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Characteristics of Adolescent Incest Sexual Perpetrators: Preliminary Findings
Abstract
Adolescent incest sexual perpetrators seen at an out-patient clinic were interviewed regarding demographic characteristics and occurrence of deviant and nondeviant sexual behaviors. Results indicate that subjects (1) committed more sexual crimes than they had been arrested for, (2) reported a very early onset of sexual behavior, (3) had additional DSM-III psychiatric disorders, and (4) reported previous sexual victimization. Recommendations for future research are made.
... Most studies describing the characteristics of children responsible involve mainly professional descriptions of boys from clinical populations (e.g. Becker et al., 1986;Schutte, 1992;Tidefors et al., 2010;Worling, 1995). We know little about girls. ...
... Smaller studies report variable but broadly similar findings (e.g. Becker et al., 1986;James, 2015;McGrath, 2008;Rayment-McHugh & Nisbet, 2003;Richardson et al., 1997;Tidefors et al., 2010). Grant et al.'s (2009) study of 38 boys found 71 % had experienced at least some form of abuse, while 29 % were not known to have experienced any form of abuse. ...
Background: Sibling sexual abuse is a common form of intra-familial sexual abuse, yet it remains under-studied and under-recognised, leaving many children unprotected and unsupported. Practitioners need rigorously conducted evidence syntheses to inform decision making in this complex practice area. Objective: A scoping review was conducted with the broad research question: What is known about sibling sexual abuse? in order to map the research and to establish areas of knowledge and gaps requiring attention. Method: The review followed the guidelines of Arksey and O'Malley (2005), and through searches of 11 academic databases, 3 grey literature databases, journal hand-search and Google, identified 91 empirical papers for review. Results: While poorly and inconsistently defined, sibling sexual abuse is a common form of child sexual abuse with significant consequences for the whole family. It may involve children of any age and sex, entail the full range of sexual behaviours, and can take place in families from across the socioeconomic spectrum. Disclosure is uncommon during childhood, with multiple barriers including the nature of the caregiving environment in which sibling sexual abuse often takes place. Official records are likely to under-report the frequency and duration of the abuse. Conclusions: There is considerable scope for further research across all aspects of sibling sexual abuse. This paper represents the most comprehensive (albeit not complete) overview of the current body of knowledge in this field to date, and presents key findings as well as a summary of practice and research recommendations. 3
... For example, the study by Groth (1977) with a small sample of JSO assessed at a forensic mental health facility showed that more than 60% of them had a prior sexual offense. Other reports provided results consistent with Groth's portrayal of JSO as persistent sexual offenders (e.g., Awad & Saunders, 1991;Awad, Saunders, & Levene, 1984;Becker, Kaplan, Cunningham-Rathner, & Kavoussi, 1986;Fehrenbach, Smith, Monastersky, & Deisher, 1986). These findings led some to conclude that "sex offenders have estab- lished a repetitive pattern of deviant behavior prior to an arrest" (Boyd, Hagan, & Cho, 2000, p. 139). ...
... It is unclear, how- ever, if they referred to the number of events or the number of different victims or both. The inspection by Becker et al. (1986) ...
Research on adolescents involved in sexually abusive or aggressive behavior has paid little attention to the lives of this group prior to and after their involvement in a sexual offense. Consequently, the extant literature often provides a description of such individuals that reduces them to their characteristics at just one stage of their life course. We consider the extent to which recent research from a developmental life course criminological framework supports the perspective that adolescents involved in sexually abusive behavior are a group of life-long, predatory sexual offenders. Recommendations for moving this initial research forward are considered, with specific attention to (a) the possible link between childhood sexual behavior and later sexually abusive behavior, and (b) the way policies for adolescents involved in sexually abusive or violent behavior might reduce the likelihood of experiencing positive psychosocial outcomes that are typically helpful turning points in the lives of former offenders.
... For example, the study by Groth (1977) with a small sample of JSO assessed at a forensic mental health facility showed that more than 60% of them had a prior sexual offense. Other reports provided results consistent with Groth's portrayal of JSO as persistent sexual offenders (e.g., Awad & Saunders, 1991;Awad, Saunders, & Levene, 1984;Becker, Kaplan, Cunningham-Rathner, & Kavoussi, 1986;Fehrenbach, Smith, Monastersky, & Deisher, 1986). These findings led some to conclude that "sex offenders have established a repetitive pattern of deviant behavior prior to an arrest" (Boyd, Hagan, & Cho, 2000, p. 139). ...
... It is unclear, however, if they referred to the number of events or the number of different victims or both. The inspection by Becker et al. (1986) of self-report data from a sample of 67 juveniles referred to a clinic revealed that the frequency of offending when based on the number of victims is about 1, but rose to about 2 for adolescents having sexually abused a young boy. For those having offended against similar age female victims, the average number of victims was about 1.5. ...
Until recently, developmental criminologists have remained relatively silent about the issue of juvenile sex offending. Consequently, concepts and knowledge from the field developmental criminology are relatively unknown to researchers and practitioners working in the area of juvenile sex offending. In fact, for the past two or three decades, concepts and knowledge derived from clinical studies conducted with samples of adult sex offenders have been imported to guide the explanation and prevention of juvenile sex offending. This trend has led many to believe that today’s juvenile sex offenders are tomorrow’s adult sex offenders. This chapter builds on the research framework proposed by Dr. Marc LeBlanc by reviewing the state of knowledge on the development of juvenile sex offending. Developmental concepts are defined and proposed to organize findings of past research but also to stimulate and guide future prospective longitudinal studies aiming to describe, explain, and predict the development of juvenile sex offending.
... For example, the study by Groth (1977) with a small sample of JSO assessed at a forensic mental health facility showed that more than 60% of them had a prior sexual offense. Other reports provided results consistent with Groth's portrayal of JSO as persistent sexual offenders (e.g., Awad & Saunders, 1991;Awad, Saunders, & Levene, 1984;Becker, Kaplan, Cunningham-Rathner, & Kavoussi, 1986;Fehrenbach, Smith, Monastersky, & Deisher, 1986). These findings led some to conclude that "sex offenders have established a repetitive pattern of deviant behavior prior to an arrest" (Boyd, Hagan, & Cho, 2000, p. 139). ...
... It is unclear, however, if they referred to the number of events or the number of different victims or both. The inspection by Becker et al. (1986) of self-report data from a sample of 67 juveniles referred to a clinic revealed that the frequency of offending when based on the number of victims is about 1, but rose to about 2 for adolescents having sexually abused a young boy. For those having offended against similar age female victims, the average number of victims was about 1.5. ...
Current American policies and responses to juvenile sex offending have been criticized for being based on myths, misconceptions, and unsubstantiated claims. In spite of the criticism, no organizing framework has been proposed to guide policy development with respect to the prevention of juvenile sex offending. This article proposes a developmental life course (DLC) criminology perspective to investigate the origins, development, and termination of sex offending among youth. It also provides a review of the current state of knowledge regarding various parameters characterizing the development of sex offending (e.g., prevalence, age of onset, frequency, persistence, continuity in adulthood, and versatility). The review highlights some heterogeneity across these developmental parameters suggesting the presence of different sex offending patterns among youth. In fact, it is proposed that, based on the current knowledge, such heterogeneity can be accounted for by a dual taxonomy of adolescents involved in sexual offenses: (a) the adolescent-limited and (b) the high-rate/slow-desister. The DLC criminology approach and the dual taxonomy are proposed as organizing frameworks to conduct prospective longitudinal research to better understand the origins and development of sex offending and to guide policy development and responses to at-risk youth and those who have committed sexual offenses.
© The Author(s) 2015.
... the average age of the victim is 7 to 8 years old, and the majority of the victims are related to the offender (Ryan, 1991). Becker, Kaplan, and cunningham-Rathner (1986) reported that almost half of sibling offenders demonstrate nonsibling paraphilic behavior. adolescent sex offenders also generally have a history of nonsexual criminal offenses and a high incidence of antisocial behaviors and conduct disorders (Hunter, 2000). ...
... these characteristics are considered from three distinct, although interrelated, perspectives: (a) characteristic symptoms, (b) sociocultural characteristics, and (c) environmental characteristics. Becker et al. (1986) studied the incidence of depressive symptoms in adolescent sex offenders with a history of abuse (sexual, physical, or emotional). ...
This research study investigated the possible relationship between two spirituality variables (religious coping styles and spiritual well-being) and two psychological variables (anxiety and depression). Also studied were differences between those who self-disclosed a spiritual/religious identify and those who did not. Although a relationship was not noted between religious coping styles and the psychological variables, significance was reported in the relationship between spiritual well-being and both psychological variables. Overall, this study finds that individuals reporting higher levels of religiosity and spiritual well-being may also experience a reduction in mental and emotional illness.
... However, these effects are indistinguishable from those which often arise from other negative life experiences. Sibling sexual abusers have typically been found to have school and emotional problems (Gilbert, 1992), to have undergone a mental health intervention (Adler & Schutz, 1995; Gilbert), and to have a psychiatric diagnosis (Becker, Kaplan, Cunningham-Rathner, & Kavoussi, 1986). ...
... However, in a U.K-based observational study, Dunn and Munn found that 24-month-olds were as frequently responsible for initiating physical aggression as their older siblings; similar findings have been obtained for 9-and 12-year- olds (Felson & Russo, 1988). North American studies on sibling sexual abuse show that most abusers are 13–18 years old and most of the abused are 6–9 years old (Adler & Schutz, 1995; Becker et al., 1986; Cyr, Wright, McDuff, & Perron, 2002; De Jong, 1989; Gilbert, 1992; Johnson, 1988; Laviola, 1992; Pierce & Pierce, 1987; Smith & Israel, 1987). No gender difference in the frequency of initiation of physical aggression has been found (Dunn & Munn, 1986; Felson & Russo, 1988; Wilson, Smith, Ross, & Ross, 2003). ...
... Research comparing AIV to AEV is sparse, even though the field of adolescent sexual offending has identified the comparison of AIV and AEV as a priority for over 30 years (Becker et al. 1986;Joyal et al. 2016;Latzman et al. 2011;Tidefors et al. 2010;Seto 2018;Worling 1995). As such, we conducted a meta-analysis of published and unpublished data to identify whether AIV and AEV differ on relevant theoretical and clinical factors. ...
This meta-analysis examined whether theoretically and clinically relevant differences exist between male adolescents who have sexually offended against intrafamilial victims (AIV) and male adolescents who have sexually offended against extrafamilial victims (AEV). A total of 26 independent samples (8 published and 18 unpublished) that compared a total of 2169 AIV and 2852 AEV were analyzed. The results of this meta-analysis indicate that categorizing male adolescents who commit sexual offenses based on their relationship to victims is a meaningful distinction. We found that AIV presented with greater atypical sexual interests, increased sexual regulation issues, more severe family dysfunction, more extensive childhood maltreatment histories, and greater internalizing psychopathology than AEV. Conversely, AEV presented with more indicators of antisociality than AIV, suggesting that extrafamilial sexual offending might fit better with a generalist explanation of adolescent sexual offending. Findings highlight the value of assessing family dysfunction and maltreatment history, sexual development and regulation, and general delinquency factors to better understand adolescents who have committed a sexual offense.
... Another important reason to study juvenile sex offenders is that deviant sexual behavior during adolescence seems to play a role in the development of sexual deviance in adulthood. Studies have indicated that approximately one-half of adult sexual offenders report that the onset of their sexual offending behavior occurred during adolescence Becker, et al., 1986;Groth, et al., 1982). This does not mean that 50 percent of juvenile sex offenders go on to commit sex offenses as adults, but enough do to merit serious concern. ...
Extensive case-level data were collected on each offender during the previous study. These data provided descriptive information on the characteristics of juvenile sex offenders, their offenses, their victims, their involvement in treatment, their prognosis, and their juvenile re-offending behavior during a short follow-up period. The current study used the existing database and supplemented it with new, comprehensive information on subsequent arrests and convictions during an additional 5-year follow-up period. Offense data were collected on both new juvenile and adult arrests and convictions. These data were used to document the recidivism of a sample of juvenile sex offenders and to assess relationships between offender or offense characteristics and subsequent criminal behavior. The study found that 12.2 percent of offenders were arrested for new sex offenses during the follow-up period. Twenty juveniles (10.2 percent) were convicted of new sex offenses. Offenders were far more likely to commit new non-sex offenses. Only 37.1 percent had no new arrests or convictions during the follow-up period. Offenders were most at risk of recidivism during the first year. Those with sexual reoffenses were compared with those who had no such reoffenses. Recommendations pertain to assessment tools and procedures for juvenile sex offenders, treatment evaluation, and continuum of care for juvenile sex offenders. 14 tables and 26 references
... Galli et al. (1999) similarly reported on psychiatric diagnoses given to 22 adolescent males who had offended sexually and who had been recruited from residential treatment programs. As in Becker et al. (1986), Conduct Disorder was diagnosed for most of the participants (16 of 17). However, 100% of the participants in this investigation were also diagnosed with Pedophilia, and 71% (12/22) were diagnosed with ADHD. ...
Since the early 1980s, five assumptions have influenced the assessment, treatment, and community supervision of adolescents who have offended sexually. In particular, interventions with this population have been informed by the assumptions that these youth are (i) deviant, (ii) delinquent, (iii) disordered, (iv) deficit-ridden, and (v) deceitful. There is very little research to support these beliefs, however, and some researchers and clinicians have long pointed out that adolescents who commit sexual crimes are heterogeneous and that there is no typical profile. Indeed, many adolescents who commit sexual crimes display healthy sexual interests, are prosocial in their orientation, are not psychiatrically disordered, can be described by many strengths and protective factors, and are open regarding past sexual crimes and their sexual interests. If the goal of intervention is to help adolescents to prevent future offenses, then it is essential for all involved in their care to be more critical of these erroneous assumptions that have influenced the field for the past several decades.
... Although clinical research has long suggested the presence of an "antisocial type" of ASO (e.g., Becker, 1998;Becker, Kaplan, Cunningham-Rathner, & Kavoussi, 1986), increasing evidence indicates this generic class is much too broad to describe the underlying heterogeneity that characterizes their criminal behavior. Several studies have presented evidence to suggest that ASOs are characterized by multiple offending trajectories (Burton, 2000;Carpentier, Leclerc, & Proulx, 2011;Lussier et al., 2012;McCuish et al., 2014;Vizard et al., 2007). ...
The current study examines offending trajectories of adolescent sexual offenders (ASOs). Until recently, classification frameworks have not been designed to account for the heterogeneity of offending patterns in adolescence, how these are associated with the unfolding of sexual and non-sexual criminal activity, and whether and to what extent they are related to the characteristics of sex offenses in adolescence. The current study takes a longitudinal view of offending in adolescence by examining retrospective longitudinal data of 217 ASOs referred for treatment to a clinical service between 2001 and 2009 in Australia. General offending trajectories in adolescence were examined using semi-parametric group-based modeling, and compared according to non-violent non-sexual, violent-non-sexual, and sex offending criminal activity parameters (e.g., participation, onset, frequency, specialization/versatility) and the characteristics of the referral sexual offense. The results show distinct differences in the unfolding of sexual and non-sexual criminal activity along different offending trajectories of ASOs, and further, that these trajectories were differentially associated with the characteristics of the sexual offenses they committed.
© The Author(s) 2015.
... However, it should be differentiated from the normal sexual play between children which is part of normal innocent exploration. Other international studies estimated that 30-50% of CSA is perpetrated by male adolescents 29,30 . However, the exact incidence of child-on-child sexual abuse is not known because it is infrequently reported or witnessed, wrongly dismissed as harmless and is rarely disclosed by victims 31 . ...
Background: Understanding child sexual abuse (CSA) victimization process and child sexual offenders' (CSO) characteristics is essential for prevention and treatment programs. Studies of CSO in the Arab region are limited. Objective: To identify the characteristics of CSO involved in CSA. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: The Child Protection Unit (CPU), Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC). Method: Four hundred and eleven records of CSO were identified during 10 years, from 1st January 2000 to 31st December 2009. Characteristics included were the perpetrator's age group, gender, nationality, occupation, and relationship with the victims. Data management and analysis was done by using SPSS version 17 for Windows. Result: Four hundred and eleven perpetrators were recognized, 293 (71.3%) were Bahrainis; 354 (86%) were males and 57 (14%) were females. Two hundred and seventyeight (67.6%) offenders were adults and 116 (28.2%) were juvenile. Forty-eight (11.7%) were babysitters/housemaids and that represented 84.2% of females perpetrators. The age of babysitters' victims was under six in 40 (83%) cases. Three hundred and thirty-two (81%) perpetrators were well known to the child. A criminal record was identified in 83 (20.2%) offenders. Conclusion: Most of the CSO were Bahrainis, adults, males, and well known to the child. The majority of female offenders were housemaids/babysitters. There is a need for more systematic studies of offenders' characteristics including the risk factors, treatment and rehabilitation outcome.
... The prevalence rates of young people aged less than 21 who commit sexually abusive offences ranges between 20% and 50% of all sexual offences committed (Barbaree & Marshall, 2006;Becker, Kaplan, Cunningham-Rathner, & Kavoussi, 1986;Erooga & Masson, 2006;Oliver, 2007). However, adolescent sexual abusers are a heterogeneous group of offenders (Andrade, Vincent & Saleh, 2006;Beckett, 1999Beckett, , 2006), but they often receive generic treatment services that are modelled on adult sex offender treatment programmes. ...
This chapter is about sex offenders, covering the difference between a sexual offense versus a paraphilia, various sex offenses, the public’s view of sexual offending, incarceration, and different treatment approaches for sexual offenders. It ends with a review of studies that focus on treatment efficacy.
Canada's Aboriginal peoples face a number of social and health issues. Research shows that Aboriginal youths are over-represented in the criminal justice system and youth forensic psychiatric programmes. Within the literature on sex offending youth, there appears to be no published data available to inform clinicians working with adjudicated Aboriginal youth. Therefore, the present study examines the background, offence characteristics, and criminal outcomes of Aboriginal (n= 102) and non-Aboriginal (n=257) youths who engaged in sexual offending behaviour and were ordered to attend a sexual offender treatment programme in British Columbia between 1985 and 2004. Overall, Aboriginal youths were more likely than non-Aboriginal youths to have background histories of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), substance abuse, childhood victimization, academic difficulties, and instability in the living environment. Both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal youths had a tendency to target children under 12-years-old, females, and non-strangers. Aboriginal youths were more likely than non-Aboriginal youths to use substances at the time of their sexual index offence. Outcome data revealed that Aboriginal youths were more likely than their non-Aboriginal counterparts to recidivate sexually, violently, and non-violently during the 10-year follow-up period. Furthermore, the time between discharge and commission of all types of re-offences was significantly shorter for Aboriginal youths than for non-Aboriginal youths. Implications of these findings are discussed with regards to the needs of Aboriginal youth and intervention.
The current study was designed to provide further information on characteristics of adolescent sexual offenders who have and have not experienced abuse. The subjects were approximately 300 adolescent offenders seen in a clinical treatment program. Abused and nonabused adolescent offenders were compared on a number of offense-specific variables and standardized instruments including the MMPI, Interpersonal Behavior Survey, Family Adaptation and Cohesion Evaluation Scale, and Self-Reported Delinquent Behavior Checklist. Results indicated that those offenders who were sexually abused had an earlier onset of their offending, had more victims, were likely to abuse both males and females, and tended to show more psychopathology and interpersonal problems, although no differences were found in terms of self-reported delinquent behavior or family functioning. The data are discussed in terms of their possible etiological significance and clinical implications.
This paper describes some of the background characteristics and sexually abusive behaviour of 100 British sexually abusive male adolescents aged between 11 and 18 years. A retrospective file review and clinical assessment provided relevant information on all subjects who had a documented history of sexual assault or abuse against others. Subjects came from a variety of sources including residential child care centres, secure facilities and an adolescent psychiatry outpatient clinic. Demographic characteristics and abuser characteristics are described, including the family environment, history of involvement with health and social services, school adjustment and performance, history of non-sexual antisocial behaviour, and also the adolescents’ own prior experiences of physical and sexual abuse. Abuse and victim characteristics are also described, including duration of abusive behaviour, types of sexually abusive behaviour exhibited, sex offence convictions, method of overcoming victim resistance, location where abuse took place, sex and age of victims, and abuser—victim relationship. These abuser and abuse characteristics were found to be consistent with those described in the North American literature. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the aetiology, management and treatment of sexually abusive behaviour in British adolescents.
Con la finalidad de mejorar la comprensión de los factores de riesgo implicados en los delitos sexuales cometidos por adolescentes, se han recopilado datos de 63 menores infractores que habían cometido al menos un delito sexual y cumplido una medida de internamiento en la Comunidad de Madrid por estos hechos entre los años 2006 y 2015. Para explorar posibles diferencias se han establecido dos grupos atendiendo a la clasificación basada en la edad de la víctima, distinguiendo entre adolescentes que agreden sexualmente a niños menores (AM) y adolescentes que agreden sexualmente a iguales o adultos (AI). Los resultados indican que el grupo AM presenta un perfil caracterizado por una mayor victimización y aislamiento social, mientras que el grupo AI se caracteriza por una mayor presencia de otras conductas antisociales y agresivas. Finalmente se discuten las implicaciones de los resultados obtenidos para la intervención terapéutica con estos adolescentes.
Child abuse consists of three major components: neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. Although the phrase “child abuse and neglect” is occasionally used, such terminology is redundant and can be confusing to physicians and the public. “Child abuse” has been defined medically as “any interaction or lack of interaction between a child and his/her caregiver which results in nonaccidental harm to the child’s physical or developmental state.”
Sexually offending by children or against children have a profound impact on victims, families, and communities. What’s more, adolescent sexual offenders tend to be criminalized, even when there is a likelihood that behavior, in particular nonviolent and experimental types, will not extend into adulthood. In these cases psychotherapy interventions are far more likely to produce positive and cost-effective results. Several research studies have proven that family-based MDT is such a promising approach and the special considerations to correctly assess and treat the sexually offending adolescent will be discussed. It is particularly important to note that one-fifth of rapes and one-half of child molestation cases in the United States are reportedly committed by children and adolescents, and when considered in the context that these adolescents may diversify to other (nonsexual) crimes, or abuse multiple victims, effective and timely treatment is imperative. This requires a special understanding of the unique etiology and assessment of young sexual offenders, which this chapter endeavors to address.
Adolescence conceived as a psychopathological problem configuration is described more and more often in current scientific literature, in psychological and educational reviews in particular. Through this clinical, critical and ethical reflection, the author proposes an up-to-date synthesis of international scientific literature. Today, clinical preoccupations are linked to an inevitable social reality. In this register, and according to such current issues, attention is focused on adolescents presenting multiple problems or on pre-pubescent children who appear as psychosocially handicapped individuals or as potential physical or sexual agressors. The most marginal among this group of adolescents are represented by those who sexually abused younger children. Some see them as sexual abusers comparable to adult sexual. delinquants. Following this very linear line of cause and effect reasoning, some professionals think that all minors who commit sexual abuse risk becoming adult abusers and that it is necessary to reeducate them as well as possible. Thus, at the risk of radicalization and of abusive, interpretive and systematic stigmatization, clinicians in Anglo-saxon countries have multiplied treatment programs adapted to this type of problem. So as to avoid this pitfall, a precise and rigorous evaluation should make it possible to orient decision making in a more adapted way. As important as it is that the personality profiles of adolescents who commit sexual transgressions be the object of diagnostic evaluation, other elements should also be taken into consideration. the circumstances of their act, the characteristics of their victim(s) and the nature of their offense(s). Such details will of fer a better understanding of the problem configuration. In that a multifaceted program of educational guidance adapted to these young subjects can only be constructed in an institutional framework validated by ethical and solid judicial references, the therapeutic orientation of these adolescents should be elaborated on the basis of a complete and rigorous medico-psycho-social examination.
Studies comparing adolescents with problem behaviors and adolescents who are authors or victims of a sexual aggression are rare. Far fewer studies compare authors and victims of cc sexual aggression with adolescents who are both authors and victims. In addition, there are very few studies that use self-reported sexual. aggression on a large sample of adjudicated adolescents. Results reported in this article support two conclusions. First, the authors and victims of sexual aggression differ from young offenders and from adolescents under the Youth Protection Act. Their social and psychological difficulties are much more serious. Second, even if authors and victims resemble each other, there are some differences between authors, authors who pre also victims, and victims of a sexual aggression. This last group is characterized by more serious social and personal difficulties.
Adolescence as a psychopathological problematic is increasingly described in scientific literature, especially in psychology or education journals and books. Attention is now focusing on adolescents with multiple problems or on prepubescent children who seem to be psychosocially handicapped and/or potential (physical or sexual) aggressors. The most marginalized of these are those that sexually abuse younger children. They appear to some as 'sexual abusers' at the same level as adult sexual delinquents. Following a very linear reasoning of cause to effect, some professionals believe that all minors perpetuating sexual abuses risk becoming adult abusers and that they must be re-educated in the most efficient way possible. Thus, and at the risk of radicalisation and an abusive interpretative and systematic stigmatisation, clinicians in Anglo-Saxon countries are increasingly using treatment programmes adapted to this problematic. To avoid this, a fine and rigorous clinical evaluation should be able to orient decision-taking in a better adapted manner. The personality profiles of sexually transgressing adolescents must undergo a multidisciplinary diagnostic evaluation and the circumstances leading to their taking action - the characteristics of their victim(s) and the nature of their offence(s) - lead to a better understanding of this problematic. The therapeutic orientation of these adolescent 'sexual transgressors' should be developed from a complete and specific medico-psychosocial examination carried out in an institutional setting based on solid ethical and judicial premises. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.
Over the past several decades, our awareness of the magnitude and the impact of sexual victimization has increased considerably. Sexual abuse has become an acute problem, manifested in ever increasing costs to society as well as to its victims. The costs incurred by society include medical and psychological services to aid victim recovery, the apprehension and disposition of offenders, and the invisible climate of fear that makes safety a paramount consideration in scheduling normal daily activities. In addition to the monetary costs associated with sexual abuse (Prentky & Burgess, 1990), the impact of such abuse on its victims has been well documented. Indeed, there is a large and growing literature on the proximal (short-term) and distal (long-term) effects of child sexual abuse (see Table 14.1).
In this chapter we consider domestic violence, including physical and psychological abuse, harm, bodily injury, assault and the infliction of fear between family or household members in the home. We suggest that almost all domestic violence constitutes bullying since it involves the ‘systematic abuse of power’ (Smith and Sharp, 1994, p. 2), which relies on the aggressor's and target's unequal access to power (Farrington, 1993). First, we consider the prevalence of abuse that occurs between adults in intimate relationships; the abuse of children and adolescents by adults; and abuse that occurs between child and adolescent siblings. This is followed by the correlates and impact of each of these types of abuse. We acknowledge that children and adolescents abuse their parents and carers and that this should not be minimised, but because studies of these topics are very sparse we do not consider them here. We then consider theoretical accounts of domestic violence where we feel that they cast light on the phenomenon. Finally, we conclude with implications, as we see them, for policy and professional practice, and with suggestions for further research in the field. Nature and prevalence of domestic violence Abuse between adults The term domestic violence is often used to refer to men as perpetrators of violence in heterosexual relationships. A large proportion of domestic violence between adults consists of intimate partner violence (IPV). The World Health Organization (WHO, 1997) defined IPV in terms of what male intimate partners do to adult and adolescent women.
Over the past two decades, concern about adolescent sex offenders has grown at an astonishing pace, garnering heated coverage in the media and providing fodder for television shows like Law & Order. Americans' reaction to such stories has prompted the unquestioned application to adolescents of harsh legal and clinical intervention strategies designed for serious adult offenders, with little attention being paid to the psychological maturity of the offender. Many strategies being used today to deal with juvenile sex offenders-and even to define what criteria to use in defining "juvenile sex offender"-do not have empirical support and, Frank C. DiCataldo cautions, may be doing more harm to children and society than good. The Perversion of Youth critiques the current system and its methods for treating and categorizing juveniles, and calls for a major reevaluation of how these cases should be managed in the future. Through an analysis of the history of the problem and an empirical review of the literature, including specific cases and their outcomes, DiCataldo demonstrates that current practices are based more on our collective fears and moral passions than on any supportive science or sound policy.
Sexual abuse and sexual assault continue to be major social problems in our society. Finkelhor and colleagues (1990) reported on the prevalence of sexual abuse in a national survey of adult men and women. Twenty-seven percent of all females and 16% of males surveyed reported that they had been sexually abused prior to age 18. Pithers and colleagues (1995) note that sexual abuse has both emotional and financial consequences. The majority of females seeking outpatient mental health services report a history of sexual abuse at some point in their lives (Frontline, 1988). In terms of the financial costs to society, Pithers et al. (1993) reported that in the state of Vermont, the annual cost of responding to child sexual abuse can be estimated at $42 million.
Incest is a taboo and a neglected social problem that has only started to receive significant attention in the United States in the last 30 years. Sibling sexual abuse has been identified as the most common form of incest; however, the origins and scope of incest are still not well understood and existing research literature is laden with definitional inconsistencies, data limitations, and inadequate research methodology. The discussion to follow in this chapter moves beyond common discourse of sibling incest as "normal" sexual exploration and explores the phenomenon as a complex combination of biological and sociological concerns and knowledge of the psychological child development.
In the United States, law enforcement and judicial systems and mental health professionals continue to struggle to deal with the rise in the number of juvenile sex offenders. The consequences of sex offending are substantial for victims, society, perpetrators, and their families, involving significant human (emotional and physical suffering) and financial costs. Adolescent sexual offending is a complex phenomenon that cannot be easily explained. Many theories have been proposed to explain why some children and teens sexually abuse others. However, to date there is no empirically derived and tested model to explain what motivates adolescents to perpetrate sexual crimes. This chapter provides an overview of biological, individual, familial, social, and behavioral characteristics of adolescents who have sexually offended. This chapter also reviews common approaches to treating and preventing recurrent sexually aggressive behavior in juveniles.
A widespread belief among the general public and professionals alike is that “sexual abuse causes sexual abuse” (Finkelhor et al., 1986; Kempe and Kempe, 1984; Lanyon, 1986). That is, sexually abused children and adolescents who have engaged in sexual behavior with an adult (or a significantly older adolescent) are commonly thought to be at risk in later years of themselves becoming sexually involved with children and adolescents. This belief is referred to here as the “abused/abuser hypothesis of child and adolescent sexual abuse.”
The extent of childhood victimization (physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect) was assessed retrospectively through self-reports in a sample of 301 convicted adult male felons randomly selected from a New York State medium-correctional facility using a structured interview with known psychometric properties. Overall, 68% of the sample of incarcerated adult male felons reported some form of childhood victimization, although the percentage varied depending on the measure used to assess the childhood abuse experiences. Violent offenders reported significantly more childhood neglect than nonviolent offenders but not more physical abuse. On an overall index of childhood sexual abuse, sex offenders reported higher rates of childhood sexual abuse than other offenders (26.3% vs.12.5%). Implications of these findings are discussed.
The present article examines the development of deviant sexual behaviour in adolescence and its implications for attempts to prevent sexual assault and to rehabilitate the sex offender. A general framework to account for the etiology of sexual deviance is presented. In the framework. abusive family experiences lead to predictable consequences in the developing sex offender that can be best described as a syndrome of social disability. The characteristics that comprise this syndrome include: lack of adult attachments, low self-esteem, impaired abilities to develop intimate relationships and empathy, and varying degrees of antisocial behaviour. Each of these is described in developmental terms. These social disabilities then set the stage for the development of abusive sexual behaviour. According to the proposed framework, the development of deviant sexual interest and arousal follows from the offender'S experience of sexual abuse, both as an abuser and, for some individuals, as a victim. Throughout the article. implications for effective treatment of the sex offender are presented and discussed.
Prior to any intervention with juvenile sex offenders it is vital that a comprehensi ve assessment ofthe youth and his family be completed. To aid the clinician in conducting such an assessment the literature on the characteristics of male juvenile sex offenders, female offenders, and parents of young offenders is briefly reviewed. Guidelines for conducting a comprehensive clinical assessment of a sexually assaultive youth and his parents covering a number of key areas are outlined. These include obtaining reports from outside sources, taking a developmental. sexual, family, medical, and psychiatric history, and assessing the family’s current attitude towards the sexual offence. In particular, specific questions and areas of inquiry for completing a comprehensive sexual development/sexual offending history are suggested. This article concludes by highlighting the need for future studies to compare sexually abusive youth to other types of juvenile offenders and their non-offending peers, and the need for the development offorensicaJly sound assessment instruments for use with this population.
High school-level child abuse prevention programs are described and critically examined. Programs are typically less than two hours, focused on date rape and sexual abuse prevention and reporting, and not integrated into existing family life education programs. Little attention is given to neglect or emotional abuse. Instructional methods are typically limited to demonstration and lecture with less use of more powerful techniques such as peer instruction and student-to-student role plays. The four goals of high school child maltreatment prevention programs are articulated and appraised. Implications for decision making about the emphasis, form, and sequencing of child abuse prevention content are forwarded.
Surveillance systems are developed to enhance security and safety by constantly observing locations of interest. Although those systems can observe scenes of individual cameras separately, it is difficult to figure out what happened to the target moving across multiple cameras. This paper first proposes Video Diary Service (VDS) to solve this problem. VDS is an automatic video-oriented diary service, which keeps track of users’ lives. In addition, VDS can identify social networking relationships among the users, as well as record videos of the users. By exploiting these properties of VDS, we extend VDS into a new surveillance system called S-VDS. S-VDS is a target-centric surveillance system which focuses on the target, not the area, with its comprehensive information including the location, time, social relationship, and preferences. We then develop the basic functions of the proposed system and demonstrate its feasibility. We also illustrate three applications (i.e., a remote healthcare system, an anti-crime system, and a system for finding missing children), where the proposed system can enhance security and safety by considering individual surveillance purposes.
While significant research has been completed on adult sex offenders, this has yet to be the case for adolescent offenders. This article reviews current research on adolescent sex offenders, discusses the importance of research in this area, and describes directions for future study.
Many sexual offenders begin to commit sexual crimes in adolescence. A growing number of adolescent sexual offenders are being apprehended and convicted. In this survey, it was found that many of them began to learn about sex prior to puberty and had sexual relations with adults who were gener ally eight years older than the offender.
No abstract available. Offender Treatment Sexual Assault Offender Sexual Assault Treatment Offender Assessment Juvenile Offender Juvenile Treatment Juvenile Violence Psychotherapy Dangerousness Violence Against Women 11-99
To whom correspondence should be addressed.
This survey report presents information on 20 treatment programs in 12 states which are directly concerned with the existing sexual problems and future behavior of correctional inmates, probationers, and parolees. Three additional programs which are no longer in operation, but have considerable historical interest, are also described. The programs reviewed fall into two broad categories: institutions, mental hospitals, or special institutions for sex offenders; and community-based programs for offenders (including probationers and parolees) living in the community. No attempt is made to evaluate each program individually, or to rank them comparatively. Rather, report recommendations call attention to the wide range of alternatives being explored, and from which those planning to launch additional programs can make a selection appropriate to their problems, goals, and resources. Excluded from this survey is a wide range of treatment programs, both institutional and community, which are available to offenders generally, including sex offenders, but which are not tailored to the specifically sexual problems of sex offenders. Appended material includes descriptions of nine additional treatment programs, an evaluation of sex offender treatment programs, and a state-by-state list of directors of treatment programs for sex offenders. A list of bibliographic references is provided. (Author)
Describes a group of 26 15–17 yr old boys convicted of rape and child assault and a group of 37 adult convicted offenders who had a juvenile criminal history of rape or child assault. Demographic and criminological characteristics of the sample are presented in table form. A descriptive profile of the typical offender from this sample is presented, and differences between those who rape and those who molest children are noted. In only 9 cases (14%) did the sexual assault appear to be the 1st interpersonal sexual experience in the offender's life. A common characteristic of the adult offenders was their consistency over time in act, choice of victim, locale, and degree of force used. It is noted that often there were more incidents of antisocial sexual behavior known to the police, parents, or neighbors than those that appeared on the offender's criminal record. Typically, these incidents were dismissed as unimportant. The dynamics of forcible assault by adolescents were the same as those exhibited by the adult offender: a sexual expression of anger and/or power. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Studied the records and backgrounds of juveniles arrested for sexual misconduct compared with a sample of those arrested for other forms of misbehavior. Non-sex offenders were more apt to be male, to have had previous contact with authorities, and to have committed multiple offenses. Sexual offenses from most to least frequent for males were sex play, forcible rape, sodomy, and statutory rape; for females they were promiscuity, prostitution, and sex play. It is concluded that labeling as "delinquent" much sexual behavior in adolescents which is widely condoned in adults is only 1 indication of society's continued unwillingness to approach sexual behavior in a realistic manner. 3 commentaries are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This study compares the psychiatric, neurological, and psychoeducational status of sexually assaultive male juveniles and other violent juveniles. The authors found that juvenile sexual assaulters suffered from neuropsychiatric problems similar to those of other violent juveniles, had committed violent acts other than sexual assault, and had had seriously aberrant behavior since early childhood. The findings contradict prevailing assumptions that sexual assaults by juveniles are rare occurrences and that juvenile sex offenders have low rates of recidivism. Theoretical and treatment implications are discussed.
Juvenile violent, nonviolent, and sexual offenders were compared across a broad range of intellectual, neuropsychological, and psychoeducational measures. No systematic group differences were noted, nor was cognitive status related to the severity of violent behavior. These findings cast doubt on the generalizability of previous investigations implicating cerebral dysfunction in juvenile delinquents.
This article explores the more common adolescent sexual behavior problems that have legal ramifications, and the role of the physician in approaching such problems. Various presenting sexual offense behaviors are described, as well as the implications for the patient as offender, and finally the parental and physician attitudes necessary to facilitate successful treatment outcomes. Intervention approaches are discussed, and two cases are presented from a group of 83 adolescent male sexual offenders referred to our Juvenile Sexual Offender Project. The discussion and cases illustrate abnormal sexual behaviors which may come to the attention of physicians and other health care professionals.
In a survey of 796 undergraduates at six New England colleges and universities, 15% of the females and 10% of the males reported some type of sexual experience involving a sibling. Fondling and touching of the genitals were the most common activities in all age categories. One-fourth of the experiences could be described as exploitative either because force was used or because there was a large age disparity between the partners. Reactions to the experiences were equally divided among those who considered them positive and those who considered them negative. Females were more likely than males to have been exploited and feel badly about it. Few participants of either sex ever told anyone. The research finds evidence that such experience may have long-term effects on sexual development. Females who report sibling sexual experiences, both positive and negative, have substantially higher levels of current sexual activity. Their level of sexual self-esteem may also have been affected, but more selectively. Those with positive sibling experiences after age 9 have more sexual self-esteem. However, experiences with much older siblings taking place before age 9 are associated with generally lower levels of self-esteem and no increase in current sexual activity.
Sexual assault among adolescents: A national study Treatment Programs for the Sex Offenders Sexual Assault of Children and Adolescents Recognizing and treating dangerous sex offenders
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