SEXUALLY ASSAULTIVE MALE JUVENILES: A FOLLOW-UP

All study participants were studied over an 8-year period using criminal records and clinical interviews. Followup information on adult criminality was obtained from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Connecticut State Police, and the Connecticut Department of Corrections. Data were recorded on the number, nature, and timing of arrests and on the duration and timing of incarcerations. In adolescence, the two groups of boys were similarly violent, but those who committed sexual assault were significantly more likely to commit both adult sexual offenses and more violent nonsexual offenses. Childhood sexual abuse, especially by females, was associated with adult sexual offenses. The study findings show that sexually assaultive juvenile delinquents are at particularly high risk for subsequent violence and that special efforts must be made to treat them in adolescence. The prevention of violent sexual behavior must include improved methods of detecting sexual abuse, especially that perpetrated by older females. 9 references