Rorschach Comparisons of Male Juvenile Sex Offenders and Nonsex Offenders

Published research is limited on the psychological characteristics of juvenile sex offenders as a subgroup separate from other juvenile delinquents. This study compares 45 male adolescent sex offenders on the Rorschach with a matched group of nonsex adolescent offenders. The two groups differed in total number of responses. Eliminating those protocols of questionable validity due to low productivity in combination with a high lamba, a statistically significant difference in the number of anatomy responses given by the two groups was found. With this exception, the personality characteristics of adolescent sex offenders were similar to those at adolescents who commit only nonsexual crimes. It should be noted, however, that the scoring categories analyzed were not exhaustive and that the groups may differ on more recently proposed Rorschach subscales (e.g., Isolation Index, Depression Index, and Morbid Content).     

Motivational Counseling: Implications for Counseling Male Juvenile Sex Offenders

Juvenile sex offenders (JSOs) often appear unmotivated to change, which thus necessitates a therapeutic approach that matches “resistant” client characteristics. In this article, the authors review common traits of JSOs, introduce motivational counseling as an effective treatment modality, and offer a case illustration.     

Association of Normative Beliefs and Anger with Aggression and Antisocial Behavior in Russian Male Juvenile Offenders and High School Students

Examined the association of anger experience and two types of normative beliefs with physical aggression and nonaggressive antisocial behavior in 361 juvenile offenders and 206 high school students in Russia. All participants were male and ranged in age from 14 to 18 years. Higher frequency of aggressive acts was significantly associated with higher levels of anger and stronger beliefs that physical aggression is an appropriate course of action in conflicts. After statistically controlling for nonaggressive antisocial behavior, the relationship between physical aggression and antisocial beliefs was not significant. Similarly, with physical aggression controlled, nonaggressive antisocial behavior was uniquely associated with approval of deviancy, but not with anger or beliefs legitimizing aggression. Juvenile offenders reported higher levels of anger experience and higher frequency of aggression and antisocial behavior compared to high school students. There were no differences in normative beliefs between these two groups. This specificity of association of social-cognitive and emotion-regulation processes to aggressive and nonaggressive forms of antisocial behavior may be relevant to understanding the mechanisms of cognitive-behavioral therapy for conduct disorder and antisocial behavior.     

Juvenile Sex and Non‐Sex Offenders: A Comparison of Recidivism and Risk

Forty male juvenile sex offenders were compared with 133 male juvenile non‐sex offenders 2 years postrelease from residential treatment to assess recidivism and factors related to recidivism. Juvenile sex offenders had significantly lower recidivism rates than juvenile non‐sex offenders.     

Integrating Theory and Research: The Development of a Research‐Based Treatment Program for Juvenile Male Sex Offenders

A research‐based treatment model designed to effectively address identified factors related to juvenile sexual offending behaviors is presented. Current research, theory, and national standards related to juvenile sexual offending are each explored with the treatment model reflecting an integration of these 3 components. The use of counseling skills is included throughout the model to further illustrate the application of theory and the role of the counselor in the treatment of this special population     

Characterization and Prediction of Sexual and Nonsexual Recidivism Among Adjudicated Juvenile Sex Offenders

Estimating the risk of sexual recidivism for a juvenile sex offender is essential in order to protect public safety by identifying and evaluating high risk adolescents and to ensure the rights and welfare of juvenile offenders who will not likely reoffend. Empirically validated risk assessment methods are needed to aid in the classification and treatment of juvenile sex offenders. The present study utilized a dataset collected by Maricopa County, AZ, and aggregated by the National Juvenile Court Data Archive. The purpose of the study was to evaluate and characterize risk factors for juveniles who have been charged with a sexual offense in order to determine the predictive utility of these factors for subsequent offending, as well as offense trajectory, and to evaluate risk factors for nonsexual offenders who have committed crimes of various severities. The results of the present study show the strongest individual predictors of sexual recidivism to be prior nonsexual offending, prior sexual offending, hands‐off offending, offending against a child, younger school grade/age at time of initial offense, Asian or Hispanic ethnicity, and not attending school. A preliminary screening measure was developed from the seven positive risk factors, and ROC analysis produced an AUC indicating moderate predictive utility in discriminating between juvenile sex offenders who would sexually reoffend and those who would not. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Individual,Family, Peer,and Academic Characteristics of Male Juvenile Sexual Offenders

This study examined the individual functioning, interpersonal relations, and academic performance of 115 male juveniles who were divided into 5 demographically matched groups (sexual offenders with peer/adult victims, sexual offenders with child victims, violent nonsexual offenders, nonviolent nonsexual offenders, and nondelinquent youths). Parents and youths completed self-report instruments, behavior rating inventories, and a videorecorded interaction task, and teachers completed a rating measure. Results showed that juvenile sexual offenders, like juvenile nonsexual offenders, had more behavior problems, more difficulties in family and peer relations, and poorer academic performance than did nondelinquent youths. However, juvenile sexual offenders and nonsexual offenders did not differ on any of the measures of individual or interpersonal adjustment. The implications of these findings for research, theory, and treatment are discussed.

Stigmatization of Sex Offenders

The present study examines how sex offenders perceive and respond to their social status. Using data from in-depth interviews with a sample of 24 incarcerated sex offenders approaching their release dates, analysis highlights offenders' recognition of and responses to social stigmatization. Findings highlight how interactions with members of the prison community and messages received from broader society communicate stigmatization and how recognition of stigmatization produces internalized consequences of shame, hopelessness/depression, and fear and externalized consequences of perceiving their labeled status as unfair and resenting those who apply stigmas. Discussion highlights both the experience of stigmatization and public safety implications.     

Aggressive Male Juvenile Offenders with Callous-Unemotional Traits Show Aberrant Attentional Orienting to Distress Cues

Antisocial youth with callous-unemotional (CU) traits exhibit a pattern of severe and persistent conduct problems and deficits in emotional processing that parallels adults with psychopathy. Aberrant emotional attention, particularly among individuals high on aggression, constitutes one such deficit; however, its robustness across race/ethnicity requires further investigation given findings that the psychopathy construct manifests differently across race (Sullivan and Kosson 2006), and emotional attention is susceptible to the influence of adverse environmental factors such as violence exposure that is more common among ethnic minority youth (Kimonis et al. in Development and Psychopathology, 20, 569–589, 2008b). Also, the development of a comprehensive measure of CU traits, the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits (ICU), has identified specific CU dimensions (Uncaring, Callous, Unemotional) that are yet to be investigated in relation to emotional attention deficits. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine whether aggressive boys high on total CU traits and specific ICU dimensions show deficits in attentional orienting to negative stimuli on a dot-probe task that are consistent across race/ethnicity. Results from a predominately Latino sample of incarcerated male adolescents (N = 156) showed that aggression moderated the association between CU traits and facilitation to distress stimuli. That is, aggressive boys high on CU traits or the Uncaring dimension showed deficient attentional orienting; a finding that was consistent across racial/ethnic minority groups. Results are consistent with prior research suggesting that the combination of high CU traits and aggression defines a unique subgroup of antisocial individuals that more closely fits with the construct of psychopathy than the presence of CU traits alone.     

Empathy‐Promoting Counseling Strategies for Juvenile Sex Offenders: A Developmental Approach

Bridging research into practice, the authors propose a clinical model for use in the development of empathy in juvenile sex offenders. Case illustrations are provided.     

Low Maternal Warmth Mediates the Relationship Between Emotional Neglect and Callous-Unemotional Traits Among Male Juvenile Offenders

Callous-unemotional traits (CU) are thought to be the developmental precursor to adult psychopathy, and identify antisocial youth at risk for persistent, aggressive conduct problems. Accumulating research supports the importance of parenting factors in the development of CU traits. The overlapping but distinct constructs, parental neglect and low warmth, are both associated with CU/psychopathic traits; however, research is yet to examine the relative contribution of these constructs. The purpose of the present study was to examine the unique contributions of parental neglect and low warmth to CU traits among 227 incarcerated male juvenile offenders (M?=?15.73, SD?=?1.27 years). Results indicated that low levels of maternal warmth were more strongly associated with CU traits than emotional and physical neglect. Maternal warmth also significantly mediated the association between emotional neglect and CU traits. Findings from this cross-sectional study suggest that parental neglect influences CU traits at least partly through experiences with unresponsive and emotionally “cold” parenting. The findings also support a movement within the field towards addressing parental warmth as a treatment target for antisocial youth with CU traits.     

Selected Rorschach Response Characteristics of Sex Offenders

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were significant differences in certain response characteristics of sex offenders and a random sample of non-sex offenders to Rorschach cards II, IV, VI, and VII. The Rorschach responses of both samples were compared in terms of rejections, form level, sexual locations, overt sexual responses, and reaction time. There were significant differences between the samples in number of rejections and reaction time. It was concluded that these measures were useful in differentiating between the two groups.     

Sex Offender Stigma: An Exploration of Vigilantism against Sex Offenders

The current study compiles open-source news reports involving vigilantes who targeted individuals because of their status as a sex offender (SO) or their suspected involvement in a sex offense. The Sex Offender-Vigilante database includes 279 separate incidents of vigilantism against SOs, ranging from the dissemination of unsanctioned fliers to murder. Results indicate that the stigmatization that convicted SOs experience is so pervasive that it extends even to individuals suspected of having committed a sexual offense.     

Perceptions of Juvenile Offenders Who Were Abused as Children

Should a history of child abuse be taken into consideration when a juvenile offender is punished? Although some research shows that child abuse is used as a mitigating factor for juvenile offenders (i.e., elicits less punitive sentences), surveys of juvenile court officials reveal that it is considered an aggravating factor. Specifically, in controlled mock jury studies in which child abuse is experimentally manipulated, child abuse elicits less punitive sentences. In contrast, child abuse elicits more punitive sentences in a nonexperimentally controlled environment—the juvenile justice system. This article provides a comprehensive literature review to explain these conflicting bodies of research by considering factors that naturally covary with childhood abuse: chaotic family environment, mental health problems, behavioral problems, and school problems.     

Attention and Executive Function Deficits in Adolescent Sex Offenders

Thirty male adolescent sex offenders and 20 age-matched male adolescents completed an extensive battery of attention and executive function tests. Controls were obtained from adolescents from a socially and economically deprived background, typical of the offending group. The attention battery was based on Mirksy, Anthony, Duncan, Ahearn, and Kellam (1991) and the executive function battery on Kelly (2000a). Successful matching for IQ was not achieved and therefore ANCOVA comparisons were made between the groups, with IQ as the covariate. In attention a highly significant difference was found on the focus-execute factor and a significant difference on the shift factor. In executive function there was a highly significant difference only on the response speed factor. In all cases better abilities were demonstrated by the control group. The importance of thorough neuropsychological investigation in the clinical assessment of this forensic group is supported. The clinical implications of neuropsychological deficits in terms of risk assessment and clinical management are discussed.     

The Rape Myth and Blame‐Based Beliefs of Counselors‐in‐Training Toward Male Victims of Rape

The authors surveyed counselors‐in‐training at counselor education programs nationwide, accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, to examine trainees' acceptance of rape myths and their willingness to make blame‐based attributions toward a male victim of rape. Results suggested that male counselor trainees with no experience counseling sexually assaulted clients tended to endorse the greatest degree of acceptance of rape myths. Trainees of both sexes thought that a male rape victim who showed no resistance to his attacker should have done so. The authors discuss implications for counselor training and supervision.     

Preliminary Development of Trauma-Focused Treatment Groups for Incarcerated Juvenile Offenders

Summary

Most male juvenile offenders have been exposed to trauma. Many juvenile offenders have experienced both acute and chronic trauma. Trauma exposure among offenders is closely linked to their criminal behavior, yet few protocols have been developed to treat posttraumatic sequelae in a delinquent population. This article describes initial efforts to develop group therapy services for incarcerated male juvenile offenders who have histories of significant trauma exposure and current symptoms of PTSD. Four separate pilot groups were conducted in two Massachusetts Department of Youth Service secure residential facilities. The treatment included trauma psychoeducation (including the relationship between trauma and offending), therapeutic trauma exposure through discussion and expressive arts, and coping skill development. The treatment development and initial implementation as well as directions for future research are discussed.