NCJ Number
177923
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Dated: April 1999 Pages: 422-436
Date Published
1999
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the evolving consensus among mental health practitioners regarding the treatment of juvenile sex offenders.
Abstract
A developmental/contextual perspective in the treatment process has become the consensus view of juveniles who engage in sexually abusive behaviors, because they are rapidly growing more numerous. The developmental perspective can illuminate the phenomenology and world view of the abuser in a way that enables the clinician to achieve the goal of empathic accountability while avoiding some of the struggles with resistance that are not only exhausting and frustrating, but also contribute to burnout in the field. By addressing both the sexual and the abusive aspects of a youth's behavior, it is likely that many abusive youths will be able not only to avoid future sexual deviance and abusive behaviors, but also to develop healthy relationships and functional coping patterns. The first issue the sexually abusive youth must address in treatment is the definition of abusive interactions past and present. The abuse-specific treatment of sexually abusive youth should address six measurable goals: consistent definition of abuse in their daily lives and in relation to their sexual fantasies; recognition of the patterns associated with the abusive cycle; demonstration of new competencies that interrupt those patterns to prevent relapse; acknowledgement of the risk of relapse; the consistent demonstration of empathic skills in daily interactions; and the ability to create and maintain psychologically safe relationships based on reciprocal empathic interactions. As research proceeds to validate or correct the current consensus, the clinical hypotheses of clinicians who treat children and adolescents may provide some useful insights for the adult field as well. 2 notes and 51 references