The Good Lives Model (GLM) is a strengths-based, rehabilitation-oriented approach to sex offender treatment. Developed by Tony Ward and colleagues, the GLM is grounded in the belief that helping individuals build meaningful and fulfilling lives can reduce the risk of reoffending.

Instead of focusing solely on risk management and control, the GLM emphasizes the importance of supporting clients in achieving their personal goals and developing prosocial identities. The model is based on the idea that all individuals strive for certain “primary goods” (e.g., relationships, autonomy, inner peace, pleasure, creativity), and that offending behavior often arises from attempts to achieve these goods in inappropriate or harmful ways.

Key principles of the GLM include:

1. Human dignity and agency – Offenders are seen as capable of change and worthy of respect.

2. Primary goods focus – Treatment helps clients identify their core life goals and find healthy, prosocial ways to fulfill them.

3. Individualized case planning – Interventions are tailored to each person’s strengths, needs, and personal values.

4. Integration with risk management – While building a “good life,” the model still addresses dynamic risk factors (e.g., emotional regulation, cognitive distortions, deviant sexual interests) to prevent future harm.

Overall, the GLM encourages the development of skills, resources, and positive relationships that contribute to a meaningful life—thereby reducing the likelihood of recidivism in a more holistic and compassionate way.