Treatment of Sex Offenders

9 Early Detection and Intervention for Adolescents at Risk for Engaging…
197
Even though some teens that commit this type of offense will probably develop into lifelong
pedophilic offenders…for the majority of these offenders, there is a strong trend toward
desisting pedophilic offending as the offender age increases just a few years. Concluding
then, that sexual assault of a young child by an offender in their early teens indicates developing
high-risk sexual deviancy or pedophilia does not appear warranted. (p. 296)
Protective Factors for Adolescents at Risk for Sexual Offending
As difficult as it has been to identify risk factors for adolescent-perpetrated sexually
abusive behavior, the search for protective factors—those individual, relational,
community, and societal characteristics that would reduce the likelihood of sexual
offending—has yet to provide clarity. First, there is some debate about whether
protective factors should be conceptualized as mirror images of risk factors (i.e.,
whether an absence of a particular risk factor should be considered a protective factor)
or as entities that are entirely distinct (Spice et al., 2012 ). Secondly, although
some studies have identified protective factors for general delinquency among adolescents
who have offended sexually—such as strong attachments or bonds (Klein,
Rettenberger, Yoon, Köhler, & Briken, 2015 ; Spice et al., 2012 ; Worling & Langton,
2015 )—research has so far failed to distinguish factors that specifically promote
desistance from adolescent sexual offending.
The difficulty in identifying risk and protective factors for this population highlights
the population’s diversity, as discussed above, as well as the dynamic nature
of childhood development. Arguably the defining characteristic of adolescence is
change, and it has been observed that a child’s level of risk and needs changes
quickly as he or she matures (Chaffin, 2008 ; Prentky & Righthand, 2003 ; Worling,
2004 ). Also in support of this notion is that, for both adolescents and adults who
have engaged in abusive sexual behavior, risk and protective factors appear to interact
and combine in multiple and nuanced ways to increase or decrease the likelihood
of sexual violence perpetration, suggesting that these factors are activated in
certain situations and may be most relevant during particular developmental periods
(Tharp et al., 2012 ). Nevertheless, the identification of protective factors for adolescents
at risk for sexual offending remains an important task, as a greater understanding
of risk and protective elements promises to guide the refinement of primary
prevention strategies for this population.
What Works in Primary Prevention for Sexual Violence?
Nation and colleagues (2003 , 2005 ) identified nine “principles of prevention” (see
Table 9.1 ) that are strongly associated with positive effects across multiple studies in
multiple domains, indicating that effective prevention-oriented interventions have
the following characteristics: (a) comprehensive, (b) appropriately timed, (c) utilize
varied teaching methods, (d) have sufficient dosage, (e) administered by well-trained
staff, (f) provide opportunities for positive relationships, (g) socioculturally relevant,