NORTH DAKOTA COUNSELING ASSOCIATION

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NORTH DAKOTA COUNSELING ASSOCIATION

• MID-WINTER CONFERENCE
• FEBRUARY 13-15, 2005

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Dennis Larkin MA/LPCC/NCC

• West Central Human Service Center
• 600 S 2nd Street
• Bismarck, North Dakota 58504
• 701-328-8888
• 87lard_at_state.nd.us

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WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH
dlarkin

• SEXUAL BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

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What is Normal?

• Sexual curiosity, interest, experimentation and
  behavior is progressive over time
• Sexual development is affected by a number of
  variables
• Gil, Eliana and Johnson, Toni Cavanagh
  Sexualized Children Assessment and Treatment of
  Sexualized Children and Children Who Molest
  (1993)

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TYPES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIORS

• Group 1
• Natural and Healthy Sexual Play
• Group 2
• Sexually-Reactive Behaviors

• Group 3
• Extensive Mutual Sexual Behavior
• Group 4 Children who Molest

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PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIORS

• Problematic
• Occurs at high frequency
• Interferes with a childs social or cognitive
  development
• Occurs with coercion, intimidation, or force
• Associated with emotional distress
• Occurs between children of significantly
  different ages and/or developmental abilities
• Occurs in secrecy

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Questions?

• Have children been sexually abused?
• Not always. In research samples between 4
  and 62 have no know history of sexual abuse.
• MULTIPLE ORIGINS!

• Do girls have sexual behavior problems?
• School age children 33 female
• Pre-school children 65 female

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QUESTIONS?

• Can they live at home with other children?
• Close supervision and treatment required
• Can children attend public schools?
• ---Yes
• Will they continue to have sexual behavior
  problems?
• Most do not

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QUESTIONS?

• Do they grow up to be adult offenders?
• NO

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ADOLESCENT SEXUAL BEHAVIORS

• Normal Range
• Sexually explicit conversation with peers
• Obscenities and jokes
• Sexual innuendo, flirting and courtship
• Interest in erotica
• Solitary masturbation

• Hugging, kissing, holding hands
• Foreplay and mutual masturbation

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YELLOW FLAGS
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RED FLAGS

• COMPULSIVE MASTURBATION
• DEGRADTION/HUMILIATION OF SELF OR OTHERS WITH
  SEXUAL THEMES
• ATTEMPTING TO EXPOSE OTHERS GENITALS
• CHRONIC PREOCCUPATION WITH SEXUALLY AGGRESSIVE
  PORNOGRAPHY
• SEXUALLY EXPLICIT CONVERSATION WITH SIGNIFICANTLY
  YOUNGER HILDREN
• TOUCHING GENITALS WIHOUT PERMISSON
• SEXUALLY EXPLICIT THREATS.

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ADOLESCENT OFFENDERS

• 17 of all arrests for sex offenses
• 33 of all sex offenses against children
• Females under the age of 18 account for 1 of
  forcible rapes and 7 of all juvenile arrests for
  sex offenses.
• 26 to 55 of ASOs have self-reported
• being sexually abused.

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ADOLESCENT SEX OFFENDERS

• Sexual reoffense rates vary from 5-14 while
  rates for other delinquent behavior is 8-58.
• Treatment can be outpatient meeting once a week
  for 8 to 28 months.
• Most can remain in their community
• Can attend public schools.

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ADOLESCENT SEX OFFENDERS

• Can safely remain in the community.
• No scientifically validated instrument that can
  reliably determine if an adolescent will commit a
  subsequent sex offense.

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ADOLESCENT SEX OFFENDERS

• Differences between adolescent and adult
  offenders
• Lower recidivism rates
• Engage in fewer abusive behaviors over shorter
  periods of time,
• Have less aggressive sexual behaviors.

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ADOLESCENT SEX OFFENDERS

• Do ASOs have serious psychological problems?
• Many do not.
• Some have including conduct disorders, PTSD,
  depression and learning disabilities.