NCJ Number
178696
Journal
Psychiatry, Psychology and Law Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: 1999 Pages: 79-91
Date Published
1999
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This article reviews what is known about juvenile offenders, their offense characteristics and offense dynamics, and the importance of early and appropriate intervention.
Abstract
The author presents a number of theoretical models that can be used to explore the significance of sexually aggressive behavior and the processes that inform such behavior: Finkelhor's (1984) "Four Pre-conditions"; Finkehor and Browne's (1986) "Four Traumagenic Dynamics"; Carnes' (1983), "Signs of Addiction"; Ryan and Lane's (1991) "Sexual Abuse Cycle"; and Rasmussen, Burton, and Christopherson's (1992), "Trauma Outcome Process." Using "guidelines for assessment" developed by Groth and Lorendo (1981), the case history of an adult offender is used to highlight some of the published findings to illustrate the importance of comprehensive assessment. In the discussion of intervention, that author advises that the goals of intervention for work with juvenile offenders are not significantly different from those sought in work with adult offenders. The methods developed to attain such goals, however, must be age-responsive, and should vary in order to match the age and developmental stage of the juvenile in treatment. Juvenile sexual offending is viewed by the author as a treatable problem, with "treatable" being defined as "helping the juvenile learn ways of reducing his risk of reoffending." This does not imply cure. Specialist, offense- focused intervention program that use cognitive-behavioral approaches as the preferred treatment option should aim to make juvenile sexual offenders aware of their pattern of offending behavior, with a view toward learning how to disrupt it at the earliest of stages. Following such intervention, if a juvenile persists with sexually abusive behavior, he does so knowing that he is making a conscious and deliberate choice. 72 references