NCJ Number
181862
Date Published
February 2000
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper examines approaches to treatment of adolescent sex offenders and shows how different approaches can prevent further offending by identified offenders.
Abstract
The majority of current research is no longer theoretical in a direct sense. Rather, researchers and theoreticians in the area of adolescent sex offenders are beginning to take a more empirical approach. The result is an emphasis on a wide range of variables including development, interpersonal, personality, epidemiological, sociological, cognitive, and situational. The primary expansion in current research and clinical practice is the development of sexual offending behavioral models that are data-driven through program evaluation rather than the traditional theory-driven models. Adolescent sex offenders must be held responsible for their behavior, but they must be helped to change that behavior if community protection and prevention of further victimization is the goal. Community-based treatment programs are the logical approach to providing post-release support and supervision. However, such offender treatment programs do not alleviate the need to address broader societal issues such as the status of women and the role of violence often portrayed as a problem-solving, conflict-resolution method. Figure, references