Abstract
Theoretical frameworks like Family Systems and Ecological Theories that postulate youth development is shaped by interconnected and interdependent systems begets further inquiry into classifications of such systems. Developing family typologies of youth who commit sexual crimes may inform etiology, service approaches, and judicial responses. In collaboration with a state Sex Offender Management Board, this study analyzed the perspectives of treatment providers (N = 19) on families of youth who have committed sexual crimes. Using deductive coding strategies including hypothesis and elaborative coding; observer triangulation and inter-subjective agreement; constant comparison analyses; and other rigorous qualitative techniques, findings confirmed and expanded upon extant literature. Results revealed a spectrum of open and closed family systems and common experiences including distorted perceptions of sexuality, protection of the family system, and other contextual influences. Findings are integrated with the theoretical frameworks and recommendations are offered to improve practices and typological research.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adler, N. A., & Schutz, J. (1995). Sibling incest offenders. Child Abuse and Neglect, 19(7), 811–819.
ATLAS.ti Version 7.0. (2012). Berlin, Scientific Software Development.
Baker, A. J. L., Tabacoff, R., Tornusciolo, G., & Eisenstadt, M. (2003). Family secrecy: A comparative study of juvenile sex offenders and youth with conduct disorders. Family Process, 42(1), 105–116.
Bischof, G. P., Stith, S. M., & Wilson, S. M. (1992). A comparison of the family systems of adolescent sexual offenders and nonsexual offending delinquents. Family Relations, 41(3), 318–323.
Boeije, H. (2002). A purposeful approach to the constant comparative method in the analysis of qualitative interviews. Quality and Quantity, 36(4), 391–409.
Bowen, M. (1976). Theory in the practice of psychotherapy. In P. J. Guerin (Ed.), Family therapy (pp. 42–90). New York: Gardner.
Bowen, M. (1978). Family therapy in clinical practice. New York: Aronson.
Broderick, C. B. (1993). Understanding family process: Basics of family systems theory. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Carter, B., & McGoldrick, M. (1989). The changing family life cycle: A framework for family therapy. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Chaffin, M., Berliner, L., Block, R., Johnson, T. C., Friedrich, W. N., Lyon, T. D., et al. (2006). Report of the ATSA task force on children with sexual behavior problems. Beaverton, OR: Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers.
DeFrain, J., & Asay, S. M. (2007). Strong families around the world: An introduction to the family strengths perspective. Marriage and Family Review, 41(1/2), 1–10.
Duane, Y., Carr, A., Cherry, J., McGrath, K., & O’Shea, D. (2002). Experiences of parents attending a program for families of adolescent child sexual abuse perpetrators in Ireland. Child Care in Practice, 8(1), 46–57.
Duane, Y., & Morrison, T. (2004). Families of young people who sexually abuse: Characteristics, context, and considerations. In G. O’Reilly, A. Carr, & W. L. Marshall (Eds.), The handbook of clinical intervention with young people who sexually abuse (pp. 103–128). New York, NY: Brunner Routledge.
Etgar, T., & Shulstain-Elrom, H. (2009). A combined therapy model (individual and family) for children with sexual behavior problems. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 53(5), 574–595.
Felizzi, M. C. (2015). Family or caregiver instability, parental attachment, and the relationship to juvenile sex offending. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 24(6), 641–658.
Hunter, J. A. (2006). Understanding diversity in juvenile sexual offenders: Implications for assessment, treatment, and legal management. In R. E. Longo & D. S. Prescott (Eds.), Current perspectives: Working with sexually aggressive youth and youth with sexual behavior problems (pp. 63–77). Holyoke, MA: NEARI Press.
Hunter, J., & Longo, R. E. (2004). Relapse prevention with juvenile sexual abusers: A holistic and integrated approach. In G. Reilly, W. L. Marshall, A. Carr, & R. C. Beckett (Eds.), The handbook of clinical intervention with young people who sexually abuse. Brunner-Routledge: Hove and New York.
Kaplan, M. S., Becker, J. V., & Martinez, D. F. (1990). A comparison of mothers of adolescent incest vs. non-incest perpetrators. Journal of Family Violence, 5(3), 209–214.
Lankester, D., & Meyer, B. (1986). The relationship of family structure to sex offense behavior. In Paper presented at the first national conference on juvenile sex offending, Minneapolis, MN.
Letourneau, E. J., & Borduin, C. M. (2008). The effective treatment of juveniles who sexually offend: An ethical imperative. Ethics and Behavior, 18(2/3), 286–306.
Letourneau, E. J., Henggeler, S. W., Borduin, C. M., Schewe, P. A., McCart, M. R., Chapman, J. E., & Saldana, L. (2009). Multisystemic therapy for juvenile sexual offenders: 1-year results from a randomized effectiveness trial. Journal of Family Psychology, 23(1), 89–102.
Longo, R. E. (2005). An integrated experiential approach to treating young people who sexually abuse. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 13(3–4), 193–213.
Miner, M. H., Romine, R., Robinson, B. E., Berg, D., & Knight, R. A. (2014). Anxious attachment, social isolation, and indicators of sex drive and compulsivity: Predictors of sexual abuse perpetration in adolescent males. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 1–22. doi:10.1177/1079063214547585.
Nahum, D., & Brewer, M. M. (2004). Multi-family group therapy for sexually abusive youth. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 13(3/4), 215–243.
O’Brien, M. J. (1991). Taking sibling incest seriously. In M. Patton (Ed.), Family sexual abuse: Frontline research and evaluation (pp. 75–92). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Olson, D. H., Sprenkle, D. H., & Russell, C. S. (1979). Circumplex model of marital and family systems: I. Cohesion and adaptability dimensions, family types, and clinical applications. Family Process, 18(1), 3–28.
Padget, D. K. & Henwood, B. F. (2012). Qualitative and mixed methods: Current approaches. School of social work, University of Denver, May 9, 2012. Presentation.
Padgett, D. K. (2008). Qualitative methods in social work research (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Papero, D. V. (1990). Bowen family systems theory. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Rich, P. (2011). Juvenile sexual offenders: understanding, assessing, and rehabilitating (2nd ed.). New Jersey: Wiley.
Righthand, S., & Welch, C. (2004). Characteristics of youth who sexually offend. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 13(3), 15–32.
Ryan, G. (2010a). Sexually abusive youth: Defining the problem and the population. In G. Ryan, T. Leversee, & S. Lane (Eds.), Juvenile sexual offending: Causes consequences and correction (3rd ed., pp. 3–12). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Ryan, G. (2010b). The families of sexually abusive youth. In G. Ryan, T. Leversee, & S. Lane (Eds.), Juvenile sexual offending: Causes consequences and correction (3rd ed., pp. 147–164). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Saldana, J. (2009). The coding manual for qualitative researchers. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publishing.
Sefarbi, R. (1990). Admitters and deniers among adolescent sex offenders and their families: A preliminary study. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 60(3), 460–465.
Seto, M. S., & Lalumiere, 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.
Smallbone, S. W., & Dadds, M. R. (2000). Attachment and coercive sexual behavior. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 12(1), 3–15.
Smith, W. R., & Monastersky, C. (1987). Strategies for studying the role of the family in the commission of sexual offenses by adolescents. Unpublished manuscript.
Spice, A., Viljoen, J., Latzman, N., Scalora, M., & Ullman, D. (2012). Risk and protective factors for recidivism among juveniles who have offended sexually. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 25(4), 347–369.
Stevenson, H. C., Castillo, E., & Sefarbi, R. (1990). Treatment of denial in adolescent sex offenders and their families. Journal of Offender Counseling Services Rehabilitation, 14(1), 37–50.
Thomas, J. (2004). Family intervention with young people with sexually abusive behavior. In G. O’Reilly, A. Carr, & W. L. Marshall (Eds.), The handbook of clinical intervention with young people who sexually abuse (pp. 315–342). New York: Brunner Routledge.
Thomas, J. (2010). Family therapy: A critical component in treatment of sexually abusive youth. In G. Ryan, T. Leversee, & S. Lane (Eds.), Juvenile sexual offending: Causes consequences and correction (3rd ed., pp. 357–379). New Jersey: Wiley.
Thomas, V., & Olson, D. H. (2007). Problem families and the circumplex model: Observational assessment using the clinical rating scale. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 19(2), 159–175.
van Wijk, A., Vermeiren, R., Loeber, R., Hart-Kerkhoffs, L., Doreleijers, T., & Bullens, R. (2006). Juvenile sex offenders compared to non-sex offenders: A review of the literature 1995–2005. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse, 7(4), 227–243.
Wanklyn, S. G., Ward, A. K., Cormier, N. S., Day, D. M., & Newman, J. E. (2012). Can we distinguish juvenile violent sex offenders, violent non-sex offenders, and versatile violent sex offenders based on childhood risk factors? Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 27(11), 2128–2143.
Ward, T., & Brown, M. (2004). The good lives model and conceptual issues in offender rehabilitation. Psychology, Crime and Law, 10(3), 243–257.
Ward, T., & Gannon, T. A. (2006). Rehabilitation, etiology, and self-regulation: The comprehensive good lives model of treatment for sexual offenders. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 11(1), 77–94.
Worley, K. B., Church, J. K., & Clemmons, J. C. (2011). Parents of adolescents who have committed sexual offenses: Characteristics, challenges and interventions. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 17(3), 433–448.
Yoder, J. R., & Brown, S. (2015). Challenges facing families of sexually abusive youth: What prevents service engagement? Victims and Offenders, 10(1), 29–50. doi:10.1080/15564886.2013.875969.
Yoder, J., Hansen, J., Lobanov-Rostovsky, C., & Ruch, D. (2015). The impact of family service involvement on treatment completion and general recidivism among male youthful sexual offenders. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 54(4), 256–277.
Yoder, J., & Ruch, D. (2015). Youth who have sexually offended: Using strengths and rapport to engage families in treatment. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 24(9), 1–11.
Zankman, S., & Bonomo, J. (2004). Working with parents to reduce juvenile sex offender recidivism. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 13(3/4), 139–156.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yoder, J.R., Ruch, D. & Hodge, A. Families of Youth Who Have Sexually Offended: Understanding Shared Experiences and Moving Towards a Typology. J Child Fam Stud 25, 1581–1593 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-015-0339-8
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-015-0339-8