By Minne De Boeck, Nina Stalpaert, Zohra Lkasbi, & Kasia Uzieblo
Sexual offenses
committed by young people often remain underexplored in the forensic field.
However, addressing this issue is essential due to significant differences
between adult and youth offenders, including the underlying characteristics,
motivations, recidivism rates, and treatment needs. To spotlight this critical
topic, NL-ATSA, the Dutch-speaking association for the prevention of sexual
offenses, organized a specialized conference on November 7, 2024, at the
University of Antwerp. The event focused on individuals under 23 years old who
have exhibited harmful sexual behavior (HSB). Both national and international
experts shared their knowledge and experiences on the prevention, guidance, and
treatment of these individuals.
Youth and Harmful Sexual Behavior: Prevention and Treatment
Stuart Allardyce,
Director of Research at the Lucy Faithfull Foundation and Stop It Now! UK and
Ireland, opened the conference with a presentation on prevalence rates and the
unique characteristics of this group. Global studies reveal that 18% of girls
and 7.6% of boys report being victims of sexual abuse, with a significant
portion—between one-third and half—of these offenses committed by minors. Allardyce
highlighted key patterns within HSB cases: Most offenses are committed by boys,
many of them have experienced abuse themselves, victims are predominantly girls
and the majority occur within domestic settings.
Not all HSB qualifies
as abuse; one-third falls into the broader category of inappropriate behavior.
Interestingly, there is limited overlap between adolescent and adult sexual
offenders. Adolescent behavior is often situational and opportunistic rather than
rooted in deviance, although persistent adult offenders often begin in
adolescence.
Allardyce underscored
the profound impact of HSB not only on victims but also on the young offenders
and their families. Crucially, he stressed the importance of recognizing these
individuals as children first. This necessitates a holistic and child-centered
approach tailored to their developmental stage. He advocated for avoiding
stigmatizing labels like "young sexual offenders," instead referring
to them as "young people exhibiting harmful sexual behavior."
Despite research
indicating low recidivism rates for new sexual offenses among youth, these
individuals often struggle with forming healthy relationships and achieving
stability later in life. Effective interventions should, therefore, not only
aim to reduce recidivism but also focus on broader developmental goals and the
overall well-being of these youths.
Allardyce outlined
several key principles for effective interventions:
- Trauma-informed and systemic approaches;
- Contextualized support;
- Prioritization of the young person’s
broader development;
- Strong relationships between
professionals and young people, as genuine care and active listening
foster trust;
· Ongoing aftercare to address challenges these
young people may encounter later, such as in relationships or the workplace;
Preventive measures,
including comprehensive sexual education and early identification of risk
factors—such as past victimization, antisocial tendencies, poor sexual
boundaries, and problematic pornography use—are equally critical to addressing
HSB in youth.
He also emphasized the
importance of self-care for professionals working with this population to
maintain their capacity for support.
Recidivism and Desistance in Young Sexual Offenders
Chantal van den Berg,
criminologist and researcher at the University of Amsterdam, presented her
extensive longitudinal research (>20 years) on youth sexual offenders. Her
study explored the factors contributing to sexual delinquency, their lives
following the offense, and the impact of stigma and social context.
Van den Berg’s
findings challenge the stereotype of the chronically reoffending young sexual
offender. Over 20 years, only 7.7% of the studied individuals reoffended
sexually. Familial factors, such as upbringing and substance use, alongside
personal traits like low self-esteem, were significant contributors to
delinquent behavior.
Among recidivists,
those who reoffended sexually often had a history of similar offenses, while
non-sexual recidivists tended to commit a broader range of crimes. Stigma and
social context, including responses from parents and schools, played a
substantial role in their trajectory. Parents often reported difficulties with
constant monitoring but appreciated treatment efforts despite the challenges.
Van den Berg stressed
the importance of interventions addressing both individual traits and the
social context to prevent recidivism effectively.
Practical Approaches in Treating Harmful Sexual Behavior
The youth team from
I.T.E.R., a Flemish treatment center for sexual deviance and prevention,
presented their structured approach to addressing HSB in residential settings.
Their method, referred to as “the sex reflex,” revolves around:
- Encouraging open conversations about
sexuality;
- Supporting the healthy sexual
development of youth;
- Appropriately responding to problematic
or harmful sexual behavior.
The approach balances
safety with allowing space for exploration and emphasizes a positive
perspective on sexuality. It also involves creating safety plans to guide
recovery following incidents, helping professionals foster secure environments.
Regular evaluation of interventions ensures they remain clear, concrete, and
future-oriented.
Self-care for
professionals, multidisciplinary collaboration, and fostering the youth's
perspective are also central to this approach, which aims to build confidence
and reduce apprehension in addressing HSB.
The Viersprong, a
Dutch specialized treatment center for people who exhibit personality disorders,
shared their application of Multi-Systemic Therapy for Problem Sexual Behavior
(MST-PSB). This family-centered therapy focuses on creating safety, fostering
accountability, and restoring family dynamics. The approach involves
identifying risk factors, creating safety plans, and fostering acknowledgment
of the behavior by both the young person and their family. Where appropriate,
reunification with victims may also be facilitated. MST-PSB has shown promising
results, including reduced recidivism, fewer out-of-home placements, and
improved parenting skills.
Conclusion
The NL-ATSA conference
highlighted the importance of a holistic approach to addressing harmful sexual
behavior in youth. Such interventions must focus on the development and
recovery of the young person, prioritizing both recidivism prevention and their
overall well-being. Central to this is a systemic understanding of the
individual’s context and the challenges they face. By fostering supportive
environments and emphasizing developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed care,
we can create pathways for young people to heal, grow, and build positive
futures.
