In the context of a randomized waiting-list control group design, 69 adolescent child molesters were exposed to 300-350 VS trials over 25 sessions. Sessions were held twice per week over a three-month period. Youths were ages 13-18, had offended one or more victims at least four years younger than they, and demonstrated moderate to high levels of deviant arousal in a pre-treatment phallometric assessment. Approximately 60 percent were outpatients, with the remainder institutionalized. Boys who qualified either received VS immediately or waited three months before undergoing the identical regimen. All boys were simultaneously receiving conventional cognitive therapy prior to and during all phases of the study. Evaluation of VS consisted of phallometry (video, audio, and slides), an arousal cardsort, a self-esteem inventory, and satisfaction ratings obtained from subjects and their parents.

The Results
Results of the phallometric assessments showed that, for most stimuli, significant decreases in arousal were obtained for youths who had received VS. Those boys on the waiting list showed far less improvement despite continuing in weekly cognitive therapy. When youths on the waiting list were eventually exposed to VS, they too showed significant reductions in deviant arousal. Erectile responses to adolescent girls were generally unaffected by the procedure. Three-month follow-up data clearly indicated that treatment gains were maintained. These patterns were generally mirrored by the cardsort data and consumer ratings. No adverse effect on self-esteem was observed, despite the aversive nature of the treatment. On the contrary, youths felt more “normal” with respect to their fantasies, urges, and masturbatory practices. Eighty-eight percent of boys reported “much better” control over deviant urges than was the case prior to VS, and 68 percent of parents said that they definitely recommend VS to parents of youthful offenders.