Examining the developmental trajectories of adolescent sexual offenders

The aim of the current study was to assess the validity of the sex-plus versus sex-only categorization method for distinguishing between different types of adolescent sex offenders (ASOs; Butler & Seto, 2002). It is hypothesized that this categorization method has utility when attempting to distinguish between generalist and specialist ASOs (Seto & Pullman, 2014). Additionally, further classification of ASOs was attempted using a well known juvenile delinquency classification scheme, early-onset versus late-onset offenders (Moffitt, 1993). The current study was an archival analysis of clinical files from a sample of 158 male ASOs seen for clinical assessment at a Metropolitan Family Court Clinic. Results indicate that sex-plus offenders are more antisocial, exhibit more psychiatric issues, and have greater deficits in general social skills compared to sex-only offenders. Conversely, sex-only offenders were found to have more atypical sexual interests, and were more likely to have greater deficits in romantic relationships compared to sex-plus offenders. Due to a power related limitation, little support was found for the use of the early-onset versus late-onset classification scheme with ASOs. Overall, these results provide further support to the validity of a sex-only versus sex-plus distinction. Given these results mirror those found in the generalist/specialist literature regarding the etiology of ASOs, sex-only and sex-plus offenders may indeed have different etiological pathways: sex-plus offenders are more driven by general antisociality factors, as the generalist perspective suggests, and sex-only offenders are more driven by special factors, as the specialist explanations suggest.     

The prevalence of risk factors for general recidivism in female adolescent sexual offenders: A comparison of three subgroups

To our knowledge, there are no former studies in which subgroups of female adolescent sexual offenders are studied. Therefore, we examined differences in risk factors for general recidivism between female adolescents who have committed a felony sexual offense against a younger child (CSO, n = 25), female adolescents who have committed a felony sexual offense with a peer victim (PSO, n = 15) and female adolescents who have committed a misdemeanor sexual offenses (MSO, n = 31). Results showed that CSOs had considerably fewer problems in the domains of school (truancy, behavior problems, dropping out of school), family (e.g., parental alcohol problems, parental mental health problems, poor authority and control, out of home placements and run away from home) and friends (antisocial friends) than MSOs and/or PSOs. No differences were found in the prevalence of mental health problems, physical abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

A comparison of physical and sexual abuse: histories of sexual and non-sexual offenders with intellectual disability

OBJECTIVES: To review patterns of physical and sexual abuse in cohorts of sexual offenders and nonsexual offenders with intellectual disability. METHOD: Forty-six sexual offenders were compared with 48 male nonsexual offenders in relation to their experiences of sexual and physical abuse in childhood. Comprehensive assessments were taken over a period of at least one year, and were conducted independently by a range of professionals. RESULTS: Thirty-eight percent of the sexual offenders and 12.7% of the nonsexual offenders had experienced sexual abuse, while 13% of the sexual offenders and 33% of the nonsexual offenders had experienced physical abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Sexual abuse seems a significant variable in the history of sexual offenders, while physical abuse seems a significant variable in the history of nonsexual offenders. The results support the view that the "cycle of abuse" is neither inevitable nor an adequate explanation of future offending.     

Runaway youths and sexual victimization: gender differences in an adolescent runaway population

Running away from home has often been viewed as one of the sequelae to sexual abuse. Our study of 144 adolescent runaways finds that 38% of male runaways (n = 89) and 73% of female runaways (n = 55) report having been sexually abused. The impact of abuse is examined by studying, within each gender group, its relationship to the subject's perceptions of sexual activity, relationships with peers and adults, involvement with delinquent/criminal activities, and physical and emotional complaints. The results of assessing the differences between abused and nonabused adolescents show that both the victimized males and females are more likely to report anxiety and suicidal feelings than are their nonabused counterparts. Male victims of sexual abuse are more likely to report physical symptomatology and fear of adult men. Female victims of sexual abuse are more likely to be confused about sex and to engage in delinquent/criminal activities. Discussion focuses on gender differences and runaway behaviors in relation to sexual victimization with the suggestion that differences in the degree of abuse and the sex of the abuser may explain study findings.     

The sexual victimization of male children: a review of previous research

The evidence available at this time indicates that male children are more likely to be abused by nonfamily rather than family members. Residing in a neglectful home or a mother-headed household and having previous homosexual contact tend to heighten risk for sexual abuse by nonfamily members. Familial sexual abuse appears related to residence in a home where other siblings are being abused, where the father was a victim of sexual abuse as a child, and where parents suffer myriad personal and social adjustment difficulties. Effects of male child sexual abuse appear to be serious and long lasting. The scant writings available at this time imply that the sexually abused male child experiences a range of adjustment and self-esteem problems as an adult and may be at heightened risk to become a child sexual abuser.     

Discriminant factors for adolescent sexual offending: On the usefulness of considering both victim age and sibling incest

Understanding the pathways and circumstances of juvenile sexual offending is of utmost importance. However, juvenile sexual offenders (JSO) represent an especially diverse group of individuals, and several categorizations have been proposed to obtain more homogeneous subgroups. Victim age-based and family relation-based categorizations are particularly promising because they seem theoretically and clinically relevant. Empirical results however are still inconsistent, and most studies have not considered these two dimensions jointly. The first goal of this study was to further examine the value of subgrouping JSO according to the age of their victim. A second goal was to determine the supplementary value, if any, of considering sibling incest. Based on a sample of 351 male JSO, it was first confirmed that sexual abuse of children was more strongly related to asociality (social skill deficits) than sexual abuse of peers, the latter being more closely associated with antisociality (general delinquency). The relevance of considering mixed-type JSO (with both child and peer victims) separately was also confirmed. More importantly, multivariate statistical analyses demonstrated that adding sibling incest to the equation was useful. JSO of intra-familial child were significantly more likely to have been victimized during their own childhood compared to JSO with extra-familial victims. Nevertheless, adolescents who had committed sibling incest obtained middle ground results on most variables (except for crime severity), suggesting that they constitute a distinct but not extreme, subgroup. This study confirmed the utility of using both the age and the family relation with the victim in characterizing juvenile sexual offending.     

Toward a theory of teaching: A social learning view

Two hypotheses were investigated: Do teachers spontaneously use modeling techniques during instruction, and are teachers who are trained to use these procedures more effective? Twenty-four teachers attempted to instruct a like number of 5-year-olds to seriate length. Twelve additional youngsters served as uninstructed controls. Untrained teachers made little use of modeling techniques and were generally ineffective. Trained teachers were significantly more effective than their untrained counterparts. Teacher use of specific modeling behaviors correlated with teaching success. The results were discussed from a Social Learning Theory view of teaching.     

Risk factors in the sexual victimization of children

In response to an anonymous questionnaire survey, 19% of the women and 9% of the men in a population of 796 normal college students said they had been sexually victimized in the course of childhood. The majority of these children were victimized by men within their intimate social network, not strangers. Most children did not tell anyone about the experience.Certain groups of children were at higher risk of victimization than others. More girls from lower-income groups were victimized; also those from socially isolated backgrounds. Girls from stepfather families were five times more vulnerable than the others. If a girl had ever lived without her mother, or if her mother had substantially less education than her father, or if her mother was particularly punitive about sexual matters, a girl was at higher risk for sexual abuse.These risk factors could be combined into a checklist which illustrates their cumulative effect. Over 50% of girls with four or more risk factors suffered a victimization. However, care must be taken not to see in this high vulnerability cause for blaming the victims for their own victimization.     

Relational victimization: The association between recalled adolescent social experiences and emotional adjustment in early adulthood

Although the relationship between relational victimization and psychosocial adjustment in adolescence has been established, it is unknown whether it extends into early adulthood. The current retrospective study investigated the relationship between recall of adolescent relational victimization and symptoms of depression, social anxiety, and loneliness in 205 undergraduate students. The effects of gender and perceived social support on these relationships were assessed, as were the psychometric qualities of the Relational Victimization Questionnaire (RVQ). Recalled adolescent relational victimization was related to increased symptoms of depression and social anxiety; neither gender nor perceived social support affected the strength of these relationships. Results indicated that the RVQ has adequate internal consistency and a single factor structure. Implications for psychologists working with adolescents are highlighted. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Online child sexual exploitation and abuse: A community diagnosis using the social norms theory

This study focused on the drivers of online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) among Filipino children and youth, with emphasis on community norms. An ethnographic qualitative study was conducted in two communities in MetroManila that are considered “hotspots” for child sexual abuse. One hundred and forty-four (144) males and females from various age groups served as key informants. Political officials, Internet shop managers, professionals and police officers were also interviewed. Non-participant observations and mapping were used to provide context regarding OCSEA in the communities.The results revealed that OCSEA was committed online by heterosexual and same sex attracted men in their 40s–50s. The usual victims were girls aged 13–17 years, although boys were also noted. The victims came from poor families and were out-of-school. The various forms of online activities leading to OCSEA included sexual chatting, showing of child sex photos and live videos as well as sextortion. The online transactions were usually initiated by the peer group and some enablers. In general, online sexual activities were perceived as “normal” among young people, although regarded as “disgusting”. Online sex activities had become a source of “easy money” for the child and family. They were perceived as not harmful because of anonymity and the absence of any actual physical contact. People in the community tolerate these online practices and do not report the incidence to authorities. The effects on children and youth were predominantly social and psychological, albeit perceived as economically beneficial. Some preventive and mitigating actions were recommended to curb the incidence of OCSEA in the communities.     

The cycle of victimization: The relationship between childhood maltreatment and adolescent peer victimization

Child maltreatment has been demonstrated to have many short- and long-term harmful consequences for victims, but whether or not child abuse is associated with an increased risk of peer victimization during adolescence is unclear. This study analyzed prospective data from 831 children and parents participating in the Longitudinal Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) to investigate the relationships between child physical and sexual abuse and adolescent victimization by peers, as well as the potential for gender to moderate these relationships. Results from ordinal logit regression models indicated that children who were physically abused prior to age 12, based on official reports, parent reports, and child reports, had a greater risk of experiencing more intimidation and physical assault by peers at age 16. Having a history of sexual abuse predicted more physical assault but not intimidation. There was no evidence that gender moderated these relationships; in all cases, the relationship between abuse and revictimization was similar for boys and girls. The findings emphasize the need to provide victims of abuse with assistance to help prevent a cycle of victimization.     

Child pornography: perpetuating the sexual victimization of children

Children have been sexually exploited throughout recorded history. The invention of the camera and subsequent related technological advances (slides, movies, instant picture cameras and videotape) have provided new avenues for the exploitation of children by facilitating the distribution of pictorial representations of these children on a world-wide basis. A major use of commercial child pornography is to convince a potential child victim that the sexual acts desired by the adult offender are fun, exciting, can satisfy the child's curiosity and are a societally acceptable means of expressing affection. Commercial child pornography publications contain numerous pictures of children viewing child pornography, in some cases replicating the pose(s) depicted in the viewed material. Although many jurisdictions have now prohibited child pornography, the need for a world-wide ban continues, as the remaining producers distribute their material throughout the world.     

Prevalence of vulnerability and protective factors of sexual victimization

English language abstract not available at time of publication.     

Primary and secondary perceived control: A comparison of adolescent students with and without learning disabilities

Abstract

In this study we compared the results of both a primary and a secondary perceived control measure completed by 93 regional and metropolitan students from Years 7–9 who were assessed as having learning disabilities and 102 students from the general student population. The Mastery Scale (Pearlin, Menaghan, Lieberman, & Mullan, 1981) was used to measure primary perceived control and The Children's Internal Coping Self‐efficacy Scale (Cunningham, 2002) was used to measure secondary perceived control. The students who had learning disabilities scored lower on both measures. These findings are discussed in relation to a need for interventions that give students who have learning disabilities strategies that address both primary and secondary aspects of perceived control.     

A pernicious cycle: Finding the pathways from child maltreatment to adolescent peer victimization

The purpose of this study was to identify the pathways from childhood physical and sexual abuse to adolescent physical and sexual victimization by assessing behavior symptoms (both internalizing and externalizing) and peer popularity as potential mediating variables. The data derive from Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN), which tracks the consequences of child abuse and neglect using five study sites across the US. Child physical and sexual abuse was measured at age 12 using self-reports of life-time maltreatment experiences. Internalizing and externalizing symptoms were assessed at age 12 using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Peer popularity was assessed at age 14 by teachers. Peer victimization was assessed at age 16 using the modified version of the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire. The results indicated that physical abuse had no direct effect on either physical or sexual peer victimization, whereas sexual abuse had significant direct effect on both physical and sexual victimization. Assessed at age 12, children who had been physically or sexually maltreated were found to have higher levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. These increased symptoms are associated with lower peer popularity at age 14, which in turn is associated with greater physical and sexual peer victimization at age 16. The findings suggest that multiple points for interventions may exist to disrupt the cycle of victimization. Early assessment and treatment for externalizing symptoms and for low peer popularity may be helpful in preventing physical peer victimization among adolescents who have been physically and/or sexually abused.     

Prevalence and correlates of multiple victimization in a nation-wide adolescent sample

Objectives

Adolescents often experience different types of victimization across a specified period of time in different situations. These multiple victimization experiences can have a number of deleterious effects on psychosocial well-being. To expand on research gathered primarily from US samples, the current study estimated the prevalence of multiple victimization in a nationally representative sample of Canadian adolescents. We also expanded on past research by adopting an ecological approach to identify correlates of multiple victimization.

Methods

Cross-sectional data from the 2000-2001 cycle of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) were used to estimate the prevalence of multiple victimization (verbal harassment, threat of and actual physical assault, school social exclusion, discrimination) in 1,036 13-16 year olds. We also examined household (e.g., parental education), family (e.g., parenting practices), and adolescent (e.g., friendship quality) correlates of multiple victimization for the whole sample and separately by sex.

Results

Among the 6 in 10 adolescents who reported at least 1 victimization experience, 30.5% reported 2 types of victimization whereas 23.7% reported 3 or more types. There was an increased probability of multiple victimization (2 or more types) in adolescents who reported greater parental rejection, who engaged in more frequent out-of-school activities, and who experienced non-victimization adversity. The probability decreased if adolescents reported greater friendship quality.

Conclusions

The clustering of different types of victimization is common among adolescents. For both males and females, a difficult parent-child relationship characterized as rejecting is important when considering risk for multiple victimization, as is the adolescent's functioning outside of the home in the context of friendship quality and involvement in out-of-school activities. Non-victimization adversity (e.g., death of a loved one) also emerged as a significant multiple victimization correlate.

Practice implications

Non-physically invasive types of victimization (although adolescents also endorsed physical assault) are a reality for a number of adolescents. As such, we need to inquire about such experiences as school social exclusion, discrimination, and verbal threats in applied contexts. Moreover, in order to better identify adolescents who may be vulnerable to multiple forms of victimization, we need to adopt an ecological approach that considers individual, family, and household functioning.     

范畴学习中分类学习与推理学习的对比研究

实验室有关范畴学习的研究只局限于对分类的研究上,这就导致在分类研究基础上提出的范畴理论不能适用于其他非分类范畴学习任务。对分类学习与推理学习进行比较,表明不同的范畴学习类型影响范畴表征,所以应当拓展实验室范畴学习的研究范围。     

Forensic medical results and law enforcement actions following sexual assault: A comparison of child,adolescent and adult cases

BackgroundIn sexual assault cases, little research has examined differences in forensic medical findings and law enforcement response by victim age across the entire age range.ObjectiveThis study addressed this gap by comparing four victim age groups: adults, adolescents over the age of consent, adolescents under the age of consent, and children under 12.Participants and settingCases were randomly sampled from a statewide database of medical reports on sexual assault examinations conducted in hospital emergency departments, including only cases reported to law enforcement (N = 563).MethodsData were combined from a medical report database, from coding of medical documentation and crime laboratory reports, and from case data provided by law enforcement.ResultsRates for both younger and older adolescent victims and adult victims were comparable, with no statistically significant differences on most variables: penetration, perpetrator use of force, non-genital and genital injuries, presence of biological evidence, generating assailant DNA profiles, DNA match to suspect, hits in the FBI’s DNA database, and law enforcement unfounding (i.e., determining allegations to be false or baseless). Child victims were significantly less likely to have a non-genital injury, and their cases were significantly more likely to be founded by law enforcement. Arrests were significantly more likely when victims were under the age of consent.ConclusionsDespite significant differences by victim age, similarity between adolescent and adult cases was substantial. Both younger and older adolescents may be at higher risk of physical violence during sexual assault than previously recognized, and need greater attention in response systems.