NCJ Number
46648
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 21 Issue: 3 Dated: (1977) Pages: 249-254
Date Published
1977
Length
6 pages
Annotation
THE PSYCHOSOCIAL PROFILE OF THE ADOLESCENT SEXUAL OFFENDER IS DELINEATED.
Abstract
DURING 1970-1975, 26 OFFENDERS BETWEEN THE AGE OF 15 AND 17, COMMITTED TO THE MASSACHUSETTS CENTER FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF SEXUALLY DANGEROUS PERSONS, WERE STUDIED. FOURTEEN WERE CONVICTED OF RAPE AND TWELVE OF CHILD ASSAULT. IN ADDITION TO THE JUVENILE OFFENDERS, 37 ADULT CONVICTED OFFENDERS WHO HAD A JUVENILE CRIMINAL HISTORY OF RAPE (18) OR CHILD ASSAULT (19) WERE CONSIDERED. UNDER MASSACHUSETTS LAW, NO MALE UNDER THE AGE OF 14 CAN BE CONVICTED OR RAPE, AND IT IS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE COURT WHETHER A BOY BETWEEN THE AGES OF 14 TO 17 SHALL BE TRIED AS A JUVENILE OR ADULT WHEN CHARGED WITH A SEXUAL ASSAULT. THE TOTAL SAMPLE OF 63 SUBJECTS WAS SUBDIVIDED INTO 3 GROUPS ON THE BASIS OF THE AGE OF VICTIM RELATIVE TO THE AGE OF OFFENDER. OFFENDERS WHO ASSAULTED PEER-AGE VICTIMS OR SIGNIFICANTLY OLDER VICTIMS WERE REGARDED AS RAPISTS, WHILE THOSE WHO ASSAULTED SIGNIFICANTLY YOUNGER VICTIMS WERE REGARDED AS CHILD MOLESTERS. DESCRIPTIVE DATA WERE COLLECTED ON A NUMBER OF VARIABLES THROUGH CLINICAL INTERVIEWS WITH THE SUBJECTS, TOGETHER WITH A STUDY OF PERTINENT CASE MATERIAL. TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED. DESCRIPTIVELY, THE GENERAL PROFILE OF THE CONVICTED ADOLESCENT SEXUAL OFFENDER REVEALED BY THE DATA IS THAT OF A BOY ALMOST 16 YEARS OLD, WHITE, AND OF AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE. HIS ASSAULT IS DONE ALONE, AND HIS VICTIM IS A WHITE FEMALE A YEAR YOUNGER THAN HIMSELF. IT IS LIKELY THAT THE OFFENDER AND VICTIM KNOW EACH OTHER. A WEAPON WAS USED IN ABOUT ONE-THIRD OF THE OFFENSES, AND DRUGS OR ALCOHOL PLAYED A MINOR PART. IN ALMOST THREE-FOURTHS OR THE CASES, THE OFFENDER IS LIKELY TO HAVE COMMITTED A PREVIOUS SEXUAL ASSAULT, WITH EARLIER OFFENSES DISPOSED OF WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF COMMITMENT. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT ADOLESCENT SEXUAL OFFENSES, PARTICULARLY THOSE INVOLVING ASSAULT, NEED TO BE REGARDED AS EQUIVALENT TO MORE TRADITIONAL SYMPTOMS OF EMOTIONAL DISTURBANCE, THUS WARRANTING CAREFUL PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT BY THE COURTS AND OTHER RELATED AGENCIES. (RCB)