The Juvenile Sex Offender, First Edition

There has been an extraordinary amount of published research and theory on sexual assault by adult male offenders. Yet, little has been written about the juvenile or adolescent sex offender, either as a subject of study in his own right, or in an effort to understand the developmental processes which may lead to sexually assaultive behavior in adults. Filling a gap in the literature, this comprehensive volume provides a detailed examination of the juvenile sexual offender, and what is known about the development of sexually assaultive behavior.

Written by leading researchers, chapters first define terms and concepts and outline the research, professional, and legal issues relevant to treatment of the juvenile sex offender. Salient historical, personality, and behavioral characteristics which may differentiate various important subgroupings of these offenders are also described. The book then focuses on the development of the juvenile sexual offender, and how this development differs from that of normal adolescents. Chapters examine how sexuality evolves and manifests itself in both the normal and the deviant teenager, and why deviant behaviors often continue into adulthood. Sexual arousal and preferences of the adolescent offender, and processes involving social bonds and influences on the development of deviant sexuality are also discussed.

Finally, the book explores ways in which society might respond to prevent or control the occurrence of sexual assault by juveniles. A comprehensive approach to treatment is presented that encompasses criminal justice and mental health systems, cognitive-behavioral interventions, pharmacological approaches, relapse prevention, and supervision.

Highly informative and useful, this text is particularly important to psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and other mental health clinicians working with juvenile sexual offenders, their families, and their victims. Similarly, professionals in forensic, developmental or child and family studies will also find it of particular interest. It also serves as an ideal text for advanced courses on juvenile sexual offenders, or as supplementary reading for students of forensic psychology or psychiatry.

Howard Barbaree, PhD, is currently Head of Impulse Control Disorders Programme at the Clark Institute of Psychiatry in Toronto, Canada. For the past 13 years, he has been a Professor in Psychology at Queen's University, during which time he has devoted most of his professional work to research, teaching, and clinical practice related to sexual aggression and sexual deviance. Dr. Barbaree has published numerous journal articals and book chapters on the topic, and he is co-editor of the Handbook of Sexual Assault: Issues, Theories, and Treatment of the Offender (Plenum Publishing Corp.). He is the founding director of the Warkworth Sexual Behavior Clinic, a Canadian Federal Penitentiary treatment program for sexual offenders. Dr. Barbaree was born and educated in British Columbia, Canada, and received his PhD in Psychology from Queen's University in 1974.

William Marshall, PhD, is a Professor of Psychology at Queen's University, Kingston, Canada. He has devoted the past 23 years to research and clinical aspects of the assessment and treatment of the sex offender. He has published extensively, with over 100 journal articles and book chapters to his credit. He is a co-editor of the Handbook of Sexual Assault: Issues, Theories, and Treatment of the Offender (Plenum Publishing Corp.)., and co-author of Criminal Neglect: Why Sex Offenders Go Free (Doubleday). Dr. Marshall is the founding Director of the Kingstom Sexual Behavior Clinic, a community-based assessment and treatment program for adult and adolescent sex offenders. In addition, he has assisted in the establishment of sex offender treatment programs in six different countires throughout the world. Dr. Marshall was born in Australis, educated in England, and received his PhD from Queen's University in 1971.