Publication Date

2009

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Department

School for Social Work

Keywords

Teenage sex offenders-Psychology, Juvenile delinquents-Psychology, Teenage boys-Psychology, Impulsive personality, Antisocial personality disorders, Adolescent sexual offenders

Abstract

Although adolescent violent crime arrests have declined over the years (Snyder and Sickmund, 2006; Sickmund 2005) the number of adolescent nonviolent and violent sexual offenses continues to peril social health. As such, empirically based treatment options are needed to meet the diverse needs of this heterogeneous group of youth. The purpose of this study was to review current literature for impulsive and antisocial personality characteristics amongst male adolescent sexual offenders. Two separate quantitative research papers were written to assess the significant relationship between these personality traits and adolescent sexual offenders. To help leverage our understanding of these youth, the first paper explored differences of impulsivity between adolescent sexual offenders and non-sexual delinquents and further investigated impulsive traits in relation to adolescent sexual acts. The assumption of insignificant difference between groups on levels of impulsivity was supported. Unexpected findings included impulsivity being significantly related to the adolescent sexual offenders' delinquent crimes rather than his sexual acts. The second paper sought to explore prominent antisocial traits, such as impulsivity, destruction of property, lifestyle instability, substance abuse, hostility, and a history of rule violation, amongst the sexual and delinquent acts of adolescent sexual offenders. The assumption that antisocial acts are related to both the adolescent sexual offenders' delinquent crimes and his sexual acts was supported.

Language

English

Comments

iii, 44 p. Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 13-21, 36-44)

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