Gerry D. Blasingame

Gerry D. Blasingame, Psy.D., is a California licensed marriage and family therapist who has specialized in sex offender treatment and management, particularly for individuals with intellectual disabilities. He serves as an adjunct instructor at the University Extension, University of California, Davis, and is the Executive and Clinical Director of a program dedicated to the treatment of developmentally disabled offenders. Based in Redding, California, Blasingame has been treating children, teens and adults impacted by family violence since 1985. He also served on the California Sex Offender Management Board representing the California Coalition on Sexual Offending.

Blasingame's contributions to polygraph science have focused specifically on post-conviction sex offender testing (PCSOT). In his 1998 paper "Suggested Clinical Uses of Polygraphy in Community-Based Sexual Offender Treatment Programs," he conducted a literature review evaluating research findings regarding the use of polygraphy with sexual offenders, finding inconsistent empirical data but noting that treatment program utility was nonetheless enhanced by the disclosures made during the preparation process before the actual examination. His most cited polygraph study, co-authored with Ron Kokish and Jill S. Levenson in 2005, explored how 95 sexual offenders enrolled in outpatient treatment programs perceived their polygraph experience. The study found that clients agreed with examiners' opinions 90% of the time and the majority of clients reported that polygraph testing was a helpful part of treatment. This research contributed important client-perspective data to the ongoing debate about PCSOT utility and accuracy.

Beyond polygraph research, Blasingame has established himself as a leading expert in the assessment and treatment of sex offenders with intellectual disabilities. He developed the Abel-Blasingame Assessment System for the intellectually disabled, and has authored several books on treating developmentally disabled persons with sexual behavior problems. His work often translates research findings to daily practices regarding sex offender assessment, treatment and management, with particular interest in neurodevelopmental conditions such as FASD, TBI, and Tourette Syndrome. His polygraph work represents one component of his broader expertise in comprehensive sex offender management strategies.