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Adolescent Sexual Offenders - An Outpatient Program's Perspective on Research Directions (From Adolescent Sex Offenders - Issues in Research and Treatment, P 147-163, 1985, Emeline M Otey and Gail D Ryan, eds. )

NCJ Number
103164
Author(s)
M O'Brien
Date Published
1985
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Experiences with adolescent sex offenders involved in an outpatient education, assessment, and treatment program are illustrated in case examples, and their implications for future research are considered.
Abstract
The first program component involves individual and family interviews, psychological assessment, and group discussion. Discussion focuses on sexual victimology; the differentiation of healthy, inappropriate, and criminal sexual behavior; and each member's own behavior. Each member also assesses his own treatment needs and formulates treatment goals. Treatment focuses on acceptance of responsibility, understanding of consequences, change, and skill-building and support. Work with 250 male adolescent sexual offenders since 1981 suggests that they can be categorized into 6 broad groups: naive experimenters, unsocialized child exploiters, sexual aggressives, sexual compulsives, disturbed impulsives, and peer group-influenced offenders. In addition to providing the basis for a typology and classification scheme based on the characteristics of these groups and their offenses, the program suggests other areas for study. Some of these include the role of pornography and the media, the influence of sexual attitudes and social values, and the impact of sexual repression and sex education. 3 references.