Juvenile Sex Offenders in Turkey: A Study on Offense Characteristics, Risk Factors, and the Differences between Juvenile Sex Offenders and Other Juvenile Offenders

Abstract

Based on a data set ( n = 920) derived from court files of adjudicated youth in one of the largest court districts in Turkey, this study represents the first systematic attempt to understand juvenile sex offenders (JSOs) and their offenses in this contemporary urban context. The study results show, first off, that sexual offending among Turkish youth has been increasing at a rate comparable to that of other Western societies. Secondly, the victims of the sex offenses examined in the study were mostly of the opposite sex (female), were typically younger than the offenders, and commonly were acquaintances (friends, family, partners). Thirdly, the results indicated that the JSOs were significantly different from other juvenile offenders, and in terms of most of the risk factors used in juvenile justice assessments they had an advantage over the other juvenile offenders. These results are discussed in light of findings reported in previous studies, along with considerations relating to the public policy implications and the research recommendations arising from the outcomes of this foundational research.