Conference Agenda
Session Information
KEYNOTE
Keynote: WED APR 9th @ 9am - GAMING
PRESENTERS: Dr. Delmonico, Dr. Kuniak & Natalie Drozda
CERTIFICATION CONTENT AREA: Etiology/Developmental Issues of Sex Offense Behavior (3 hours)
Keynote Description: The morning session will use lecture and demonstration to illustrate the risks that gaming may pose when sexual offense behavior is involved. The use of gaming consoles to browse the Internet for pornography and store illegal images will be discussed. Other platforms and technologies, such as Discord, Twitch, OnlyFans for Gamers, will be included regarding their relevance to offense behavior.
Objectives
- Understand the “gamer” culture and its relationship with sexual offense behaviors.
- Identify how gamers can use in-game sexualized behaviors to engage in concerning sexual behaviors, including sexual offense behavior.
- Learn skills to discuss gaming with individuals who commit sexual offenses in a therapeutic way.
Wednesday Afternoon Workshops
WORKSHOP: WED APR 9th @ 1:30pm - GAMING
PRESENTERS: Dr. Delmonico, Dr. Kuniak & Natalie Drozda
CERTIFICATION CONTENT AREA: Etiology/Developmental Issues of Sex Offense Behavior (3 hours)
Workshop Description: The afternoon session will include a number of hands-on gaming experiences. Audience members should bring their laptop computers, smart phones, tablets, and/or other digital devices. Presenters will provide a number of “assignments” to audience members in order to immerse them into gaming experiences. There will also be aspects of the afternoon where audience members will be asked to assist in demonstrating various video games to the large group (imagine fighting your boss in a Mortal Kombat match!). Tabletop games will also be available to demonstrate how such games may be used in assessment and treatment. This interactive afternoon will underscore the topics covered during the morning session. Come prepared to game, learn, and have fun!
WORKSHOP: WED APR 9th @ 1:30pm - Motivational Interviewing in Forensic & Legal System Settings
PRESENTER: Dr. Jill Stinson
CERTIFICATION CONTENT AREA: Sex Offender Treatment Interventions (3 hours)
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Motivational interviewing is a collaborative approach designed to aid clients in strengthening their motivation and commitment to behavioral change. Initially developed for smoking cessation and substance abuse treatment, motivational interviewing has more than 40 years of research supporting its use with a wide range of clinical treatment needs, including the needs of clients involved with forensic and legal system settings. Using this evidence-based approach promotes successful rehabilitation and reentry by drawing on clients’ values, goals, and strengths and equips providers with the tools necessary to enhance therapeutic engagement. In this session, participants will learn and implement core components of motivational interviewing, including the spirit and implementation of motivational interviewing; strategies for identifying important client values and orienting the client to conversations about change; and differentiating change from sustain talk, eliciting change talk, and strengthening confidence and commitment to change. This workshop will include small discussion groups for live practice opportunities. Participants will also address challenges and barriers unique to using motivational interviewing in forensic and legal system settings.
WORKSHOP: WED APR 9th @ 1:30pm - HUMAN TRAFFICKING
PRESENTER: Alexandria Wall
CERTIFICATION CONTENT AREA: Criminal Justice & legal Issues Related to Sexual Offending (3 hours)
WORKSHOP: WED APR 9th @ 1:30pm - ETHICS
PRESENTERS: Dr. Terry Tinsley & Jaime Hoyle
CERTIFICATION CONTENT AREA: Ethics (3 hours)
WORKSHOP: WED APR 9th @ 1:30pm - 21ST CENTURY TECHNOLOGY
PRESENTER: Dr. Alex Rodrigues
CERTIFICATION CONTENT AREA: Etiology/Developmental Issues of Sex Offense Behavior (3 hours)
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: With unprecedented information and scientific developments, society is witnessing seismic shifts in how technology is becoming ingrained in daily life. While such advancements offer tremendous improvements in quality of life and offer hope in resolving some of civilization’s toughest challenges, such improvements also create opportunities for bad actors. This nefarious dynamic is also found in the realm of sexual offending. For instance, society has seen perpetrators employ novel technologies leading to new offending behaviors like sextortion, wherein offenders use fake online personas to solicit intimate images from unsuspecting victims. Consequently, those working in the field of sexual offending must keep pace with such emerging behaviors and technology to work competently, protect communities, and aid those offenders trying to rehabilitate their lives. Presentation attendees will be informed about various technologies that are already playing a role in sexual offending. For instance, aside from a review of recent sextortion trends, the presentation will provide an introduction to topics like cryptocurrency, the Darknet, Artificial Intelligence (AI), computer-generated child sexual exploitation material (CSEM), and online accelerationist extremist groups like the “764.” With such added insights, professionals working with those with sexual offense histories will be better equipped to implement services.
Learning goals: Attendees will:
- Learn existing perpetrator and victim sextortion insights.
- Identify what the “Darknet” is in comparison to the surface and deep webs.
- Learn about online groups engaged in sextortion and other internet based sexual offending.
- Be introduced to the basics on cryptocurrency and how it is used to facilitate offending.
- Learn about the ways that AI are fueling sexual offending.
THURSDAY MORNING WORKSHOPS
WORKSHOP: THUR APR 10th @ 9am - ASSESSMENT OF ONLINE OFFENDERS/CPORT
PRESENTER: Emilie Picard
CERTIFICATION CONTENT AREA: Assessment (3 hours)
Workshop Description: This workshop will provide a comprehensive review of the literature on men who possess, manufacture, and/or distribute child sexual abuse material. Key topics will include prevalence rates, risk factors, and co-occurring conditions associated with this population. Additionally, the session will cover the various methods of risk assessment, highlighting the appropriate tools for evaluating risk and identifying those that may not be suitable. Finally, we will explore effective strategies for treatment, containment, and supervision, along with evidence-based recommendations for managing individuals charged with these offenses.
WORKSHOP: THUR APR 10th @ 9am - Motivational Interviewing in Forensic & Legal System Settings
PRESENTER: Dr. Jill Stinson
CERTIFICATION CONTENT AREA: Sex Offender Treatment Interventions (3 hours)
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Motivational interviewing is a collaborative approach designed to aid clients in strengthening their motivation and commitment to behavioral change. Initially developed for smoking cessation and substance abuse treatment, motivational interviewing has more than 40 years of research supporting its use with a wide range of clinical treatment needs, including the needs of clients involved with forensic and legal system settings. Using this evidence-based approach promotes successful rehabilitation and reentry by drawing on clients’ values, goals, and strengths and equips providers with the tools necessary to enhance therapeutic engagement. In this session, participants will learn and implement core components of motivational interviewing, including the spirit and implementation of motivational interviewing; strategies for identifying important client values and orienting the client to conversations about change; and differentiating change from sustain talk, eliciting change talk, and strengthening confidence and commitment to change. This workshop will include small discussion groups for live practice opportunities. Participants will also address challenges and barriers unique to using motivational interviewing in forensic and legal system settings.
WORKSHOP: THUS APR 10th @ 9am - HUMAN TRAFFICKING
PRESENTER: Alexandria Wall
CERTIFICATION CONTENT AREA: Criminal Justice & legal Issues Related to Sexual Offending (3 hours)
WORKSHOP: THUR APR 10th @ 9am - ETHICS
PRESENTERS: Dr. Terry Tinsley & Jaime Hoyle
CERTIFICATION CONTENT AREA: Ethics (3 hours)
WORKSHOP: THUR APR 10th @ 9am - 21ST CENTURY TECHNOLOGY
PRESENTER: Dr. Alex Rodrigues
CERTIFICATION CONTENT AREA: Etiology/Developmental Issues of Sex Offense Behavior (3 hours)
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: With unprecedented information and scientific developments, society is witnessing seismic shifts in how technology is becoming ingrained in daily life. While such advancements offer tremendous improvements in quality of life and offer hope in resolving some of civilization’s toughest challenges, such improvements also create opportunities for bad actors. This nefarious dynamic is also found in the realm of sexual offending. For instance, society has seen perpetrators employ novel technologies leading to new offending behaviors like sextortion, wherein offenders use fake online personas to solicit intimate images from unsuspecting victims. Consequently, those working in the field of sexual offending must keep pace with such emerging behaviors and technology to work competently, protect communities, and aid those offenders trying to rehabilitate their lives. Presentation attendees will be informed about various technologies that are already playing a role in sexual offending. For instance, aside from a review of recent sextortion trends, the presentation will provide an introduction to topics like cryptocurrency, the Darknet, Artificial Intelligence (AI), computer-generated child sexual exploitation material (CSEM), and online accelerationist extremist groups like the “764.” With such added insights, professionals working with those with sexual offense histories will be better equipped to implement services.
Learning goals: Attendees will:
- Learn existing perpetrator and victim sextortion insights.
- Identify what the “Darknet” is in comparison to the surface and deep webs.
- Learn about online groups engaged in sextortion and other internet based sexual offending.
- Be introduced to the basics on cryptocurrency and how it is used to facilitate offending.
- Learn about the ways that AI are fueling sexual offending.
CLOSING PRESENTATION
CLOSING PRESENTATION: THUR APR 10TH @ 1:30pm - WHAT IS NORMAL SEX? AN EXPLORATION OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDES
PRESENTER: Dr. Michael Miner
CERTIFICATION CONTENT AREA: Etiology/Developmental Issues of Sex Offense Behavior (3 hours)
Workshop Description: This interactive workshop is designed to provide information on current sexual practices, at least as indicated by recent national surveys and published papers. Participant exercises and popular media will be used to encourage interactions between attendees and to aid them in exploring their conceptions of healthy sexuality, appropriate and inappropriate sexual interactions, and the integration of these concepts into sex offender treatment for adults and adolescents. The workshop will present data from recently completed national surveys of the sexual behavior of men and women between the ages of 14 and 75 years and studies of the use of digit technology. This workshop will emphasize attendee discussion and participation and will integrate information through discussion that focus participant attention to cultural differences, application to treatment of adults and adolescents who have committed sexual harm and allow individual attendees to explore their attitudes and beliefs regarding sexuality.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will recognize their biases with respect to healthy sexual behavior.
- Participants will share ways to integrate discussion of healthy sexuality into treatment of adults and adolescents who have committed sexual harm.
- Participants will recognize how access to digit technology has changed the way people communicate and the implications this has for sexual behavior.
Certificate Questions?
For questions about conference certificates or registration issues, please email us at [email protected]. Thanks!
Continuing Education (CE's)
The Virginia Board of Health Professions, via the Board of Psychology, will distribute VSOTA Continuing Education Credits at its conference and training events.
The 2025 conference will offer 11.5 CEs.
For information on obtaining CEs at VSOTA events you may contact