Multidisciplinary Response to Youth with Sexual Behavior Problems

Date

2014

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

William Mitchell Law Review

Abstract

As the national ratchet of retribution continues to tighten on offenders of sexual assault, treatment providers and researchers bemoan the fact that America’s youth are getting caught in its grip. Youth advocates lament the facts that a “seven-year-old child could never return home again after two incidents of genital fondling of a five-year-old sibling”; that a twelve-year-old is perceived as a “predatory pedophile for life” after experimental sexual contact with another child; and ten-year-old children are being forced to register as sex offenders across the country. Recent public policy and legislation has increased the severity of sentences approved for juvenile offenders of sex crimes, and society has demonstrated its approval of criminally prosecuting juveniles as adults for some of these particularly violent crimes. However, current empirical research supports the position that juvenile sex offenders differ from adult sex offenders in a variety of ways, and subsequently should not be subjected to the same punishment or treatment modalities as adults. Furthermore, a lack of understanding of normative sexual development in the child welfare, mental health, and juvenile justice arenas leads professionals to inappropriately classify and subsequently stigmatize youth who are not sexually aggressive. When youth display sexualized behaviors as a result of their own sexual development, family norms, cultural practices, or their own victimization, this normative sexual play or sexual reactivity is often mislabeled and leads to inappropriate diagnoses and treatment. A lack of understanding of normal sexual development may also lead to the premature dismissal of inappropriate sexual behaviors as cases of “children being children” by child protection workers and law enforcement officers. A more informed response is required. (Author Introduction)

Description

Keywords

child abuse, child sexual behavior, acting out, sexualized behavior, law, review

Citation

Russell, A. (2014). Multidisciplinary Response to Youth with Sexual Behavior Problems. William Mitchell Law Review, 40(3), 1058-1082.

DOI