Citation

Rasmussen LAL. J. Fam. Trauma Child Cust. Child Dev. 2021; 18(3): 241-262.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/26904586.2021.1875953

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This is an exploratory study on a sample of male adolescents adjudicated for sex offenses (N = 129) previously examined in a predictive validity study (please see Rasmussen 2017, for details of the study and findings). The sample was subsequently part of a 14 years, 3-month longitudinal study of sexual recidivism (Rasmussen, 2021). The current exploratory study examined the association of exposure to domestic violence and abuse variables (i.e., physical abuse, sexual abuse, and child neglect/emotional abuse) with risk levels and termination from the treatment program. Physical abuse was significantly associated with termination from the program (p <.001, 1-sided), as was exposure to domestic violence (p <.026, 1-sided), and experiencing multiple trauma (p <.033, 2-sided). The findings point to the need for a trauma-informed approach. The Trauma Outcome Process Assessment (TOPA) model is presented as a viable option for trauma treatment of sexually abusive youth.

Language: en

Keywords

Adolescent sex offenders; domestic violence; MEGA; physical abuse; risk assessment; sexually abusive youth; Trauma outcome process