Juvenile Sex Offending Through a Developmental Life Course Criminology Perspective

Abstract

Current American policies and responses to juvenile sex offending have been criticized for being based on myths, misconceptions, and unsubstantiated claims. In spite of the criticism, no organizing framework has been proposed to guide policy development with respect to the prevention of juvenile sex offending. This article proposes a developmental life course (DLC) criminology perspective to investigate the origins, development, and termination of sex offending among youth. It also provides a review of the current state of knowledge regarding various parameters characterizing the development of sex offending (e.g., prevalence, age of onset, frequency, persistence, continuity in adulthood, and versatility). The review highlights some heterogeneity across these developmental parameters suggesting the presence of different sex offending patterns among youth. In fact, it is proposed that, based on the current knowledge, such heterogeneity can be accounted for by a dual taxonomy of adolescents involved in sexual offenses: (a) the adolescent-limited and (b) the high-rate/slow-desister. The DLC criminology approach and the dual taxonomy are proposed as organizing frameworks to conduct prospective longitudinal research to better understand the origins and development of sex offending and to guide policy development and responses to at-risk youth and those who have committed sexual offenses.

Understanding the origins and the development of rape and sexual aggression against women: Four generations of research and theorizing

“…This hypothesis however is not supported by data stemming from prospective longitudinal birth cohort studies (Lussier & Blokland, 2014;Zimring et al, 2007;Zimring et al, 2009). The findings of prospective longitudinal studies based on official data of offending show that: (a) the vast majority of juvenile offenders are not involved in sexual aggression in adulthood (e.g., Lussier, 2015); and, (b) that most adult sexual aggressors have no prior history of juvenile sexual aggression (e.g., Lussier & Blokland, 2014). These findings raise some doubts about the notion of long-term persistence of sexual deviance among these individuals over life course.…”

“…This not only allows for a more accurate identification and understanding of the precursors of rape and sexual aggression, but also contextualizes issues of continuity and discontinuity of the behavior. Therefore, these studies can identify different parameters of development in order to examine the dynamic aspect of sexual aggression over time (Blokland & Lussier, 2015;Lussier, 2015;Lussier & Cale, 2013). This involves parameters of interest such as: the age of onset of initial sexual aggression; the frequency of sexual aggression; continuity and persistence of sexually aggressive acts; escalation and progression of sexually aggressive behaviors, and finally, the termination of sexual aggression (Lussier, 2015).…”

“…Therefore, these studies can identify different parameters of development in order to examine the dynamic aspect of sexual aggression over time (Blokland & Lussier, 2015;Lussier, 2015;Lussier & Cale, 2013). This involves parameters of interest such as: the age of onset of initial sexual aggression; the frequency of sexual aggression; continuity and persistence of sexually aggressive acts; escalation and progression of sexually aggressive behaviors, and finally, the termination of sexual aggression (Lussier, 2015). The usefulness of distinguishing these parameters is based on the rationale that different factors or mechanisms may explain specific aspects of the developmental course of sexual aggression.…”

“…In recent years, the need and importance for a DLC perspective on sexual aggression has been raised by several scholars (Chaffin, Letourneau & Silovsky, 2002;Lussier, 2005;Smallbone, 2006), but there have been few attempts to formalize this perspective into a THE ORIGINS OF RAPE 33 theoretical framework (Lussier, 2015;. As outlined above, most etiological models of sexual aggression are focused on explaining between-individual differences leading to sexual aggression.…”

Pathways to delinquent and sex offending behavior: The role of childhood adversity and environmental context in a treatment sample of male adolescents

“…Numerous prevailing theories emphasize the role of early developmental adversities in the etiology of delinquent and sexually abusive behaviors (e.g., Grady, Levenson, & Bolder, 2016;Lussier, 2015;Moffitt, 1993;Piquero, Jennings, & Barnes, 2012;Ward & Beach, 2005). Others focus primarily on sociological explanations of crime and use a macro-level approach to conceptualizing these problem behaviors (e.g., Bandura, 1969Bandura, , 1977Braithwaite, 2015;Sampson & Groves, 1989;Shaw & McKay, 1942).…”