NCJ Number
115058
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 3 Issue: 4 Dated: (December 1988) Pages: 400-413
Date Published
1988
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Background information obtained from 450 male juvenile sexual offenders and their families formed the basis of an analysis of two issues: 1) whether serious offenders were more likely to have a history of aggressiveness or delinquency and 2) whether more serious sexual offenses were committed by juveniles who have previously been victims of abuse.
Abstract
The study participants were interviewed between November 1976 and October 1983 at the Juvenile Sexual Offender Program in the Adolescent Clinic of the University of Washington. Each offender was evaluated, usually along with family members, during interviews that lasted 2 to 4 hours and used a standardized protocol. Questions covered the nature of the offense, history of prior offenses, history of physical and sexual abuse of the offender and family members, family demographics, and quality of social relationships of the offender. A major revision of the data form in January 1981 permitted analysis of substantially different data on two subsamples. Analysis of the results did not show a strong association between the more serious sexual offenses and histories of aggressive or property-destructive behavior. However, results confirmed that the more serious offenses were committed by juveniles who had themselves been abused. Violence and abuse within offenders' families, even though not directly involving the offender himself, were also found to be associated with more serious offenses. Tables and 21 references. (Author abstract modified)