NCJ Number
197780
Journal
Family Violence & Sexual Assualt Bulletin Volume: 18 Issue: 3 Dated: Fall 2002 Pages: 6-14
Date Published
2002
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This article explains the Offender Typology System that was developed to assist educators in the education and treatment of juvenile sex offenders.
Abstract
The authors sought to develop a classification system that would be useful in designing appropriate psychoeducational interventions for juvenile sex offenders. One hundred and forty randomly selected juvenile sex offenders who were wards in the Continuum of Care Sex Offender Treatment Program were participants in the study. During years two to three of the evaluation of the offenders and the program, the authors developed the Offender Typology System that classified four types of juvenile sex offenders. Type one is described as an offender who knows the appropriate social behavior and has a desire to be a pro-social member of society. Type two offenders lack knowledge of pro-social behaviors but have a desire to be productive law-abiding citizens. Type three offenders have knowledge of pro-social behavior but chose not to conform to societal laws and expectations. Finally, type four offenders lack knowledge of pro-social behaviors and are in a transition period as far as future trajectory. The authors suggest that educators may use this typology to better understand juvenile sex offenders and to design appropriate educational models to use with these juveniles. Such educational models include the use of writing to teach free expression rather than grammar and the use of real-life mathematical situations to convey mathematical principles. The authors report that members of the treatment group of the study claimed the Offender Typology System to be an accurate, useable, and simple system to assess individual juvenile offender treatment and education needs. References