Trauma Responses, Abuse History, and Exposure to Violence as Risk Factors in Adolescent Sex and Non-Sex Offenders

Several risk factors have been identified for adolescent sex offenders and non-sex offenders. Such risk factors include physical and/or sexual abuse, and exposure to community and/or domestic violence. Additionally, the presence of disinhibitive factors, such as substance use and exposure to violent or pornographic media are also commonly reported in the backgrounds of both sex and non-sex offenders. Similarly, adolescent offenders have reported traumatic reactions to environmental factors such as abuse and violence. Similarities in exposure to the risk and disinhibitive factors described above between adolescent sex and non-sex offenders do not provide an explanation for why some adolescents commit sex offenses, whereas other adolescent offenders do not. This study investigated the discriminative ability of traumatic reactions as a risk factor between male adolescent sex and non-sex offenders. The inclusion of traumatic reactions increased the accuracy of risk factors distinguishing between sex and non-sex offenders. Thus, not only the presence of risk factors, but also the adolescent's reaction to the risk factors, are important predictors of whether he will commit a sexual offense.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of North Texas

Year dc:date

2003

Author dc:creator

• Briley, Joshua Paul

Contributors dc:contributor

• Sewell, Kenneth W.
• Rogers, Richard, 1950-
• Oliver, Diane Graves
• Quinn, James

• Juvenile delinquency -- Psychological aspects.
• Juvenile delinquents -- Psychology.
• Sex offenders -- Psychology.
• disinhibitive factors
• traumatic responses
• adolescent offenders
• sex offenders
• risk factors

Statement dc:rights

• Use restricted to UNT Community
• Copyright
• Briley, Joshua Paul
• Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved.

Language dc:language

English

Identifier

oclc: 54104264
https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc4369/
ark: ark:/67531/metadc4369

OAI identifier oai:identifier

info:ark/67531/metadc4369