Robin Wilson (psychologist)

Robin J. Wilson is a Canadian psychologist, specializing in work on sex offenders.

Robin J. Wilson
Robin J. Wilson in 2012
NationalityCanadian
EducationB.Sc. (1988), M.Ed. (1991), PhD (1996)
Alma materUniversity of Toronto
OccupationPsychologist
Websitehttp://www.robinjwilson.com/about.shtml

Biography

Wilson received his B.Sc. from Victoria College of the University of Toronto (1988) and his M.Ed. and Ph.D. in educational psychology from Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (1991, 1996).[1] He served as chief psychologist for the Community of the Ontario Region, at the Keele Centre in Toronto[2] and has worked with persons who have sexually offended for over 35 years.[3]

Work

Wilson is one of the pioneers of Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA),[4] He was president of the Florida Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers and is on the board of directors of the national Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers. He is an assistant clinical professor [adjunct], Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University (Hamilton, Ontario) and was a professor of forensic practice at the Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning (Toronto, Ontario).[1] He was editor of the ATSA Forum and the SAJRT Blogspot, the official blog of Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment.[5] He serves on the editorial boards of the Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, the Journal of Sexual Aggression, and Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment.

Wilson was one of the developers and remains associated with the Circles of Support and Accountability,[4] a method of treating sex offenders that has been associated with a 70% drop in rates of reoffending,[6] and is now being adopted in jurisdictions throughout the world.[7]

Views

Wilson is a vocal critic of American sex offender registry policies. He opined that sex offender registries are more public relations tools than crime-fighting tools and that resources would be better spent on prevention and treatment.[8] Moreover, he said that by public policies becoming increasingly punitive, families may become less likely to report cases of sexual abuse occurring within families.[9] During discussions of changes to Canadian models of sex offender treatment, Wilson told the National Post that Canada had been the envy of the world in its methods for 15–20 years and that the U.S. should consider using the Canadian models instead of Canada attempting to use U.S. models.[6]

In 2003, Wilson told CBC News that approximately 15% of sex offenders repeat their crimes,[2] rather than having very high rates of recidivism. He similarly challenges the exaggerated fear of strangers as the most likely perpetrators of sex offences. "The stats are really, really clear ... If you are going to be offended by anyone, it will be by someone you know, most likely in your own home."[8]

During the fall-out of the Jerry Sandusky case, Wilson noted that there can be subtle clues that a person is a pedophile, such as having little interest in sex with their wives,[3] such as Sandusky's wife reported.

References
  1. "Robin J. Wilson, PH.D., ABPP". www.robinjwilson.com.
  2. "Sex offender to be kept under wraps, says psychologist". CBC News. 10 July 2003.
  3. Bennett, Jessica (4 December 2011). "The Wives of Sex Offenders: Was Dottie Sandusky Complicit?". Newsweek.
  4. Peters, Olga (1 June 2011). "Returning to the community, safely". TheCommonsOnline.
  5. "Sexual Abuse". sajrt.blogspot.ca.
  6. Blackwell, Tom (3 November 2011). "Sex abuse researchers tout rehab, not prison". National Post.
  7. Wilson, Robin J. (19 April 2007). "Circles of Support and Accountability: Reducing the threat from sex offenders in the community. How to reduce the risk sex offenders present to the community on release from prison?". Community Care.
  8. Friscolanti, Michael (14 February 2008). "Canada's sex offender registry a national embarrassment". Macleans.
  9. Lauby, Adrienne (12 July 2011). "Robin Wilson: Sex Offender Treatment". San Francisco Public Radio Station KPFA.

Selected works
  • Prescott, D.S., & Wilson, R.J. (2011). Paradoxical and double-bind communication in treatment for persons who sexually offend. Journal of Sexual Aggression.
  • Wilson, R.J., Cortoni, F., & McWhinnie, A.J. (2009). Circles of Support & Accountability: A Canadian national replication of outcome findings. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research & Treatment, 21, 412-430.
  • Wilson, R.J., McWhinnie, A.J., & Wilson, C. (2008). Circles of Support & Accountability: An international partnership in reducing sexual offender recidivism. Prison Service Journal, 138, 26-36.
  • Wilson, R.J., Picheca, J.E., & Prinzo, M. (2007). Evaluating the effectiveness of professionally-facilitated volunteerism in the community-based management of high risk sexual offenders: PART TWO—A comparison of recidivism rates. Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, 46, 327-337.
  • Wilson, R. J., Picheca, J. E., & Prinzo, M. (2005). Circles of Support & Accountability: An Evaluation of the Pilot Project in South-Central Ontario. Correctional Service of Canada.
  • Wilson, R.J., McWhinnie, A.J., Picheca, J.E., Prinzo, M., & Cortoni, F. (2007). Circles of Support & Accountability: Engaging community volunteers in the management of high-risk sexual offenders. Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, 46, 1-15.
  • Wilson, R.J., Huculak, B., & McWhinnie, A. (2002). Restorative justice innovations in Canada. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 20, 1-18.
  • Wilson, R.J., & Prinzo, M. (2001). Circles of support: A restorative justice initiative. Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 13, 59-77.
  • Watson, R.J. (1991). Videotape Review: "Why, God - Why Me?" and "Four Men Speak Out on Surviving Child Sexual Abuse." Annals of Sex Research, 4, 293-295.
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