Introduction to this issue: adolescent sexual offending

Abstract

This is the first of two consecutive issues of Behavioral Sciences and the Law devoted to the topic of adolescent sexual offending. Adolescent sexual offending is a topic that has attracted growing attention over the last few years. This increase in attention has not necessarily been fueled byintellectual curiosityor adesire to assist in the classification of adolescents who have committed sexual offenses; instead, it appears to be directly related to new legislation designed to protect the public from adolescent sex offenders. The primary example of this legislation is the Sex Offender Registration and