British Columbia's government has agreed to cease a controversial program in which the sexual responses of young male sex offenders are tested by attaching sensors to their penises.
The penile plethysmography tests, or "phallometry," require boys as young as 13 in sex offence treatment programs to view pictures of nude and semi-clad children and listen to audio descriptions of forced sexual scenarios while their arousal levels are measured.
Commonly reported methods of the testing involve measuring the circumference of the penis with a rubber strain gauge or the volume of the genitals with an airtight cylinder and inflatable cuff.
The decision to suspend the treatment comes after the BC Civil Liberties Association and the group Justice for Girls raised concerns over the testing.
In a statement issued to media, Justice for Girls director Annabel Webb said she's relieved that Children's Representative Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond has agreed to investigate the "abusive tests."
Turpel-Lafond says she wants to find out whether exposing children to the material will further traumatize them and she'd concerned about the rights of the children and the ethics of the program.
The tests were part of research by B.C.'s Youth Forensic Psychiatric Service.
