The Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA) Practice Guidelines are designed to assist practitioners to provide quality treatment services by recommending clinical practices that reflect the best available knowledge. In acknowledgement of that ongoing research is necessary to support definitive standards or mandates, these guidelines are offered as recommended "best practices" and are designed as a companion resource to the ATSA Professional Code of Ethics (2017). The emipirical framework of these documents are based on the Risk-Need-Responsivity priniciples as follows:

• Risk: Treatment services are provided at a level of service and security that is commensurate with the client's assessed risk of recidivism.
• Need: Treatment interventions are focused primarily on research supported dynamic risk factors that are linked to recidivism in the community.
• Responsivity: Treatment interventions are based on models with empirical support for change and are delivered in a manner that takes into account the client's individual factors (such as personal strengths, developmental stage, education and motivation.