An Exploration of Impediments to Attachment in a Juvenile Offender Population: Comparisons between Juvenile Sex Offenders, Juvenile Violent Offenders And Juvenile Non-Sex, Non-Violent Offenders

This current study addresses potential impediments to attachment that may differentiate between incarcerated juveniles who have committed sexual crimes and incarcerated juveniles who have not committed such offenses. The exploration of such potential barriers to attachment has been organized around Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Model. Subjects were 2948 incarcerated male adolescents adjudicated to the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice and were divided based solely upon adjudicating offense: Juvenile non-violent, non-sexual offenders (JNVNSO, n=1149), Juvenile violent, non-sexual offenders (JVNSO, n=1433) and Juvenile sexual offenders (JSO, n=366). Results indicated that JSOs differed from JNVNSOs and JVNSOs in their histories of sexual abuse as well as placements in foster care. Attachment impairment and the number of risk factors present were also found to be significantly related. Future research directions and potential policy repercussions are also addressed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2005

Author dc:creator

• Funari, Sharon Kay

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Arnold L. Stolberg

• foster care
• macrosystem
• chi-square
• Bronfenbenner
• Bowlby
• attachment impairment
• individual
• microsystem
• exosystem
• masosystem
• juvenile
• offenders
• sex
• sexual abuse
• Psychology
• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Statement dc:rights

• © The Author

Identifier

https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/1402

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-2401