Is it you or is it me? Attrition and non-completion in community-based treatment for harmful sexual behaviour: A mixed method study

Abstract

This thesis will examine the pathways in which participants that engaged in a community based harmful sexual behaviour intervention programme dropped out of treatment; and what contributed to their decisions. A mixed-methods approach is used with two primary aims. Study one quantitatively investigated what is the extent of attrition within the service and what form do these exits pathways take. The results indicated that between 2018 and 2025, attrition accounted 22.4% of the overall data. Study two qualitatively explored the experiences of (n = 5) participants who exited their intervention early, to determine what factors contributed to early drop out. Thematic analysis identified three overarching themes that included: Ambiguity about programme processes, imposed hardship and disruptions. These results emphasise the complexity of treatment retention and highlight the role of both programme structure in conjunction with external barriers individuals face attending a community treatment programme. Future research could compare the experiences of completers with non-completers and utilise quantitative methods that incorporate data from risk assessment tools and include follow up data to report on recidivism rates. These findings highlight the importance of refining treatment delivery to support participant engagement and to enhance the effectiveness of rehabilitative efforts in sexual offender populations.