CENTER FOR SEX OFFENDER MANAGEMENT
The Effective Management of Juvenile Sex Offenders in the Community
A Training Curriculum

 A Project of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice

 

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Section 8: Summary
30 Minutes

TOPIC: SUMMARY

Over the course of this training, we have covered a tremendous amount of material related to juvenile sex offenders and their management in the community. I know that this is a lot of information to digest, but I hope that it has helped you to begin to understand more fully some of the contemporary research and professional literature about these youth and the associated implications on our work. There are no “magic bullets” or easy answers in this field. Rather, the effective management of sexually abusive youth is a complex issue that requires the involvement of multiple agencies and the integration of several key components.

Before we leave, I would like to emphasize several key “take home” messages:

• Youth who commit sex offenses are a diverse and heterogeneous population—there is no “typical” case and no “profile” exists. Because they are not all alike, “one size fits all” approaches are neither appropriate nor likely to be effective.
• There are a number of critical differences between adult and juvenile sex offenders. These differences have significant implications for our management strategies, and suggest that we should not simply apply the policies and practices designed for adults to these youth.
• Effective management of these youth does not fall on the shoulders of any single agency, organization, or individual. Multi–agency collaboration is essential.
• Because of the heterogeneity of these youth, comprehensive and ongoing assessments are key to informed decisionmaking throughout the system. And everyone involved in juvenile sex offender management has a stake and a role in the assessment process.
• Treatment for juvenile sex offenders should be developmentally appropriate, individualized, and driven by specialized and comprehensive assessments. The current models of intervention offer promise in reducing recidivism.
• Balanced, success-oriented, and collaborative supervision strategies are central to managing juvenile sex offenders in the community.
• Early planning and carefully coordinated transition efforts can aid in the successful community reintegration and stability of these youth in the community.
• Ideally, legislative responses to juvenile sex offenders will be developmentally sensitive and take into account the current research and professional literature about this population, including the significant differences between these youth and their adult counterparts.

I want to take this opportunity to remind you again about a number of organizations and their Web sites that offer additional information and resources related to juvenile sex offender issues. They include:

• Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA)—www.atsa.com
• National Center on Sexual Behavior of Youth (NCSBY)—www.ncsby.org
• National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ)—www.ncjfcj.org
• Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)—www.ojjdp.ncjrs.gov

You can also visit the CSOM Web site at www.csom.org for additional information related to the management of both juvenile and adult sex offenders. There you will find links to additional curricula, other Web sites, a searchable database, and information about upcoming events, downloadable documents, and a number of other resources.

There are also local resources available to you about current efforts to manage these youth effectively in this jurisdiction.

Note to Trainers: Insert and discuss local resources here, such as program manuals and brochures, agency policies and procedures, etc.

In closing, I want to thank you for your commitment to these youth, their victims, their families, and our communities. I know that this can be challenging, and at times, emotionally draining, work. Thank you for your good efforts in this area, and I hope that the training has been helpful to you.

Note to Trainers: Allow time for participants to complete evaluations. A standard evaluation is included with the participant materials. You can also engage the group in a discussion of things they liked and things they would change about the training. Collect training evaluations as participants leave the training site.