Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Adolescent Sex Offenders

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Handbook of Adolescent Behavioral Problems

Abstract

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 299.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Abel, G. G., Mittelman, M. S., & Becker, J. V. (1985). Sex offenders: Results of assessment and recommendations for treatment in clinical criminology. In M. H. Ben-Aron, S. J. Hucker, & C. D. Webster (Eds.), The assessment and treatment of criminal behavior. Toronto, ON, Canada: M and M Graphic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Awad, G. A., Saunders, E., & Levene, J. (1984). A clinical study of male adolescent sexual offenders. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 20, 105–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T. (1979). Cognitive therapy and the emotional disorder. New York: Meridian Book.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beck, A. T. (1995). Cognitive therapy. In H. I. Kaplan & B. J. Sadock (Eds.), Comprehensive textbook of psychiatry (Vol. 6, pp. 2167–2177). Baltimore, MD: Wiliams & Wilkins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, J. V. (1988). What we know about the characteristics and treatment of adolescents who have committed sexual offenses. Child Maltreatment, 3, 317–329.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker, J. V. (1990). Treating adolescent sexual offenders. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 5, 362–365.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Becker, J. V., & Hunter, J. A. (1997). Understanding and treating child and adolescent sexual offenders. In T. H. Ollendick & R. J. Prinz (Eds.), Advances in clinical child psychology (Vol. 19, pp. 177–197). New York: Plenum Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Becker, J. V., & Kaplan, M. S. (1993). Cognitive behavioral treatment of the juvenile sex offender. In H. E. Barbaree, W. L. Marshall, & S. M. Hudson (Eds.), The juvenile sex offender (pp. 264–277). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becker, J. V., Kaplan, M. S., Cunningham-Rathner, J., & Kavoussi, R. (1986). Characteristics of adolescent incest sexual perpetrators: Preliminary findings. Journal of Family Violence, 1(1), 85–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beckett, R. (1999). Evaluation of adolescent sexual abusers. In M. Erooga & H. Mason (Eds.), Children and young people who sexually abuse others: Challenges and responses (pp. 204–224). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bengis, S. (2010). Comprehensive service delivery with a continuum of care. In G. Ryan, T. Leversee, & S. Lane (Eds.), Juvenile sexual offending (3rd ed., pp. 224–230). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bentovim, A. (2002). Research on the development of sexually abusive behavior in sexually abusive males: The implications for clinical practice. In M. C. Calder (Ed.), Young people who sexually abuse: Building the evidence base for your practice (pp. 204–224). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berlin, F. S. (1997). Chemical castration for sex offenders. New England Journal of Medicine, 336(14), 1030–1031.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Berlin, F. S., & Meinecke, C. F. (1981). Treatment of sex offenders with antiandrogenic medication: Conceptualization, review of treatment modalities, and preliminary findings. American Journal of Psychiatry, 138, 601–607.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Blanchard, R., Christensen, B. K., Strong, S. M., Cantor, J. M., Kuban, M. E., Klassen, P., et al. (2002). Retrospective self-reports of childhood accidents causing unconsciousness in phallometrically diagnosed pedophiles. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 31, 511–516.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Borduin, C. M., Schaeffer, C. M., & Heiblum, N. (2009). A randomized clinical trial of multisystemic therapy with juvenile sexual offenders: Effects on youth social ecology and criminal activity. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 77(1), 26–37.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bourke, M. L., & Donohue, B. (1996). Assessment and treatment of juvenile sex offenders: An empirical review. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 5(1), 47–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradford, J. M. W. (1995). Pharmacological treatment of the paraphilias: In review of psychiatry. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development; experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, J., & Keller, S. (2000). Can the mass media be healthy sex educators? Family Planning Perspectives, 32, 255–257.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Butler, S. M., & Seto, M. C. (2002). Distinguishing two types of adolescent sex offenders. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 41(1), 83–90.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell, M. F. (2002). What we do not know about juvenile sexual reoffense risk. Child Maltreatment, 7, 291–302. doi:10.1177/107755902237260.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Calley, N. G. (2012). Juvenile offender recidivism: An examination of risk factors. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 21(3), 257–272.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cantor, J. M., Blanchard, R., Christensen, B. K., Dickey, R., Klassen, P. E., Beckstead, A. L., et al. (2004). Intelligence, memory, and handedness in pedophilia. Neuropsychology, 18(1), 3–14.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cantor, J. M., Blanchard, R., Robichaud, L. K., & Christensen, B. K. (2005). Quantitative reanalysis of aggregate data on IQ in sexual offenders. Psychological Bulletin, 131(4), 555–568.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cellini, H. R. (1995). Assessment and treatment of the adolescent sexual offender. In B. K. Schwartz & H. R. Cellini (Eds.), The sex offender: Corrections, treatment and legal practice (pp. 6-1–6-12). Kingston, NJ: Civic Research Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Center for Sex Offender Management. (1999). Understanding juvenile sexual offending behavior. Silver Spring, MD: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chambless, D. L., Baker, M. J., Baucom, D. H., Beutler, L. E., Calhoun, K. S., Crist-Cristoph, P., et al. (1998). Update on empirically validated therapies, II. The Clinical Psychologist, 51, 3–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Curtis, N. M., Ronan, K. R., & Borduin, C. M. (2004). Multisystemic treatment: A meta-analysis of outcome studies. Journal of Family Psychology, 18, 411–419.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, G. E., & Leitenberg, H. (1987). Adolescent sex offenders. Psychological Bulletin, 101(3), 417–427.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Denov, M. S. (2004). Perspectives on female sex offending: A culture of denial. Burlington, VT: Ashgate.

    Google Scholar 

  • DiCataldo, F. C. (2009). The perversion of youth: Controversies in the assessment and treatment of juvenile sex offenders. New York: New York University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ertl, M. A., & McNamara, J. R. (1997). Treatment of juvenile sex offenders: A review of the literature. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 14(3), 199–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2011). Uniform crime reports for the United States. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fehrenbach, P. A., & Monastersky, C. (1988). Characteristics of female adolescent sexual offenders. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 58(1), 148–151.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fehrenbach, P. A., Smith, W., Monastersky, C., & Deisher, R. W. (1986). Adolescent sexual offenders: Offender and offense characteristics. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 56(2), 225–233.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrera, M. L., & McDonald, S. (1996). Treatment of the juvenile sex offender: Neurological and psychiatric impairments. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frank, B. (1931). Mental level as a factor in crime. The Journal of Juvenile Research, 15, 192–197.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, K. A., Dexter-Mazza, E. T., & Hoffman, K. C. (2005). Comparing personality characteristics of juvenile sex offenders and non-sex offending delinquent peers: A preliminary investigation. Sexual abuse: A journal of research and treatment, 17(1), 3–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fromuth, M. E., & Conn, V. E. (1997). Hidden perpetrators: Sexual molestation in a nonclinical sample of college women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 12(3), 456–465.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galski, T., Thornton, K. E., & Shumsky, D. (1990). Brain dysfunction in sex offenders. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 16(1–2), 65–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilby, R., Wolf, L., & Goldberg, B. (1989). Mentally retarded adolescent sex offenders: A survey and pilot study. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 34(6), 542–548.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant, J., Thornton, J., & Chamarette, C. (2006). Residential placement of intra-familial adolescent sex offenders. Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 315, 1–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graves, R. B., Openshaw, D. K., Ascione, F. R., & Ericksen, S. L. (1996). Demographic and parental characteristics of youthful sexual offenders. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 40, 300–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Groth, N. A., Longo, R. E., & McFadin, J. B. (1982). Undetected recidivism among rapists and child molesters. Crime & Delinquency, 28(3), 450–458.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter, J. A., Jr., & Figueredo, A. J. (1999). Factors associated with treatment compliance in a population of juvenile sexual offenders. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 11(1), 49–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunter, J. A., & Figueredo, A. J. (2000). The influence of personality and history of sexual victimization in the prediction of juvenile perpetrated child molestation. Behavior Modification, 24(2), 241–263.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter, J. A., Jr., & Lexier, L. J. (1998). Ethical and legal issues in the assessment and treatment of juvenile sex offenders. Child Maltreatment, 3(4), 339–348.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jespersen, A. F., Lalumière, M. K., & Seto, M. C. (2009). Sexual abuse history among adult sex offenders and non-sex offenders: A meta-analysis. Child Abuse & Neglect, 33, 179–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, T. C. (1989). Female child perpetrators: Children who molest other children. Child Abuse and Neglect, 13, 571–585.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, M. S., Becker, J. V., & Martinez, E. H. (1992). Adolescent perpetrators of incest. In R. T. Ammerman & M. Hersen (Eds.), Assessment of family violence (pp. 332–347). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katz, R. C. (1990). Psychosocial adjustment in adolescent child molesters. Child Abuse and Neglect, 14(4), 567–575.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kavoussi, R. J., Kaplan, M., & Becker, J. V. (1988). Psychiatric diagnoses in adolescent sex offenders. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 27(2), 241–243.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Knight, R. A., & Prentsky, R. A. (1993). Exploring characteristics for classifying juvenile sex offenders. In E. Barbaree, W. L. Marshall, & S. M. Hudson (Eds.), The juvenile sex offender (pp. 45–83). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. K. P., Jackson, H. J., Pattison, P., & Ward, T. (2002). Developmental risk factors for sexual offending. Child Abuse and Neglect, 26, 73–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Letourneau, E. J., Henggeler, S. W., Borduin, C. M., Schewe, P. A., McCart, M. R., Chapman, J. E., et al. (2009). Multisystemic therapy for juvenile sexual offenders: 1-year results from a randomized effectiveness trial. Journal of Family Psychology, 23(1), 89–102.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Longo, R. E. (2002). A holistic approach to treating young people who sexually abuse. In M. C. Calder (Ed.), Young people who sexually abuse: Building the evidence base for your practice (pp. 218–230). Dorset, England: Russell House.

    Google Scholar 

  • Longo, R. E., & Groth, A. N. (1983). Juvenile sexual offenses in the histories of adult rapists and child moles-ters. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 27(2), 150–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lundrigan, P. S. (2001). The outpatient program. In P. S. Lundrigan (Ed.), Treating youth who sexually abuse (pp. 65–79). New York: Hawthorne.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, W. L., & Eccles, A. (1993). Pavlonian conditioning processes in adolescent sex offenders. In H. E. Barabee, W. L. Marshall, & S. M. Hudson (Eds.), The juvenile sex offender (pp. 118–142). New York: Gilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miner, M. H. (2007). The fallacy of juvenile sex offender risk. Criminology and Public Policy, 6, 565–571.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miner, M. H., & Crimmins, C. L. S. (1995). Adolescent sex offenders: Issues of etiology and risk factors. In B. K. Schwartz & H. R. Cellini (Eds.), The sex offender (Corrections, Treatment and Legal Practice, Vol. 1, pp. 9.1–9.15). Kingston, NJ: Civic Research Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miner, M. H., Siekert, G. P., & Ackland, M. A. (1997). Evaluation: Juvenile sex offender treatment Program, Minnesota Correctional Facility—Sauk Centre. Final report—Biennium 1995–1997. Minneapolis, MN: Department of Family Practice and Community Health, Program in Human Sexuality, University of Minnesota.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Shaughnessey, R. J. (2002). Violent adolescent sexual offenders. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 11(4), 749–765.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prentsky, R., & Burgess, A. W. (1990). Rehabilitation of child molesters: A cost-benefit analysis. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 60(1), 108–117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rich, P. (2003). Juvenile sexual offenders: Understanding, assessing and rehabilitating. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rich, P. (2005). Attachment and sexual offending: Understanding and applying attachment theory to the treatment of juvenile sexual offenders. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ronis, S. T., & Borduin, C. M. (2007). Individual, family, peer, and academic characteristics of male juvenile sexual offenders. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35(2), 153–163.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, G. (1999). Treatment of sexually abusive youth. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 14(4), 422–436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, G., Miyoshi, T. J., Metzner, J. L., Krugman, R. D., & Fryer, G. E. (1996). Trends in a national sample of sexually abusive youths. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 35(1), 17–25.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, G. D., & Lane, S. L. (1997). Juvenile sexual offending: Causes, consequences and correction. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sawyer, A. M., & Borduin, C. M. (2011). Effects of multisystemic therapy through midlife: A 21.9-year follow-up to a randomized clinical trial with serious and violent juvenile offenders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 79(5), 643–652.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scavo, R. R. (1989). Female adolescent sex offenders: A neglected treatment group. Journal of Contemporary Social Work, 70, 114–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seto, M. C., & Lalumière, M. L. (2010). What is so special about male adolescent sexual offending? A review and test of explanations through meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 136(4), 526–575.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, J. A. (1999). Practice parameters for the assessment and treatment of children and adolescents who are sexually abusive of others. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 38(12 Suppl.), 55S–76S.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skuse, D., Betovim, A., Hodges, J., Stevenson, J., Andreou, C., Lanyado, M., et al. (2000). Risk factors for the development of sexually abusive behavior in sexually victimized adolescent boys. In C. Itzen (Ed.), Home truths about child sexual abuse: Influencing policy and practice (pp. 222–231). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, H., & Israel, E. (1987). Sibling incest: A study of dynamics of 25 cases. Child Abuse and Neglect, 11(1), 101–108.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, H., & Sickmund, M. (2006). Juvenile offenders and victims: 2006 national report. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stone, M. H., & Thompson, E. H. (2001). Executive function impairment in sexual offenders. The Journal of Individual Psychology, 57, 51–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (2009). Juvenile justice Bulletin. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice.

    Google Scholar 

  • U.S. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; US National Institute of Mental Health. (2001). Youth violence: A report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: Office of the Surgeon General.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Ness, S. R. (1984). Rape as instrumental violence: A study of youth offenders. Journal of Offender Counseling Services Rehabilitation, 9, 161–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Wijk, A., Loeber, R., Vermeiren, R., Pardini, D., Bullens, R., & Doreleijers, T. (2005). Violent juvenile sex offenders compared with violent juvenile non-sex offenders: Explorative findings from the Pittsburgh youth study. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 17, 333–352.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vandiver, D. M., & Kercher, G. (2004). Offender and victim characteristics of registered female sexual offenders in Texas: A proposed typology of female sexual offenders. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 16(2), 121–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ward, T., & Beech, A. (2005). An integrated theory of sexual offending. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 11, 44–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weinrott, M. (1998, August). Empirically-based treatment interventions for juvenile sex offenders, Paper presented at the Child Abuse Action Network and the State Forensic Service, Augusta, Maine.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weinrott, M. R. (1996). Juvenile sexual aggression: A critical review. Boulder, CO: Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, University of Colorado.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitaker, D. J., Le, B., Karl, H. R., Baker, C. K., McMahon, P. M., Ryan, G., et al. (2008). Risk factors for the perpetration of child sexual abuse: A review and meta-analysis. Child Abuse & Neglect, 32(5), 529–548.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Worling, J. R., & Curwen, T. (2000). Adolescent sexual offender recidivism: Success of specialized treatment and implications for risk prediction. Child Abuse and Neglect, 24(7), 965–982.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Worling, J. R., & LÃ¥ngström, N. (2006). Risk of sexual recidivism in adolescents who offend sexually: Correlates and assessment. In H. E. Barbaree & W. L. Marshall (Eds.), The juvenile sex offender (2nd ed., pp. 219–247). New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral Science and Health Education, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd., 4th Floor, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

    JaNelle M. Ricks

  2. Rollins School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral Science and Health Education, Emory University, 1518 Clifton Rd., 5th Floor, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

    Ralph J. DiClemente

Authors
  1. JaNelle M. Ricks
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ralph J. DiClemente
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to JaNelle M. Ricks .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut, New London, Connecticut, USA

    Thomas P. Gullotta

  2. Value Options, Rocky Hill, Connecticut, USA

    Robert W. Plant

  3. Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic, Connecticut, USA

    Melanie A. Evans

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Ricks, J.M., DiClemente, R.J. (2015). Adolescent Sex Offenders. In: Gullotta, T., Plant, R., Evans, M. (eds) Handbook of Adolescent Behavioral Problems. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7497-6_30

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation