Assessment and Treatment of Juvenile Sex Offenders: An Empirical Review

Abstract

Approximately 20% of all sexual offenses are committed by individuals under the age of 18. Furthermore, nearly 60% of all sexual offenses against children under the age of 12 are committed by juveniles. Unfortunately, however, the assessment and treatment of juvenile sex offenders has been largely neglected in the empirical literature, as research with sexual offenders, especially pedophiles, has typically focused on adult offenders. While there are some similarities with adult offenders, juvenile sex offenders require distinct interventions and assessment approaches. Although the frequency and quality of studies that have been conducted to specifically examine juvenile sexual offenders appears to be increasing in recent years, an integration of such findings is warranted. Hence, the purpose of this paper is threefold: (1) to provide an empirically based description of juvenile sexual offenders, (2) to review the empirical support of assessment and treatment methods utilized with this population, and (3) to suggest areas warranting future empirical exploration.

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