Author Identifier (ORCID)
James L. Finney: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5276-414X
Natalie Gately: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8687-9540
Suzanne Rock: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8211-6936
Braden Hill: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7226-3211
Abstract
It is of great importance that research investigates the impact of sexual offender treatment programmes given the damage caused by sexual offences to victims and society more broadly. However, psycho-criminological literature has focused on reporting post-treatment recidivism outcomes for people who have sexually offended homogeneously and has not investigated the unique experiences of Indigenous people. Therefore, we systematically collated and critically appraised studies reporting recidivism outcomes for Indigenous people who have received treatment for sexual offences. Fourteen studies were identified utilising a sample of 5,635 individuals (30.7% Indigenous or First Nations). Recidivism was lower for Indigenous and First Nations people who completed treatment when compared to Indigenous and First Nations people in a comparison group. However, recidivism was lowest for non-Indigenous who completed treatment. Our review identifies the current limitations preventing a more accurate picture of Indigenous treatment and calls for more detailed international data collection research to investigate treatment that is provided to Indigenous and First Nations people; a need to establish a centralised research repository for the sharing of information and insights into treatment approaches as a means of contributing to the development of best practice approaches; and a scholarly investigation into current routine practice.
Keywords
First Nations, Indigenous, narrative synthesis, offender treatment, sexual offences, systematic review
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
Publication Title
Psychiatry, Psychology and Law
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
School
Office of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students, Equity and Indigenous) / School of Arts and Humanities
Funding Information
The lead author was awarded the Edith Cowan University Higher Degree by Research scholarship to undertake a largescale project into the effectiveness of treatment for Indigenous people who have engaged in sexual offending.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Finney, J. L., Gately, N., Rock, S., & Hill, B. (2026). The first systematic review of treatment characteristics and recidivism outcomes for Indigenous people who have sexually offended. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13218719.2026.2647820