Sexual Activity and Paraphilia In Adolescent Sex Offenders

1. Sexual Activity and Paraphilia In Adolescent Sex Offenders Brandi Rhoden, M.A. Michael J. Herkov, Ph.D., ABPP University of North Florida Department of Psychology

2. OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICS • FBI UCR 2004 • 322,000 arrests for sexual abuse or rape • Nugent (2004) • 561 sexual offenders • 291,000 offenses • 195,000victims • 520 acts and 170 victims per offender

3. OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICS • FBI (2004) • 16,500 Adolescent arrests for sexual offense • Rich (2003); Nugent (2004) • 15%-20% of all offenses are juveniles • 50% of adult offenders began pattern in adolescence

4. OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICS • 40%-60% of offenders were sexually abused • Abused Offenders • Offend earlier by 2 years • Have more offenses • Have more victims • Commit more serious offenses • More likely to have male victims • More psychopathology • Less social skills

5. Adult v Juvenile Arrest Rates Under 18 Over 18 Males Females Females Males FBI UCR 2004

6. Victim Characteristics • 60% of victims under 18 • 25% of women report sexual assault • Girls 3-4 times more likely to be sexually abused • Half of women have more than one perpetrator • Peak Age of Victimization • 4 years old for males • 14 years old for females

7. Etiology of Adolescent Offenders • Past Abuse • Differentiation between sexual curiosity/experimentation and deviancy • Stages of child sexual experimentation • Preschool- Self exploration • Grade School- Interest in others, kissing • Adolescence- Adult sexual behaviors

8. Problems with Adolescent Sex Offender Research • Various definitions of sexual offense • Abuse, assault, lascivious act, rape • Lack of reporting • Victim shame • Ruin offender’s life • Ambiguity regarding offense • Deviancy vs normal experimentation • Lack of standardized assessment formats

9. Problems with Adolescent Sex Offender Research • Offender denial and minimization • When data were obtained • Beginning, middle, end • Use of population and recidivism estimates from arrest data • Small Sample Sizes

10. Present Research

11. Sample Characteristics • 40 males found delinquent of a sexual offense • Committed • Residential Treatment Facility • 1-2 year program • Ages 12-17 years old; 65% white • Data collected early in treatment • Self-report with file verification in some cases • Archival data

12. Victim Characteristics

13. Victim Characteristics • Relationship to Offender • 23% Immediate family • 13% Extended family • 25% Neighbor/acquaintance • 32% School mate

14. Victim Characteristics • Length of time they knew victim • 0 months 3% • 1 month 15% • 1-6 months 13% • 6-12 months 15% • 1-2 years 10% • 3-5 years 8% • 5-10 years 23% • >10 years 8%

15. Victim Characteristics • Method of targeting of victim • 33% Planned • 58% Impulsive

16. Education

17. Educational Data • Academic Performance • 37% failed one grade • 3% failed more than 2 grades • 13% emotionally handicapped • 10% specific learning disability • Behavioral Issues • 35% in alternative school at time of offense • 87% suspended from school • 8% for sexual offense

18. Substance Use

19. Drug Use

20. Mental Disorders

21. Psychiatric Symptoms

22. Psychiatric Diagnoses

23. Psychiatric Medications

24. Sexual Behavior

25. Age of Sexual Awareness

26. Sexual Behavior • 55% reported being sexually active • Age of first sexual experience • 7yo 5% • 10yo 10% • 11yo 3% • 12yo 13% • 13yo 3% • 14yo 13% • 15yo 8%

27. Sexual Behavior • 40% report sexual contact with children • 15% Kissing • 5% Exposure • 10% Fondling • 18% report sexual contact with an adult • 5% Kissing • 5% Fondling • 5% Intercourse • 20% report homosexual interest

28. Number of Sexual Partners

29. Masturbation • Method of discovery • 25% Self • 28% Peer • 5% Adult • 23% Pornography

30. Masturbation Frequency

31. Sexual Dysfunction

32. Pornography

33. Pornography • Age of first exposure • 4 3% • 5 3% • 6 5% • 7 5% • 8 13% • 10 8% • 12 20% • 13 20%

34. Pornography • Type of material • Magazines/Books 55% • Video/TV/Internet 32% • Phone Sex • Monthly Frequency of Use • 0 18% • 1 20% • 2-5 20% • 6-15 18% • <15 18%

35. Pornography • Monthly time spent with pornography • 0 20% • <30 minutes 25% • 30-60 minutes 10% • 1-2 hours 10% • 2-4 hours 8% • 4-6 hours 5% • 6-10 hours 3% • 30 hours 3%

36. Paraphilia

37. Paraphilia • DSM-IV-TR • Recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving: • Exhibitionism • Exposing ones genitals to an unsuspecting stranger • Fetishism • Non-living objects

38. Paraphilia • Frotteurism • Touching or rubbing an unexpected person • Masochism • Being humiliated, bound, to suffer • Sadism • Inflicting psychological or physical harm • Transvestic Fetishism • Cross-dressing • Voyeurism • Unsuspecting persons in sexual situations (to offender)

39. Paraphilia • Pedophilia • Sexual urges regarding a prepubescent child (13 or younger) • Person is at least 16 years old • Offender is 5 years older than victim • Do not include late adolescent sexually involved in an ongoing relationship with a 12-13 year old

40. Paraphilia