Differences in Self-Report Measures by Adolescent Sex Offender Risk Group

Abstract

Differences in self-reports among three groups of juvenile sex offenders (N = 162) were examined. Risk was defined as the sum of the following static variables based on interviews with juveniles and others and from written records: type of offense (violent or predatory =1, not = 0), prior sex offense (any =1, none = 0), history of sexual abuse (self or family= 1, none = 0), history of substance abuse (self or family =1, none = 0), history of behavior problems (yes =1, no = 0), and unstable home life (yes =1, stable = 0). Low-risk (0 to 2 risk factors), medium-risk (3 factors), and high-risk (4 to 6 factors) groups of offenders were formed. Univariate ANCOVAs indicated that the high-risk group reported less family cohesion, more aggression, lower self-esteem, more social discomfort, and more frequent and extreme sexual fantasies. The implications of these findings for differential identification of and interventions with adolescent sex offenders are discussed.