NCJ Number
244508
Date Published
2013
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This paper examines the problems associated with identifying and working with juveniles charged with sexual offending.
Abstract
This paper from the Utah Division of Juvenile Justice Services examines the problems associated with identifying and working with juveniles charged with sexual offending. The author notes the difficulties associated with classifying juvenile sex offenders due to a lack of consensus on a single agreed-upon typology for these juvenile offenders. Researchers do agree however that any typology on juvenile sex offenders needs to be considered in conjunction with developmental theories on juveniles. Due to the difficulties in defining the juvenile sex offender population, researchers and corrections professionals have faced challenges in constructing effective treatments for these youth in a secure setting. The lack of a definition for this population of youth also poses challenges for corrections officials in terms of managing these youth and their interactions with correctional facility employees. Numerous studies on juvenile sex offending have found however that once an offender has been recognized and provided with treatment by juvenile justice system, subsequent detected sexual recidivism for these youth is relatively infrequent. 3 tables and 15 endnotes