NCJ Number
222956
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 70 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2008 Pages: 32-34,52
Date Published
February 2008
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article identifies factors in staff sexual misconduct in juvenile justice facilities and draws implications for staff training.
Abstract
Three factors are identified as influences in occurrences of staff sexual misconduct. One factor is an insufficient number of staff to provide adequate supervision. A second factor is an inadequate amount of relevant training that prepares staff to maintain appropriate professional supervision of juvenile residents. A third factor is an inability to screen out those adults at risk for sexually predatory behavior with troubled and vulnerable youths for sexual reasons. Well-defined boundaries in staff-resident interactions are critical in preventing sexual misconduct. Residents and staff feel safe when there are clear rules that govern inmate-resident relationships, when the rules are equitably enforced, and when the boundaries between staff and residents are honored. Rules pertinent to appropriate staff-resident interactions are staff dress codes that distinguish staff members from residents, prohibition of profanity by staff when working with residents, and the strengthening of privacy rights for residents. Facility administrators must be vigilant in monitoring staff-resident interactions and staff violations of policies designed to prevent sexual intimacy between staff and residents. Management training must address how to conduct an investigation when there is evidence of or a complaint about inappropriate staff conduct. This article discusses the following challenges in resolving cases of staff sexual misconduct: administrative versus criminal sanctions for sexual misconduct; collective bargaining labor agreements that undermine a zero-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct; and the prevention of violence and harassment against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youths. 7 references