U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Adolescent Sexual Offender Project: A 10-Year Follow-Up Study

NCJ Number
237189
Author(s)
James R. Worling, Ph.D., C.Psych.; Tracey Curwen, M.A.
Date Published
April 1998
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This study examined treatment for adolescent sexual offenders in Canada.
Abstract
Results support the efficacy of multi-systemic, community-based treatment at the Sexual Abuse: Family Education and Treatment (SAFE-T) Program for reducing the risk of both sexual and nonsexual recidivism. The sexual assault recidivism rate (criminal charges) for the comparison group was 3.6 times higher (18 percent) than the recidivism rate for the treatment group (5 percent). Therefore, treatment at SAFE-T resulted in a 72 percent reduction in sexual assault recidivism. For property offenses, the recidivism rate for the comparison group (40 percent) was 2.6 times higher than the re-offense rate for the treatment group (15 percent). The re-offense rate for any violent offenses (assault, threats, and sexual assault) for the comparison group (38 percent) was almost twice the rate found for the treatment group (21 percent). Finally, the comparison group (40 percent) was almost 3 times as likely to have been charged with "other" offenses (weapons, escape custody) in contrast to the treatment group (14 percent). Tables and endnotes