Typology of adolescent sexual offenders : millon adolescent clinical inventory profiles, developmental factors, and offence characteristics

The Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) profiles of 82 adolescent male sexual offenders aged 13-19 in a community-based treatment sample were analysed to identify different subtypes of offender based on personality variables. Four groups were identified by cluster analysis: a withdrawn, socially inadequate type (n = 25); an antisocial and externalising type (n = 11); a conforming type (n = 20); and a passive-aggressive type (n = 26). Between-group comparisons showed that the proportion of adolescents reporting physical abuse by their parents was significantly different across the four groups. Subgroup membership was unrelated to victim age, victim gender, and offender history of sexual victimisation. Adolescents who had been victims of sexual abuse were significantly more likely to have had a male victim than those offenders without a history of sexual victimisation. The results of this study provide evidence for the heterogeneity of adolescent sexual offenders in terms of personality characteristics and psychopathology, while also suggesting potentially different aetiological pathways and different treatment needs.

“The Ministry of Obligation warns”: it is necessary to protect the sexual offender adolescents

This text deals with a part of the research-action “Multifamiliar groups with sexual offender adolescents” and emphasizes the written production of the adolescents during the process. two texts were involved: the first one was a letter addressed to the parents and the second was an evaluation of the multifamiliar group. Seven adolescents between 14 and 17 years old wrote the texts. About the first text we discussed: the adolescent as responsible for the domestic work; the adolescent and his need to receive support and protection and the adolescent and the recognition of his growth phase. about the second text: the feelings of the adolescent regarding sexual abuse; the relation with the institution that carries out the intervention; the symbols that identify his ambivalence. We comment about the sexual abuse practiced by these adolescents as from two main points: the adolescence seen as a development phase and the role played by the family in the conduction of this phase.

Adolescent sexual behavioral intentions measurement: A gender approach in the Colombian Caribbean region [Medición de la Intención en la Actividad Sexual en Adolescentes: una Aproximación de Acuerdo al Género del Caribe Colombiano]

The study of 1777 male and female adolescent students of 11-19 years in the Colombian Caribbean had two objectives: development and validation of two reproductive health intention scales and analyze gender differences. The pilot of the scale consisted of 8 items and was reduced to 6, to check the reliability and validity using factor analysis and principal components with VARIMAX rotation yielded two factors: Intention and Intention Risk Protection, explained between 69.4% and 70% respectively. In the male Protection Intent (M = 3.87 and SD = 1.29) and risk (M = 2.56 and SD = 1.18) obtained an alpha between 0.74 and 0.86, and in Protection of Intent to female (M = 3.49 and SD = 1.35) and risk (M = 1.50 and SD = 0.89) ranged between 0.78 and 086. In conclusion, the reliability and structural stability are adequate and there are gender differences in the scales.

Does sexual offender treatment work? : A systematic review of outcome evaluations. '??Es efectivo el tratamiento de los delincuentes sexuales? : una revisi??n sistem??tica de los resultados evaluados'

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n. Resumen tambi??n en ingl??s

Personality-based typology of adolescent sexual offenders using the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory

Previous research suggests that identifying specific subgroups amongst the population of adolescent sexual offenders may contribute to understanding the aetiology of their offending. Such knowledge may also help to improve the treatment outcomes for this group. The Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) profiles of 25 adolescent male sexual offenders aged 13 to 17 in a community-based treatment sample were analysed to determine if this measure could be used to identify different subtypes of offenders based on personality variables. Three groups were identified by cluster analysis: one group of antisocial and externalising types (n = 11), another group of withdrawn, socially inadequate types (n = 7) and a third group displaying few traits of clinically significant elevation (n = 7). Support was also shown for the hypothesis that adolescent sexual offenders exhibit personality profiles similar to those of delinquent non-sexual offenders. The observed typology suggests potentially different etiological pathways and different treatment needs.

Emotional intelligence among adolescent sexual offenders : a comparison with violent offenders and non-offenders

Emotional intelligence includes one's ability to identify, use, understand and manage emotions. This thesis indicates that, when compared to peers with no convictions and those with violent convictions, adolescent sexual offenders have lower levels of emotional intelligence in general and, that, in particular, they had problems identifying, using and managing their emotions.

Empathy and adolescent sexual offenders : a review of the literature

A significant proportion of sexual offenses has been found to be committed by adolescent offenders. Although there is overlap in the backgrounds of adolescent sexual offenders and juvenile delinquents, in recent times there has been an increased effort to identify and treat adolescent sexual offenders as a distinct population. Adolescent sexual offenders are thought to be empathy deficient, with empathy development a commonly defined treatment goal. There is confusion, however, as to whether such empathy deficits are general in nature, are towards certain groups of people, or are own victim-specific. This article provides a review of the literature concerning empathy and adolescent sexual offenders and, based on this assessment, recommendations are made for future research.

Good lives sexual offender treatment for mentally disordered offenders

Purpose – The main aim of this paper is to describe the content, structure and preliminary evaluation of a new Good Lives sexual offender treatment group (SOTG) for male mentally disordered offenders.

Design/methodology/approach – As evaluation and work on the SOTG is necessarily ongoing, case study descriptions of each patient who attended the SOTG and of their progress throughout SOTG are described.

Findings – Overall, the case study progress reports suggest that mentally disordered male patients made some notable progress on SOTG despite their differential and complex needs. In particular, attention to each patient's life goals and motivators appeared to play a key role in promoting treatment engagement. Furthermore, patients with lower intelligence quotient and/or indirect pathways required additional support to understand the links between the Good Lives Model (GLM) and their own risk for sexual offending.

Research limitations/implications – Further evaluations of SOTG groups, that incorporate higher numbers of participants and adequate control groups, are required before solid conclusions and generalisations can be made.

Practical implications – Practitioners should consider providing additional support to clients when implementing any future SOTGs for mentally disordered patients.

Originality/value – This is the first paper to outline and describe implementation of the GLM in the sexual offender treatment of mentally disordered male patients group format. As such, it will be of interest to any professionals involved in the facilitation of sexual offender treatment within this population.

Adolescent Sexual Health: Time to Engage

Issue editor introduction to Volume 2, Issue 2 of the Journal of Applied Research on Children.

Review: Reducing Adolescent Sexual Risk: A Theoretical Guide for Developing and Adapting Curriculum-Based Programs

A review of Reducing Adolescent Sexual Risk: A Theoretical Guide for Developing and Adapting Curriculum-Based Programs by Douglas Kirby.

Adolescent Sexual Behavior: Examining Data from Texas and the US

Background: The US has higher rates of teen births and sexually transmitted infections (STI) than other developed countries. Texas youth are disproportionately impacted. Purpose: To review local, state, and national data on teens’ engagement in sexual risk behaviors to inform policy and practice related to teen sexual health. Methods: 2009 middle school and high school Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data, and data from All About Youth, a middle school study conducted in a large urban school district in Texas, were analyzed to assess the prevalence of sexual initiation, including the initiation of non-coital sex, and the prevalence of sexual risk behaviors among Texas and US youth. Results: A substantial proportion of middle and high school students are having sex. Sexual initiation begins as early as 6th grade and increases steadily through 12th grade with almost two-thirds of high school seniors being sexually experienced. Many teens are not protecting themselves from unintended pregnancy or STIs – nationally, 80% and 39% of high school students did not use birth control pills or a condom respectively the last time they had sex. Many middle and high school students are engaging in oral and anal sex, two behaviors which increase the risk of contracting an STI and HIV. In Texas, an estimated 689,512 out of 1,327,815 public high school students are sexually experienced – over half (52%) of the total high school population. Texas students surpass their US peers in several sexual risk behaviors including number of lifetime sexual partners, being currently sexually active, and not using effective methods of birth control or dual protection when having sex. They are also less likely to receive HIV/AIDS education in school. Conclusion: Changes in policy and practice, including implementation of evidence-based sex education programs in middle and high schools and increased access to integrated, teen-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, are urgently needed at the state and national levels to address these issues effectively.

A look at parent-adolescent processes and adolescent sexual intentions among urban, minority, middle school youth

Background. The United States continues to have the highest rates in teenage pregnancy among industrialized nations and approximately 46% of high school students engaged in sex by the time they graduated. Various family adolescent processes (family connectedness, perceived parental beliefs about sex, parent-child communication about sex) have been linked to adolescent sexual behavior. However, the association between family adolescent and adolescent sexual intentions has not often been studied in middle school minority youth.^ Methods. Research hypotheses were tested using a secondary data analysis from a HIV, STI, and pregnancy prevention program for urban middle school students.^ Results. At baseline, 77% of students reported low intentions to engage in vaginal or oral sex within a year and 87% reported they would use a condom if having sex within the next 3 months. After adjusting for gender, age, and race/ethnicity, family connectedness and perceived parental beliefs about sex were significantly associated with vaginal and oral sex intentions. Only perceived parental beliefs was associated with condom use intentions. ^ Conclusions. Family adolescent processes appear to be associated with adolescents’ intentions regarding sex and condom use. Early interventions are needed that take into account the importance of healthy, supportive parent-adolescent relationships and encourage parents to share their beliefs about sex to adolescents before the onset of sexual activity. ^