Mental disorders and criminal re-referrals in juveniles who sexually offended.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of mental disorders in (subgroups of) juvenile suspects who sexually offended (JSOs), and its relation with criminal re-referrals five to eight years later.


METHODS
A sample of 106 JSOs (mean age 15.0 ± 1.5 years) referred to the Dutch Child Protection Board between May 2003 and December 2006 was classified into JSOs with child victims (N = 19), solo JSOs with adolescents and/or adults victims (N = 29), and group JSOs with adolescents and/or adults victims (N = 58). Mental disorders were assessed at baseline by means of a semi-structured interview (K-SADS-PL), the level of functioning by means of the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) and re-referrals was ascertained from official judicial registration systems.


RESULTS
Three quarters of JSOs met criteria for at least one mental disorder. Comorbidity was found in more than half of the subjects and almost two thirds of the JSOs were functionally impaired. As compared to the other subgroups, JSOs with child victims showed higher rates of affective disorders and had a lower overall level of functioning. Furthermore, JSOs re-referred for another sexual offense were more often diagnosed with an affective disorder, were more often sexually abused and had a lower level of global functioning than JSOs who were not re-referred for another sex offense.


CONCLUSIONS
JSOs should receive mental assistance, as more than two thirds are functionally impaired due to mental problems. This may not only be important to safeguard the development of the juvenile offender but might also reduce repeated sexual offending.
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, P.O. Box 303, 1115 ZG Duivendrecht, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Lisette A
LA
't Hart-Kerkhoffs
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, P.O. Box 303, 1115 ZG Duivendrecht, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Cyril
C
Boonmann
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, P.O. Box 303, 1115 ZG Duivendrecht, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Theo Ah
TA
Doreleijers
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, P.O. Box 303, 1115 ZG Duivendrecht, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Lucres Mc
LM
Jansen
Bureau Beke Research and Consultancy, Arnhem, The Netherlands.
Anton
A
Ph van Wijk
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, P.O. Box 303, 1115 ZG Duivendrecht, Amsterdam, The Netherlands ; Curium-LUMC, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Robert Rjm
RR
Vermeiren
Mental disorders; Psychopathology; Sexual offending juveniles