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Adolescent Sexual Offenders - Offender and Offense Characteristics

NCJ Number
105873
Journal
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry Volume: 56 Issue: 2 Dated: (April 1986) Pages: 225-233
Author(s)
P A Fehrenbach; W Smith; C Moanastersky; R W Deisher
Date Published
1986
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study examined the characteristics of 305 juvenile sexual offenders, evaluated between 1976-1981, and describes their offenses and the circumstances surrounding them.
Abstract
Subjects were predominantly male, with a mean age of 14.8 years. The most frequently occurring offenses were indecent liberties (59 percent), rape (23 percent), and exposure (11 percent). The six female offenders all committed indecent liberties with children 6 years or less. For all offenders, the majority of victims were children under 12. For rape and indecent liberties, the victim was usually known to the offender, and in many cases, the offense took place while the offender was babysitting. Force, threat, or intimidation were involved in 77 percent of the offenses. There was substantial evidence of prior sexual offending in 56.6 percent of cases, and 44 percent had committed prior nonsexual offenses. In addition, a majority of subjects showed evidence of social isolation and school maladjustment. 3 tables and 19 references.