The therapist testified that the boy admitted to "penetration" but apparently did not know the meaning of the word; he "equated rape with sex, and...he understood sex to mean the act of 'rubbing against someone.'"
Further, medical tests showed that the 8-year-old cousin had "an intact hymen" and showed no signs of sexual abuse (NJLJ 2001). Since the guilty plea had been entered, the court
ADHD and Sexual Aggression concluded, "without a proper factual basis," that plea "violates due process and is unconstitutional if the accused contemporaneously claims..." innocence (NJLJ, 2001). And after five years of dealing with this juvenile and the law, the court "vacated" the plea, which adjudicated delinquency. This case shows the difficulty that the legal institutions face when sexually-related crimes are alleged against very young children.
An article in the journal Professional Psychology: Research and Practice explains that because some sexually aggressive children (ages 6-17) also have "attention-deficit" and "hyperactivity" disorders, there may be a connection between the two problems (Fago, 2003). The article reports on a study based on a clinical sample of 72 children and adolescents who had exhibited "disruptive behaviors (Fago 2003) and problems with aggressive behavior." The word used in the article is "comorbidity" which means one medical condition "existing simultaneously with and usually independently of another medical condition."
The article explains that "it has become increasingly evident that to adequately evaluate and treat child psychopathology," the professionals in this field (of juvenile sexual aggression that becomes a violation of law) must have a working understanding of "clinical knowledge" (Fago 2003) that covers not just the narrow specialization of child psychology, but also "a spectrum of biological and neurodevelopmental factors" (Fago 2003). Those factors include the effects of "genetic, biological, and neurodevelopmental influences" on children, the types of "psychopathology commonly found in children and adolescents" and the "known developmental trajectories of child behavior and child psychopathology." What this is saying is, there may very well be a connection between adolescent boys who have disabilities like attention deficit disorder (ADHD), or hyperactivity that is out of control, may also have the potential to commit sex offenses (Fago 2003). Therefore, more studies are needed to verify that there is a relevant link between sexually aggressive behaviors...
When one looks at the occurrence of recidivism in offenders who have partaken in treatment programs varying from organic programs to those geared to more social and emotional support programs, it becomes clear that recidivism of sexual re-offense is relatively low, compared to those who undergo no treatment program. However, there is still an issue with non-sexual re-offense. In addition, there is evidence that the contributing factors for adult
Based on statistics, nearly one million eighth graders admit getting drunk and another 1.2 million twelfth graders are considered binge drinkers. Heroin use by young adults has doubled from 1991 to 1996 and even teenage compulsive gambling is on the rise (http://www.einstein.edu/e3front.dll?durki=8576,2004). Youth Gangs and Violence - The Starting Point It should be noted that violence started from the family affecting the whole society. What an individual has for a family, what
Relevance Juvenile offenders and reoffenders are an important problem facing the United States criminal justice system. For more than one hundred years, states held the belief that the juvenile justice system acted as a vehicle to safeguard the public via offering a structure that enables the rehabilitation of children growing into adulthood. States identified the difference of children committing crimes versus adult offenders (Loeber & Farrington, 2012). For example, the states
Dugan: Should be on its own page. Juvenile recidivism is a prevalent problem in the criminal justice system. Tackling reoffending remains a complex task requiring several strategies and aims. It involves research, acknowledgement of causes, factors, exploration, and evaluation of subgroups to generate long-term, positive changes in the lives of juvenile offenders. From gang violence to Interactive, Constructive, Active, and Passive (ICAP), researchers discover some of the reasons why juveniles
3. Variables Such as Gender There are various disparities in the overall demographics of this type of offense. As one report on the demographics of sex offenders in the United States, notes; "… although the vast majority of attention on sex crimes focuses on men as the offenders, an increased awareness of females as sex offenders has surfaced in recent years." (Female Sex Offenders, 2007) This study also adds the important
Juvenile Court Juvenile criminal justice system has enforced laws, which govern the rules for determining whether a juvenile criminal is eligible for a sentence or a counseling period is mandatory to alter the behaviors of such individuals. This system has been effectively placed for children less than the age of 21 who have reportedly committed crimes in various forms such as sex offenders; murderers etc. (Whitehead & Lab, 2012). In this
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