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Future Directions: Alternative Circles of Support and Accountability Models and Minority Groups

Part of the Sexual Crime book series (SEXCR)

Abstract

This chapter is split into two sections. The first will focus on the different models of Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA), some already introduced around the world and others are theoretically driven considerations of how the CoSA model could be shaped. This includes considering psychologically informed Circles, specifically focusing on the attachment needs of individuals convicted of sexual crime as well as Circles for non-offending individuals in the community who are concerned about their sexual thoughts or behaviour. These models will be discussed in conjunction with theory and empirical findings that support their foundations. Part two of this chapter will explore how CoSA can work for certain minority groups, including transgender and deaf individuals. Discussion of how the Circle might look, client specific considerations and volunteer selection and training necessary for working with these groups will be explored. Finally, some conclusions will be drawn about the future of CoSA.

Keywords

  • Future directions for CoSA
  • Minority groups
  • Attachment
  • Prevention
  • Practical implications

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Those with significant hearing loss often prefer the description ‘deaf’ or ‘Deaf’, not ‘hearing impaired’. Impaired implies a defect in comparison to hearing people, suggesting that they are an incomplete hearing person. Instead many deaf people see themselves as part of a complete and separate culture and language with a different life experience. For this reason ‘deaf’ is distinct to ‘Deaf’ with the latter denoting cultural affiliation.

  2. 2.

    Interpreters should be qualified to level six BSL and have the additional interpreter training . Ensure they are registered with the National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People (NRCPD). NRCPD registered BSL/English Interpreters have achieved recognised qualifications and work to strict professional codes of practice. Registration is the only guarantee that providers of communication services have met safe-to-practice standards, have Public Indemnity Insurance and have been subject to Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks.

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Hocken, K., Good, C., Elliott, H., Webb, C., O’Connor, H., Cox, K. (2018). Future Directions: Alternative Circles of Support and Accountability Models and Minority Groups. In: Elliott, H., Hocken, K., Lievesley, R., Blagden, N., Winder, B., Banyard, P. (eds) Sexual Crime and Circles of Support and Accountability. Sexual Crime. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74823-8_8

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