotion data were collected three times daily over the course of 64 days. Results support the effectiveness of the intervention in differentially reducing sexual interest in young males relative to interest in male peers. Concomitantly, the client evidenced a shift toward the predominance of sexual fantasies of male peers over those involving male children. Experienced anger proved to be a predictor of relative sexual interest in male children. Analyses suggested that diurnal changes in mood, sexual interest, and sexual fantasy made him more vulnerable to sexual acting-out in the evening or night. Implications for relapse prevention planning are discussed.