Individual Beliefs, Attitudes, and Victimization Histories of Male Juvenile Sexual Offenders

Abstract

This study examined the individual beliefs and attitudes (e.g., sexuality, aggression, criminality) and victimization histories of 100 male youths who were divided equally into four demographically similar groups: (a) sexual offenders in residential placement, (b) sexual offenders in outpatient treatment, (c) nonsexual offenders in residential placement, and (d) nonsexual offenders in outpatient treatment. Based on youths' reports on the Multidimensional Assessment of Sex and Aggression and the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory, results showed that juvenile sexual offenders in residential placement had the most negative sexual and aggressive attitudes. There were also other noted differences between the two groups of sexual offenders as well as between youths with histories of sexual offenses and juvenile offenders with no such histories. The implications of these findings for research, theory, treatment, and risk assessment are discussed.