The Effective Management of Juvenile
Sex Offenders in the Community
Section 2:
Overview
Key Topics for This Section
• Part I:
Scope of the Problem
• Part II:
Historical Responses
• Part III:
Current Research
• Part IV:
Implications
Section 2
2
Arrest Data
• 4,240 arrests for youth-perpetrated
forcible rapes
• 18,300 arrests for other youthperpetrated sex offenses
(Snyder & Sickmund, 2006)
Section 2
3
Arrests by Gender
100%
80%
forcible rape
other sex offenses
60%
40%
20%
0%
juvenile males
juvenile females
(Snyder & Sickmund, 2006)
Section 2
4
Arrests: Adults vs. Juveniles
juveniles
20%
juveniles
16%
adults
84%
adults
80%
forcible rape
other sex offenses
(FBI, 2005)
Section 2
5
Sex Crimes vs. Other Delinquency
• 2.5 million juvenile arrests
• Only 1% sex offenses
• 1.7 million delinquency cases
processed by juvenile courts
• Only 1% sex offenses
(NCJJ, 2004; Snyder, 2005)
Section 2
6
Catalysts Fueling Increased Awareness
• Victimization data indicating
juveniles as perpetrators
• Adult sex offenders reporting
adolescent onset
Section 2
7
Initial Growth in Literature
80
60
40
20
0
prior to 1970
1970-1980
1981-1985
1985-1991
(Adapted from Barbaree, Hudson, & Seto, 1993)
Section 2
8
The Field Over-Corrects
• Non-abusive sexual behaviors
labeled as sex offenses
• Prepubescent children categorized
as sex offenders
• Unquestioned use of adult
management strategies with youth
(see, e.g., Bumby & Talbot, in press; Chaffin et al., 2002; Letourneau & Miner, 2005; Prescott & Longo, 2006; Zimring, 2004)
Section 2
9
Key Similarities
•Harm to victims
•Cognitive
distortions
•Familiar persons vs.
strangers
•Self-management,
social competency
deficits
•Under-detection,
under-apprehension
•Heterogeneity
•Does not “just
happen”
•Not just “sex
offenders”
Section 2
10
Suggested Differences
• Deviant interests, arousal
• Psychopathy
• “Normative” impulsivity
• Environment
• Trauma
• Recidivism, outcomes
Section 2
11
Potential Subtypes:
Worling (2001)
• Antisocial/Impulsive
• Unusual/Isolated
• Overcontrolled/Reserved
• Confident/Aggressive
Section 2
12
Potential Subtypes:
Hunter et al. (2003, 2004)
• Lifestyle delinquent
• Adolescent onset, non-paraphilic
• Early adolescent onset, paraphilic
Section 2
13
Implications
• Disposition
• Placement considerations
• Assessment, treatment, supervision
• Legislation
• Victim needs and interests
Section 2
14
Summary
• Critical issue to address
• New and evolving field
• Differ from adults
• Heterogeneous group
• Individualized, developmentallyresponsive strategies
Section 2
15