POLICE ASSOCIATION OF NOVA SCOTIA 77 How Serious Are Their Offences? XV. When adolescents are caught sex offending it is generally assumed that this is not the first time they have done it or thought about doing it. Some teens begin by committing less serious kinds of sexual assault and, if not caught, progress to more serious o ffences. Serious forms of sexual behaviour typically have developed over a course of time. XVI. Sexual offences committed by teens range widely in their degree of seriousness. Penetration can account for as much as 37% or more of all reported offences. XVII. Most, though not all, adolescent sex offenders are older than their victims. Force and threats are more typically used against older or peer aged victims, while misuse of power and authority, trickery, bribery or blackmail may be used with younger victims and small children. Where Do These Sexual Offences Occur? XVIII. It is generally believed that female sex offenders abuse more victims inside the family, while males abuse both siblings and others outside the family. XIX. Sex offences involving teen perpetrators occur most often in the victim’s home, or the victim and offender’s common home. Some happen while teens are baby-sitting siblings or other children. Others occur outside, in parks, alleys, and cars, and inside apartment or townhouse stairwells, elevators, and garages. Nearly 15% of all sexual offences involving teen perpetrators happen at school or on school property . Why Do Adolescents Commit Sexual Offences? XX. Adolescents commit sex offences for a variety of reasons. Some teens who are awkward socially, have difficulty making friends, or have been rejected by other youth of their own age, sometimes turn to younger children for friendship or sex. The children they molest usually don’t understand what is happening to them. They typically become scared or feel they cannot complain, so the teen may take this as a sign of consent and continue abusing them. XXI. Some teens offend out of anger or a need for power and control over others. XXII. Some teens may be developmentally delayed and unaware that what they are doing is wrong and abusive. XXIII. Some male teens in dating relationships possess distorted thinking about sex and relationships. They think that if their partner says "no" she only needs a little encouragement, verbal persuasion, or mild force. Adolescent sex offenders sometimes attempt to copy scenes they have seen in pornography media. XXIV. Many adolescent sex offenders grow up in abusive families where alcoholism, substance abuse, and inter-parental violence are commonplace. Seeing this everyday teaches a young person that anger, frustration, and personal needs can be dealt with by the use of force and violence. Previous Victimization XXV. A history of physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect can be found in the background of many adolescent sex offenders. One of the few Canadian studies on this subject found that about 33% of adolescent male offenders had experienced abuse or neglect in their childhood. XXVI. One American study found that 60% of abusers had been physically abused, 50% had been sexually abused, and 70% had experienced neglect in childhood. Over 50% of the adolescents had experienced a combination of these forms of abuse ~ Sexual victimization also shows up in the backgrounds of significant numbers of female adolescent sex offenders. XXVII. Adolescents who were themselves abused as children sometimes use sex offending as a way to get revenge. Some youth abused by parents and older siblings or family members may think that sex between older and younger persons is "normal". XXVII. Recent clinical research has shown that the relationship between previous victimization and future offending is complex and influenced to a significant degree by the quality of care and relationships child victims experience with their parents or caregivers. XXIX. Not all sexual offenders were themselves abused as younger children. However, child sexual abuse victims are at greater risk of offending than are non-victims, though most child victims do not become offenders. Previous victimization is increasingly recognized as an important treatment issue. Female Adolescent Sex Offenders XXX. Though a majority of adolescent sex offenders are male, research emerging over the past ten years has begun to document female sex offending. Studies of hospital, child welfare agency, and treatment programs have found that females comprise between 3% - 10% of the sex offender population. General population and victimization surveys report significantly higher numbers and extend the range up to 50%. XXXI. Many of the behaviours of female adolescent sex offenders are hard to detect since few people question the close interactions of females with children. Much of the offending by females occurs when they are baby-sitting. Most victims are acquaintances and, primarily children. Twenty percent of sex offences against male siblings are committed by sisters, compared to 21% for brothers. XXXIII. Adolescent females commit many of the same types of offences as their male peers. Some believe girls sex offend because they are forced to do so by male accomplices. However, some studies have not found this to be true. It is also believed that females use less force and violence to obtain compliance from their victims. Offenders With An Intellectual Disability XXXIV. Because research on adolescent sex offenders with an intellectual disability is lacking, it is difficult to provide a detailed picture. Early Canadian studies found varying degrees of intellectual disability in adolescent sex offenders that ranged between 24% - 36%. The more severe the disability the more difficult it becomes to label the teen’s behaviour as sex offending. Less than 3% of adolescent sex offenders could be considered seriously mentally disturbed or sociopathic. Interventions With Adolescent Sex Offenders Interventions with adolescent sex offenders are guided by four principles: XXXV. Treatment must be directed at preventing further victimization; continued...
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