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Abstract
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VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this article by Saunders and Awad was to report clinical assessments of 19 male adolescent sexual offenders who had committed "hands-off" offenses, i.e. exhibitionism, telephone scatologia, or voyeurism.
METHODOLOGY:
This study was quasi-experimental in design. A sampling of 19 male adolescent sexual offenders who had committed hands-off offenses were given clinical assessments. This consisted of a minimum of two individual interviews, psychological testing, two interviews with the parents and an interview with the family. Following the assessments, the clinician responsible for the case completed a questionnaire which coded data for computer entry. The sample was not representative of the general population of adolescent sexual offenders as it consisted of only a subgroup of those offenders who had been caught, charged and either confessed or had been judged guilty by a court.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
It was found that many of the subjects' parents possessed a history of psychiatric disturbances. Five mothers had been diagnosed with clinical depression, two had committed suicide, two displayed suicidal tendencies, and three possessed a history of alcohol and drug abuse. A third of the fathers had been at one time involved with alcohol abuse, while several of the fathers had a history of physical abuse.
The majority of subjects were found to display severe learning problems. Also, twelve of the subjects exhibited socially isolated behavior. In addition, several of the adolescents had previously committed non-sexual delinquencies, such as break-and-enter offenses, thefts, mischief, and arson.
Several offenders appeared to be sexually deviant, although they did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of paraphilia. Eight adolescents had committed hands-off offenses (exhibitionism: N=6; telephone scatologia: N=1; exhibitionism and telephone scatologia, N=1). The other ten offenders had committed hands-off and hands-on offenses, specifically: exhibitionism, toucherism, child molestation, rape, and/or attempted rape. In sum, anti-social traits, sexual deviance in the family, homosexual conflicts, repressed sexuality and sexual deviance were considered by the authors to be contributory factors.
AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
Adolescents who had committed hands-off and hands-on offenses appeared to show signs of sexual deviance which could not be properly diagnosed. As more cases are reported in the literature the issue of modifying definitions of paraphilic disorders to make them applicable to adolescent sexual offenders should be addressed.
(CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
Male Offender
Male Violence
Juvenile Male
Juvenile Offender
Juvenile Violence
Early Adolescence
Late Adolescence
Sexual Assault Offender
Offender Characteristics
Juvenile Behavior
Juvenile Sexual Behavior
Violence Causes
Sexual Assault Causes
Exhibitionism
Obscene Phone Calls
Violence Against Women
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