Sex offending covers a range of offences, which are generally categorised under the major headings of sexual assault and aggravated sexual assualt. Crime and correctional statistics on sexual offending can be found on the Crime Research Centre website.
Programs for sex offenders
For details of all sex offending programs currently available, see the Offender Programs Service Guide.
Reoffence rates of sex offenders
A report by Professor David Greenberg and his colleagues examined Western Australian data on the reoffence rates of sex offenders referred to the Department's Sex Offender Treatment Unit (now part of the Offender Services Branch). The report showed that sex offenders in Western Australia reoffend at about the same rate as sex offenders in other developed countries such as Canada and the UK.
Depending on the measures used, 12% - 16% of sex offenders in WA reoffend over a 10-14 year follow-up. The figure of 16% refers to the likelihood of any further sexual offence, and the figure of 12% refers to the likelihood that their first post-release arrest is for a sex offence. International collaborative studies show that the average international reoffence rate for sex offenders (any further sexual offence) is about 15%.
Professor Greenberg's report gives a comprehensive picture of sex offender treatment in Western Australia over the period 1987-1999. A copy of Professor Greenberg's report is available below.
Contact details
Offender Services
Level 2
68 Milligan Street
PERTH WA 6000
Telephone: (08) 9229 6588
Facsimile: (08) 9324 1838
Last Updated: 25-Feb-2009
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