NCJ Number
107433
Journal
Journal of Offender Counseling Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: (October 1987) Pages: 25-31
Date Published
1987
Length
6 pages
Annotation
The demographic, social, and psychological characteristiccs of six 14- to 18-year-old male incest offenders were evaluated in a California residential treatment facility.
Abstract
Participants were selected from the Abuse Cycle Program at Olive Crest Treatment Centers in San Bernadino, Calif. All of these offenders had fully admitted to a sexual offense and chose to enter the program. All six boys had 9.4 years of education. Three boys had been expelled from school, four had been suspended from school, only one was from an intact family, and all reported relatively negative interactions with parents. Family violence was a part of their family life, encompassing sexual abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, and emotional neglect. All had used drugs and all had been incarcerated for or admitted to previous crimes. Results of a modified self-report instrument on sexual assault experiences indicated that the boys had above average self-images: They generally felt good about themselves and perceived themselves as above average in morality. This last finding suggests that these boys relied heavily on denial and had not internalized their offenses sufficiently to affect their self-perceptions. 1 table and 11 references.