MALE-ADOLESCENT SEXUAL ASSAULTERS - CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS

Clinical assessments of 49 male adolescent sexual offenders who had sexually assaulted females their age or older showed that the majority were recidivists, had a history of antisocial behavior predating and coinciding with their sexual offenses, and came from a disturbed family background. Thirty-three percent of the offenders had a history of physical abuse in childhood, but, surprisingly, a history of sexual abuse could be confirmed in only two cases. The assaulters were less likely to be socially isolated than a comparison group of child molesters and more likely to socialize with older peers than a comparison group of delinquents. There was known sexual pathology in about 25% of the parents. Alcohol and drugs were not found to play a prominent role in the sexual assaults. Sexually deviant impulses and antisocial traits were found to be motivating factors for the majority of the assaults. © 1991, SAGE PUBLICATIONS. All rights reserved.