Adolescent male sexual offenders' perceptions of their family characteristics

Abstract

Literature on families of adolescent sexual offenders is sparse. Adolescents' perception of family structure, family adaptability and cohesion, parent-child communication, and family communication about sexuality are considered in an effort to identify family characteristics that distinguish families of adolescent sex offenders (n=39) from violent juvenile delinquents (n=25), non-violent juvenile delinquents (n=41), and from non-problem families (normative data). Families of sex offenders are characterized by greater family cohesion, poorer communication with fathers than with mothers, a higher value on family sex communication, and a change in living arrangement when compared to other delinquents' families. Several variables differentiate between families of delinquents in this study and non-problem families. In general, there are some differences between families of adolescent sex offenders and other delinquents, but more dramatic differences emerge between non-problem families and all delinquent samples. Implications for practice are offered.