NCJ Number
133515
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 35 Issue: 3 Dated: (Fall 1991) Pages: 225-234
Date Published
1991
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Using a sample of 53 juvenile sex offenders and 57 nonsexual offending juveniles released from a residential treatment program during 1987 and 1988, this study examines the effectiveness of a peer counseling program that served both groups.
Abstract
The investigation was conducted using a point-in-time agency survey designed to assess the community adjustment of the released youth as well as the types of crime that led to any criminal reconviction. Six behavioral statements were used by State parole workers to characterize each participant's community adjustment. The findings suggest that large percentages of youth entering residential correctional care may have committed undetected sexual offenses. The post-release behavior of juvenile sex offenders may not post the degree of personal risk assumed by the public. Finally, a facility's primary peer counseling group treatment program produce recidivism rates comparable to those reported among participants in specialized treatment programs. The authors suggest that an integrated services approach to the group treatment of adolescent sex offenders may offer the most effective and cost-efficient alternative available to many correctional facilities. 4 tables and 25 references (Author abstract modified)