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Abstract
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VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The goal of this article by Longo was to explore sexual development, sexual learning, and experience in a sample of adolescent sex offenders.
METHODOLOGY:
A quasi-experimental survey was employed for this study. The sample was comprised of 17 adolescent sex offenders in Florida who had been bound over to adult court, tried, and sentenced for sexual assault. They were 19 or younger when the data were collected and had been in treatment for a minimum of 8 months. The sample was split between black and white (8 and 9 respectively). Seven of the victims were under 14, and 10 were over 14. A confidential questionnaire was administered asking for information about their lives prior to the time the youth had committed the offense for which they were receiving treatment. The questionnaire asked questions about what sexual encounters the youth had had, when these took place, how consenting they were, and current sexual relationships. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
The average age of the males was 17 at conviction. The average for onset of sexual assaultiveness was 14. Their victims ranged in age from 3 to 69. These youth had sexual experiences at an early age. Eight had been sexually molested. Thirteen had their first sexual experience (including molestation) before age 12. Ten had consenting sexual experiences with males who were an average of 8 years older, and 13 had consenting experiences with females who were an average of 8 years older. The average age of their first experience was 9.1 years. The youth reported that they had learned about sex or had first contact with sexual material at age 9.5 (range was 4-17). First masturbation occurred at an average of age 11.9, and first sexual intercourse occurred at an average age 12.3. Eight reported some form of sexual dysfunction during current sexual contacts, typically premature ejaculation or impotence. The experiences were mixed between consenting and traumatic. The author claimed, with no supporting statistics or citations, that direct consenting sexual contact with adult males and females were higher for offenders than nonoffenders. The author claimed that these experiences made the youth uncomfortable, insecure, and inexperienced which led to inferiority. Molestation or sexual trauma only increased this. The conclusion was that these series of events in offenders' lives led to assaultive behavior. The author claimed that the timing was similar to other adolescents for first sexual experiences but the nature of these experiences was different in that they were either with much older partners or were characterized by molestation or trauma.
AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS:
The author stated strongly that we cannot ignore psychosexual development and history in understanding male sexual offenders. Victimization, it was argued, must be addressed. There is a need to properly evaluate and treat the juvenile sexual offender, the author also stated. Better treatment programs and research was advocated for prevention for the progression of sexually offending adolescents into more serious crimes later on.
EVALUATION:
This article can be added to the list of studies that find sexual victimization in the background of juvenile offenders. The point is also well taken that adolescent sexual development must be addressed in understanding the juvenile sex offender. However, the conclusions that are reached here extend too far beyond the research presented, and there are no citations or data presented to back up this author's arguments. Additionally, the sample is very small and unrepresentative of adolescent sex offenders to make any generalizable conclusions. This study should be taken only as descriptive and suggestive, not conclusive or applicable to the overall population of male adolescent sexual offenders.
(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)
Florida
Juvenile Violence
Juvenile Male
Juvenile Offender
Sexual Assault Offender
Sexual Assault Causes
Child Abuse Offender
Child Abuse Causes
Child Molester
Child Sexual Abuse Causes
Child Sexual Abuse Offender
Rape Offender
Rape Causes
Violence Against Women
Juvenile Behavior
Juvenile Development
Juvenile Sexual Behavior
Social Learning
Child Development
Child Behavior
Child Sexual Behavior
Youth Development
Child Abuse Effects
Child Abuse Victim
Child Sexual Abuse Effects
Child Sexual Abuse Victim
Child Victim
Child Male
Male Offender
Male Victim
Male Violence
Victim Turned Offender
Sexual Assault Effects
Sexual Assault Victim
Offender Development
Behavior Development
03-05
Language: en |