Offense Related Characteristics and Psychosexual Development of Juvenile Sex Offenders

Overview

Journal Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Date 2009 Jul 15

PMID 19594889

Citations 5

Authors

Lisette t A Hart-Kerkhoffs

Theo A H Doreleijers

Lucres M C Jansen

Anton P H van Wijk

Ruud A R Bullens

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: This article reports on offense related characteristics and the psychosexual development in subgroups of juvenile sex offenders as measured by the Global Assessment Instrument for Juvenile Sex Offenders (GAIJSO). The predictive validity of these characteristics for persistent (sexual) offensive behavior in subgroups of juvenile sex offenders was investigated.

Methods: One hundred seventy four sex offenders (mean age 14.9 SD 1.4) referred by the police to the Dutch Child Protection Board were examined. Offense related characteristics were assessed by means of the GAIJSO and the BARO (a global assessment tool for juvenile delinquents), and criminal careers of the subjects were ascertained from official judicial records.

Results: Serious need for comprehensive diagnostics were found on the domains sexual offense and psychosexual development in juvenile sex offenders, especially in the group of child molesters. These youngsters displayed more internalizing and (psychosexual) developmental problems and their sexual offense was more alarming as compared to the other juvenile sex offender subgroups. Although one third of the juveniles had already committed one or more sex offenses prior to the index offense, at follow up (mean follow up period: 36 months SD 18 months) almost no sexual recidivism was found (0.6% of the entire sample). However, a substantial proportion of the entire sample of juvenile sex offenders showed non-sexual (55.6%) and violent recidivism (32.1%). Several predictors for a history of multiple sex offending and non-sexual recidivism were identified.

Conclusion: This study revealed numerous problems in juvenile sex offenders. Assessment using the GAIJSO is helpful in order to identify indicators for extensive diagnostic assessment. In order to investigate the predictive validity for sexual reoffending a longer follow up period is necessary.

Citing Articles

Treatment Effect on Recidivism for Juveniles Who Have Sexually Offended: a Multilevel Meta-Analysis.

Ter Beek E, Spruit A, Kuiper C, van der Rijken R, Hendriks J, Stams G J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2017; 46(3):543-556.

PMID: 28540447 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-017-0308-3.

Sexuality and Autistic-Like Symptoms in Juvenile Sex Offenders: A Follow-Up After 8 Years.

Baarsma M, Boonmann C, t Hart-Kerkhoffs L, de Graaf H, Doreleijers T, Vermeiren R J Autism Dev Disord. 2016; 46(8):2679-2691.

PMID: 27193182 PMC: 4938848. DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-2805-6.

Mental disorders and criminal re-referrals in juveniles who sexually offended.

t Hart-Kerkhoffs L, Boonmann C, Doreleijers T, Jansen L, Ph van Wijk A, Vermeiren R Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2015; 9:4.

PMID: 25745514 PMC: 4350851. DOI: 10.1186/s13034-015-0035-x.

Youth who sexual offended: primary human goods and offense pathways.

Chu C, Koh L, Zeng G, Teoh J Sex Abuse. 2013; 27(2):151-72.

PMID: 24048701 PMC: 4441881. DOI: 10.1177/1079063213499188.

Psychometric evaluation of the Forensic Inpatient Observation Scale (FIOS) in youngsters with a judicial measure.

van Nieuwenhuizen C, Bongers I Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2011; 5(1):30.

PMID: 21951650 PMC: 3197486. DOI: 10.1186/1753-2000-5-30.

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