NCJ Number
243800
Journal
Psychological Bulletin Volume: 136 Issue: 4 Dated: 2010 Pages: 526-575
Date Published
2010
Length
50 pages
Annotation
This paper presents the results of a meta-analysis of studies comparing male adolescent sex offenders with male adolescent non-sex offenders.
Abstract
This paper presents the results of a meta-analysis of studies comparing male adolescent sex offenders with male adolescent non-sex offenders to determine whether sexually abusive youth require a response from the criminal justice system that is different from the response towards other delinquent populations. The analysis examined 59 independent studies that compared the two groups on a variety of factors: general delinquency risk factors, childhood abuse, exposure to violence, family problems, interpersonal problems, sexuality, psychopathology, and cognitive abilities. Findings from the analysis indicated that the adolescent sex offenders in the studies had less extensive criminal histories, fewer antisocial peers, and fewer substance use problems compared to the adolescent non-sex offenders. The findings also revealed that special explanations have been developed as a means for explaining the behavior of adolescent sex offenders. These explanations include a history of sexual abuse, exposure to sexual violence, exposure to other forms of abuse and neglect, early exposure to sex or pornography, atypical sexual interests, and low levels of self-esteem. While the analysis produced a set of explanations that could be used to evaluate adolescent sexual offending, it did not allow for the determination of whether the links between aspects of sexual development and adolescent sexual offending are causal or simply correlational. Study limitations are discussed along with implications for future research. Tables, figures, and references