This paper emerges from recent empirical research examining the perspectives of convicted sex offenders who have participated in Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) in England and Wales. As a result of the potential difficulties identified in traditional research approaches, the appreciative inquiry approach, with its focus on positive and generative questions was adopted. The paper specifically focuses on the use of appreciative inquiry in interviewing sex offenders (or ‘core members’ as they are
referred by CoSA) and uses data from interviews to reflect on the use of this particular approach in a difficult environment.