NCJ Number
45156
Date Published
1978
Length
15 pages
Annotation
A PSYCHOLOGICAL CASE STUDY OF THE OFFENDER, VICTIM, AND FAMILIES INVOLVED IN A CASE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT BY AN ADOLESCENT ON A YOUNG BOY IS PRESENTED.
Abstract
A DETAILED ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE HISTORY OF THE ASSAILANT -- A 17-YEAR-OLD WHO RAPED THE 6-YEAR-OLD BOY FOR WHOM HE WAS BABYSITTING -- POINTS UP THE MANY DIFFICULTIES AND GENERAL LACK OF SUPPORT THE OFFENDER EXPERIENCED WHILE GROWING UP. CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE RAPE ARE DESCRIBED FROM THE OFFENDER'S PERSPECTIVE AND FROM THE CHILD'S PERSPECTIVE, AND THE RESPONSES OF THE VICTIM'S SIBLINGS, WHO HAD WITNESSED THE RAPE, AND OF HIS PARENTS ARE DISCUSSED. THE REACTIONS OF THE VICTIM AND HIS FAMILY TO COURT ARE DESCRIBED, AS IS THE REACTION OF THE OFFENDER TO HIS PRISON EXPERIENCE. IT IS POINTED OUT THAT THE OFFENDANT RAPED TWO TEENAGE GIRLS ON THE NIGHT PRIOR TO HIS SCHEDULED COURT APPEARANCE FOR THE CHILD OFFENSE. DESPITE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A NUMBER OF SOURCES THAT THE OFFENDER BE EVALUATED BY PSYCHIATRISTS, THE JUDGE SENTENCED HIM TO PRISON INSTEAD. POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THE OFFENDER'S BEHAVIOR ARE SUGGESTED. THE MANNER IN WHICH THE VICTIM'S FAMILY HANDLED THE IMMEDIATE CRISIS AND ITS AFTERMATH IS DISCUSSED. THE STUDY OF THE OFFENDER AND HIS BACKGROUND IS SAID TO ILLUSTRATE THAT FORCIBLE SEXUAL ASSAULT CAN BE EQUIVALENT TO SYMPTOM FORMATION AND MAY SIGNAL A SERIOUS PSYCHOLOGICAL DEFECT IN THE OFFENDER. THE STUDY ALSO ILLUSTRATES THE TENDENCY OF COURTS AND OTHER AGENCIES TO VIEW JUVENILE SEXUAL OFFENSES AS MERELY SEXUAL EXPERIMENTATION, SITUATIONAL IN NATURE, OR EXPRESSIONS OF THE NORMAL AGGRESSIVENESS OF A SEXUALLY MATURING MALE. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT ADOLESCENT SEXUAL OFFENSES, ESPECIALLY THOSE INVOLVING ASSAULT, NEED TO BE REGARDED AS SYMPTOMS OF EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE WARRANTING CAREFUL PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT BY COURTS AND OTHER AGENCIES.