NCJ Number
135822
Journal
Criminologie Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Dated: special issue (Summer 1990) Pages: 95-116
Date Published
1990
Length
21 pages
Annotation
The article reports on a treatment experiment of six, sexually delinquent adolescents conducted at the Quebec Social Service Center in the spring of 1989.
Abstract
The participants (males, aged 14 to 20) had been referred to the social workers by the juvenile courts because they had molested younger children. Focusing on the participants' individual needs, the group meetings attempted to transmit fundamental facts of human sexuality, build a positive sexual identity, and encourage personal growth. The social workers had developed a pre/post test to help them evaluate the success of the therapy. The results indicate the participants' significant development in three areas: knowledge of sexuality (physiology, contraception and diseases, legal aspects); attitudes toward sex (understanding of own feelings and the feelings of the sexual partner); and personal growth (understanding of their difficulties in personal relations and approaches to improved relations). The authors conclude that the treatment goals were met and that the approach is effective as a complement to, not a replacement of, other forms of treatment. 20 references