Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work.

This aim of this study was to identify factors contributing to the engagement of men involved in a prototypical prison-based group treatment programme. A grounded theory methodology was used to explore the experience of clients undergoing one particular component of the programme: the offence-disclosure module. Data collection focused on a key session within this module, during which each client presents his pattern of offending to group members. Using an articulated thoughts technique in conjunction with material video-recorded from the session, research participants were requested to report in detail on their experiences during episodes of high personal salience. The research findings support the value of the group format, but also indicate that clients adopt certain disclosure strategies, which influence therapeutic engagement. Moreover, considerable potential therapeutic value appears to be unrealised during clinical sessions themselves. Interestingly however, some of the most profitable experiences, it seems, occur outside the formal therapy group context. Four distinct disclosure orientations are described, with implications for both in-session and out-of-session engagement. The outcome of the study challenges the widespread notion that the 'resistance' commonly exhibited by these clients is an intrinsic feature of those who offend sexually against children. Instead, resistance is re-framed as a feature of disclosure orientation, emerging as a dynamic relational element in response to the challenges of therapy.--AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT

nz