You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
The Home Office reported in 1988 (HMSO, 1988) that one-third of all known sex offenders are adolescents. Bearing in mind that all sex crimes are significantly under-reported, it is disturbing that victim surveys in the US1 indicate that approximately 50 per cent of child molestations were committed by adolescents (Fehrenbach et al., 1986). The adolescents’ first sexual offences usually occurred between the ages of 12 and 15 (Deisher et al, 1982). It was estimated that the average adolescent sexual offender would during his lifetime commit 380 sexual crimes (Becker and Abel, 1984).
Puberty and the developmental phase of adolescence create internal conflicts which contribute to the adolescent's abusive behaviour. While sexually abusing offenders are caught up in the throes of adolescence, these internal conflicts may be more accessible to both the worker and the adolescent. In light of the fact that approximately half the adult sex offenders coming before the courts began their sexual deviancy in adolescence (Davis, 1987), one can see the enormous prophylactic potential in work with adolescent abusers.