Juveniles Who Commit Sex Offenses Against Minors

• NCJ Number: 227763
• Author(s): David Finkelhor; Richard Ormrod; Mark Chaffin
• Date Published: December 2009
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Series: OJJDP Crimes Against Children Series
• Grant Number(s): 2005-JL-FX-0048
• Agencies: OJJDP
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)

Annotation

This bulletin presents findings on the characteristics of juveniles who commit sex offenses against minors.

Abstract

Key findings of the study include: 1) juveniles account for more than one-third (35.6 percent) of those known to police to have committed sex offenses against minors; 2) juveniles who commit sex offenses against other children are more likely to offend in groups and at schools and to have more male victims and younger victims; 3) the number of youth coming to the attention of police for sex offenses increases sharply at age 12 and plateaus after age 14; 4) a small number of juvenile offenders (one out of eight) are younger than age 12; 5) females constitute 7 percent of juveniles who commit sex offenses; 6) females are found more frequently among younger youth than older youth who commit sex offenses; and 7) jurisdictions vary significantly in their concentration of reported juvenile sex offenders. Interest in youth who commit sexual offenses as well as specialized treatment and management programs has grown in recent years with little information available. Drawing on data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Incident-Based Reporting System, this report offers perspective on the characteristics of the juvenile sex offender population with a focus on juveniles who commit sex offenses against minors. Figures, tables, and references