Introduction
Adolescent sex offenders are youths aged between 12 years and 17 years who forcefully commit sexual acts with persons of any age, against the will of their victims or without consent in an exploitative, aggressive, and threatening manner (Ryan, 2010). It is difficult to accurately determine the prevalence of adolescent sex crimes due to the absence of comprehensive or accurate national statistics. However, the police, public, and policymakers are increasingly scrutinizing the instances where juveniles commit sexual offenses. Previously, the public did not pay attention to the problem, as most people were of the opinion that boys will always be mischievous. Past studies as well as interviews, with adult offenders, revealed that some of the adult sex offenders began committing sexual offenses when they were still juveniles (Marshall, 2005). The findings made the policymakers and practitioners to consider paying close attention to the problem of adolescent sex crimes as a way of preventing sexual offenses by adults. Some of the etiological factors considered as causal influences of adolescent sex offending include maltreatment experiences, substance abuse, exposure to pornography, and sexually aggressive role models (Dittloff, 2008).
Age:
The absence of empirical data and foundation of knowledge on adolescents committing sex offenses hampers the efforts to address the problem. Research suggests that majority of the victims of adolescent sex offenders are minors. Therefore, such studies imply that adolescents are less likely to commit sex crimes against adults. Accordingly, nearly one-third of sex offenses against minors are committed against minors. Boys, aged between 12 and 16 years of age, are responsible for sex offenses against children.
Male Adolescent Sex Offenders
Adolescent sex offenders do not comprise a homogenous group. Therefore, it is difficult to generalize them (Ryan, 2010). Notably, the treatment and study of adolescent sex crimes is still in its infant stages. However, the trend suggests that adolescent male offenders share certain characteristics. Specifically, most of them display a range of troubling behaviors.
Female Adolescent Sex Offenders
It is difficult to provide an accurate estimation of the prevalence of female adolescent sex offenders. They may be underestimated because of the society’s reluctance to acknowledge that adolescent girls can commit such offenses. Research suggests that adolescent girls who depict aggressive sexual behaviors were once victims of sexual abuse or other forms of abuse (Rich, 2011). Such girls are also more likely to be given therapeutic treatments for their aggressive sexual behaviors and experiences than their male counterparts are. Moreover, research indicates that females are victimized more than the males. Female offenders often engage in sexual offences while at home or in their residences and are less likely to commit a sexual offense in school. Besides, they are more likely to have male victims than adolescent male offenders do.
Child Maltreatment Histories:
According to Orchard (2002), adolescent sex offenders are likely to have been victims of sex abuse who are repeating the actions that their assailants. The victim’s characteristics are also likely to be reflective of the offender’s experiences as a victim. The juveniles who were sexually abused by male adults are more likely to prefer male victims. Most professionals associate the childhood sexual abuse with adolescent sex offending. However, Orchard (2002) suggests that a significant number of adolescent sex offenders have a prior victimization history.
Interpersonal and Social Relationships and Skills:
Family factors such as disorganization, family instability, and violence are prevalent among adolescent sex offenders (Orchard, 2002). They are often individuals who experienced emotional or/and physical separations for a parent or both parents. In relation to social relationships and skills, studies suggest that adolescents that have aggressive sexual problems lack social competence. Inappropriate peer relationships, inadequate social skills, and social isolation are some of the social factors associated with adolescent sex offending (Orchard, 2002).
Sexual Deviance and Pornography
Some of the adolescent sex offenders are individuals who have been exposed to sexually explicit magazines or other forms of hardcore pornographic materials. Some offenders admit to using pornography, getting involved in voyeurism, frottage, fetishism, exhibitionism, phone sex, and obscene phone calls. Substance abuse has also been linked with adolescent sex offending (Rich, 2011). Furthermore, the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of committing the offense is a significant contributing factor.
Costs and Intervention:
The costs that sex offending impose on the society and the victims, as well as the costs imposed on the adolescents and their respective families, are significant. As a result, it calls for appropriate treatments, interventions, and management strategies that can be used to address the problem effectively while considering the developmental needs of the offenders. Early interventions can be critical in addressing their delinquent behaviors (Dittloff, 2008). However, most of the current intervention measures used in dealing with adolescent sex crimes are widely based on information derived from adult sex offenders that fail to address the unique developmental needs of the young offenders.
Legislative and Legal Response to Adolescent Sex Crimes
The justice system was designed to serve as an institution that rehabilitates young offenders; however, is has since become a punitive system that employs relatively similar rules for both juvenile and adult sex offenders. An increase in the violence perpetrated by juveniles prompted the creation of legislations aimed at increasing the accountability of adolescents and enhancing public safety. The registration and tracking of persons who engaged in violent sexual crimes began with the 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. Later, the 1996 passing of the “Megan’s Law” amended the Act (Marshall, 2005). It required enforcement agencies to provide information about individuals who registered under the 1994 Act. The 1996 Pam Lychner Sexual Offender Tracking and Identification Act provided federal guidelines that necessitate the registration of juveniles whenever they commit sex offenses such as sodomy, nonconsensual penetration, and rape.
Presently nearly 22 U.S. states have sex offender registration laws. While there are variations in the approaches that different states adopt, the general trend is that of a tiered system mandating levels of community notification depending on the perceived threat of the offender (Marshall, 2005). In this case, risk assessment instruments can be used to help in judging the dangerousness. The laws were created to deter potential sex offenders, give law enforcers easy access to information about sex offenders, and minimize instances of offences committed by known sex offenders (Rich, 2011).
Conclusion
Adolescents account for a considerable percentage of sexual offenses against minors. Sexual behavior problems among adolescents relate to factors such as exposure to pornography, violence, and maltreatment. Existing data does not imply that majority of adolescent sex offenders will end up becoming adult sex offenders; however, professionals believe that mental health and legal interventions can deter the development and continuation of aggressive sex behavior. Moreover, experts believe that effective intervention measures encompass a multiplicity of factors that include mentoring, legal sanctions, and clinical programming. In most instances, programs that employ a combination of efforts from mental health and juvenile justice professions report low rates of recidivism.
References
Dittloff , M. (2008). Understanding Issues of Power and Control: A Therapeutic Guide to Working with Adolescent Sex Offenders. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Marshall, L. (2005). The Juvenile Sex Offender. New York: Prentice Hall Print.
Orchard, J. (2002). Assessment and Treatment of Adolescent Sex Offenders. Berkeley: University of California Press
Rich, P. (2011). Understanding, Assessing and Rehabilitating Juvenile Sexual Offenders. Cornwall: Polity Press
Ryan, G. (2010). Juvenile Sexual Offending: Causes, Consequences, and Correction. Connecticut: Greenwood Press
