Despite the fact that media bombard the public with the notion that sex offenders are everywhere-and could be just next door-official sources show that official sex offense rates have been steadily declining over the past 10 years. Yet, when a juvenile is accused of a sexually-based crime, media attention is swift and relentless. The truth about juvenile sex offenders is often, therefore, misunderstood. In many cases, such offenders are victims themselves. Here, Gibson and Vandiver reveal the truth about juvenile sex offenders and what can be done to help them and to prevent the cycle of abuse that leads to such tragic outcomes.

This book sets the records straight about juvenile sex offending. It provides accurate, up-to-date statistics, real life cases, and information about offender characteristics, victim characteristics, family factors, social issues, media involvement, and other related areas. It offers explanations for juvenile sex offending from a variety of perspectives and reviews legal and criminal responses to the problem. Included are discussions of female offenders, punitive measures to prevent repeat offenses, and other steps the federal government and individual states are taking to address the problem. The authors conclude with advice on how to protect children from becoming victims and how to prevent sexual offending in the first place.

Inhalt

Chapter 1: When? How? And by Whom? The Circumstances of Juvenile Sex Chapter 2: Explanations: What we Know and Dont Know Chapter 3: High Profile Cases: How on Earth did this Happen? Chapter 4: Are all Juvenile Sex Offenders the Same? Chapter 5: Unusual Populations of Juvenile Sex Offenders: Females, Developmentally Disabled, and Very Young Sex Offenders Chapter 6: Once a Sex Offender, Always a Sex Offender? Guest Author: Philip A. Ikomi Chapter 7: Our Legal Response: The Sex Offenders You Know and the Ones You Dont Chapter 8: Putting all the Pieces Together: Separating Fact from Fiction