|
Abstract
|
VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of this research by Hsu and Starqynski was to examine the differences between adolescent rapists and adolescent child molesters with respect to a number of psychiatric, familial and offense-related characteristics.
METHODOLOGY:
The authors employed a quasi-experimental cross-sectional design with a non-probability sample of 13 to 18 year olds, including 15 adolescent rapists and 17 adolescent child sexual assaulters who were evaluated at the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic between August 1979 and August 1984. Evaluation included an individual session with a psychiatrist, a physical and neurological examination conducted by a neurologist, a family assessment by a social worker, and a psychoeducational assessment that was conducted by an educational psychologist. Rapists were those subjects who had assaulted someone aged 12 or above, and child sexual assaulters were those subjects whose victims were aged 11 or under. Measures concerning the subjects included a psychiatric diagnosis according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual - Third Edition, an IQ test (the WAIS or the WISC), a physical examination which included an EEG, and an examination of family history and of previous psychiatric history. Also studied were victim characteristics and modus operandi. Analyses included t-tests and Chi-Square with Yates Correction.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
No racial differences were found between the adolescent rapists (AR) and the child sexual assaulters (CS), although an age difference was found to exist - the mean age of the AR group was significantly higher than that of the CS group. In the AR group, 4 subjects had no psychiatric diagnosis, but the other 11 displayed some form of conduct disorder, with 7 of these also exhibiting signs of alcohol and drug abuse. Four of the CS group had no diagnosis, 1 was diagnosed as abusing alcohol and 12 were conduct disordered, 4 of whom also abused alcohol and drugs. The two groups did not differ in psychiatric terms. Whilst the AR group scored higher than did those in the CS group for the intelligence tests, this difference was not significant. Physical and EEG examinations were essentially normal for all subjects. However, families of offenders in both groups were severely disturbed, with only one individual living with both biological parents. 16 offenders had alcoholic parent(s) and 7 parents suffered from severe depression, with one committing suicide in front of the subject. Three of the subjects' mothers had been sexually abused and raped, and 8 subjects had a criminal history in the immediate family. 17 of the adolescents had been treated for previous psychiatric disturbance, and 17 had been charged with various offenses in the past. No differences were found between the AR and the CS groups on family history, previous psychiatric treatment or previous charges. The differences in the age of the subjects' victims was highly significant, as was the difference in sex - for AR offenders, all 12 victims were female, whilst for the CS groups, 9 were female and 12 were male. No race differences were found. Only one victim of the AR offenders knew the assailant, and none of the attacks was a date rape. For the CS group, 10 victims were either related to or acquainted with the offender. This difference approached significance (p<0.10). For the AR group, 8 offenders acted alone and 7 of these occurred indoors. The 7 attacks that were committed with at least one other person consisted of four group rapes, all of which were committed in the open. For the CS group, 15 committed the offense alone, with 10 victims being assaulted in the offender's home. In 7 of these cases, the victim lived in the same home as the offender. No significant difference was found between the two groups on acting alone or with someone, or whether the incident occurred indoors or outside. Whilst no cross-racial assaults were found in the CS group, 53% of those in the AR group were committed by blacks on whites. 53% of the AR group and 24% of the CS offenders used alcohol and/or marijuana before the incident, although this difference was not statistically significant. Seven of the AR offenders used a gun or a knife, with only 2 in the CS group using a knife or a broken bottle - a difference that approached significance (p<0.10). No difference was found between the groups with regard to season or time of offense. Three of the AR victims were beaten, but none were in the CS group. The authors constructed a profile of the two types of offender. The CS offender was thought to be an early adolescent, either black or white, who assaulted a known male child of the same race but 10 years younger, in the victim's home. The AR offender was seen as more likely to assault an older, unknown female victim at her home and to use a weapon.
AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
The authors suggested that the empirical data that was generally available about adolescent offenders must be improved significantly, as there was a serious lack of adequate information. They would have liked to have recommended some form of treatment or therapy for this population, but the limited community resources that are provided for such purposes stopped them from making suggestions that would not have been followed anyway. The authors concluded with a hope that their research would stimulate further and better studies in the field of the adolescent sexual offender.
EVALUATION:
The authors present an interesting and informative examination of the adolescent sexual offender. However, the small sample size and the simple methodological procedures precludes much useful generalization to other groups of adolescent sexual offenders. A more thorough discussion of the implications of the findings would have been helpful, but overall the study provides an excellent basis for further research. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - Juvenile Violence
KW - Child Abuse Offender
KW - Child Sexual Abuse Offender
KW - Early Adolescence
KW - Late Adolescence
KW - Family Environment
KW - Psychological Factors
KW - Family History
KW - Juvenile Offender
KW - Child Molester
KW - Offender Characteristics
KW - Rape Offender
KW - Sexual Assault Offender
KW - Offense Characteristics
KW - Violence Against Women |