Citation

Burton D, Demuynck S, Yoder JR. Sex. Abuse 2014; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1079063214556357

PMID

25428928

Abstract

Our aim in this study was to evaluate executive function and its relationship to delinquency and sexual crime in adolescents incarcerated for sexual crimes. Based on self-report data, 196 male adolescent sexual offenders from a Midwest state reported high rates of executive dysfunction. Although such deficits did not relate to the number of victims of sexual abuse, severity, or degree of force used in commission of the sexual crimes, poor executive function was significantly predictive of both general delinquency and felony theft. In both measures of delinquent conduct, behavioral regulation dysfunction was predictive of the frequency of commission of the crimes, whereas metacognition was not. Research and treatment implications are offered.

Language: en