Eight-Year Comparative Analyses of Adolescent Rapists, Adolescent Child Molesters, Other Adolescent Delinquents, and the General Population

Published date01 June 2001
Date01 June 2001
DOIhttp://doi.org/10.1177/0306624X01453004
Subject MatterJournal Article
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
Adolescent Sex Offenders
Eight-Year Comparative Analyses
of Adolescent Rapists, Adolescent
Child Molesters, Other Adolescent
Delinquents, and the General
Population
Michael P. Hagan
Karyn L. Gust-Brey
Meg E. Cho
Edward Dow
Abstract:This study involved an 8-year comparative analysis of sexual assault among adoles-
cent perpetrators of sexual assault against children,adolescent perpetrators of rape against
same age or older peers, other adolescent delinquents, and the generalpopulation. Results of
this study found that adolescent sex offenders were significantly more likely to sexually
reoffendin the 8-year period after their release from a juvenile correctional facility than were
a control groupof other non–sex offending adolescent delinquents from the same institution.
Juvenilenon-sex offenders, child sexual offenders, and adolescent rapists were all found to be
significantlymore likely to be involved in sexual assaults than was the general male population
in the United States.
Recent data released from the U.S. Department of Justice found that major crime
has dropped across the country in many categories. This overalldrop in crime has
been attributed in part to improved economic opportunities and increased incar-
ceration of serious criminals among other factors. However,an increase was noted
in the number of sexual assaults. U.S. government statistics (U.S. Department of
Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1995) indicate that the number of reported
forcible rapes increased from 17,190 in 1960 to 104,810 in 1993, which also cor-
responded with an increase from 5.1 to 40.6 per 100,000 people. Approximately
30,057 persons (3%) of all felony convictionsin state courts in 1996 were for sex-
ual assault (U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, 1997). Of this
number, approximately 99% of convictions involved male perpetration of sexual
assault and 1% consisted of female perpetrators. Therefore, sexual assault contin-
ues to remain a serious concern in the United States, as evidenced by legislationin
such states as California, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Kansas, Washington, and
Wisconsin involving the involuntary commitment of the sexually violent.
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 45(3), 2001 314-324
2001 Sage Publications
314

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