title: Juvenile Sex Offenders.
abstract: Public policy has tended to treat juvenile sex offenders (JSOs) as adult sex offenders in waiting, despite research that contradicts this notion. Although as a group, JSOs are more similar to general delinquents than to adult sex offenders, atypical sexual interests and sexual victimization during childhood may be a pathway for sexual offending that differentiates some JSOs from their nonsexually delinquent peers. Developmental considerations must be considered in risk assessment evaluations of these youth. This article reviews theories of sexual offending in youth, risk factors for juvenile offending and reoffending, psychopathology in JSOs, risk assessment, and treatment.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy, University of Virginia School of Medicine, PO Box 800660, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA. Electronic address: er3h@virginia.edu.
authors.forename: Eileen P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Ryan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Juvenile sex offenders; Paraphilias; Psychopathology; Risk assessment; Risk factors; Sex offender registries; Sex offender treatment