Victimization Experiences and Executive Dysfunction as Discriminating Risk Indicators for Youth Offender Typologies

Seeking an Integrated Approach to Trauma and Problematic Sexual Behaviors in Adolescents: Learning from Practitioners

More than a third of all sexual crimes are committed by adolescents. In addition, many adolescents struggle with problematic sexual behaviors (PSB) that may not rise to a criminal offense, but cause harm to themselves and those around them. A significant number of these adolescents also have histories of their own trauma; yet there are no treatment models that integrate both PSB and trauma into one comprehensive treatment for this population. This qualitative study's aim was to use the expertise of clinicians who work with adolescents with PSB as well as clients and their caregivers who had completed PSB treatment to understand what they believe are the necessary components and elements needed for an integrated model that seeks to simultaneously address both PSB and the consequences of traumatic experiences. Twenty-six mental health professionals and one former client and his caregiver participated in focus groups (three with clinicians and one with the caregiver and former client) to share their experiences and expertise regarding an integrated model. The thematic analysis procedure yielded six major themes: family, external systems, treatment structure, therapeutic themes, specialized PSB targets, and trauma and PSB integration. Each of these major themes was comprised of subthemes that are presented as well. Implications for practice and future research are discussed, including that clinicians could benefit from guidance and structure to assist them in structuring their interventions to address the multiple needs of their clients that seek to reduce their risk of reoffending while simultaneously enhancing the quality of their lives.

Attachment Theory and Sexual Offending: Making the Connection

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to discuss how attachment theory can be applied to explain sexual violence. Specifically, it discusses how the development of certain risk factors contributes to these behaviors and how attachment-based models can be used to address this issue through prevention and therapeutic interventions.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent research demonstrates that individuals who commit sexual offenses have higher rates of insecure attachment styles and that these styles are associated with a number of criminogenic risk factors associated with sexual offending. Such risk factors include cognitive processing difficulties, affect dysregulation, and challenges in interpersonal relationships, among others. Fortunately, treatment interventions have been shown to foster more secure attachment styles and reduce these risk factors. Attachment theory is a viable theory to both understand and intervene with those who have committed sexual violence to reduce the risk factors associated with sexual violence.

Trauma and Maternal Caregivers as Risks for Executive Function Deficits Among Youth Who Have Sexually Harmed

Despite robust research linking trauma events to the commission of sexual harm by youth, the majority of victims do not become victimizers, imploring us to study potential interceding influences. Some research indicates that intermediary factors like attachment characteristics, trauma symptomatology, and executive functioning may be critical in understanding sexual harm committed by youth. This study explored relationships between trauma events, trauma symptoms, and attachment characteristics, and their relationship to executive functioning in a sample of 196 youth who committed sexual harm. Results revealed bivariate associations between trauma events, symptomatology, and maternal attachment characteristics. Structural equation modeling revealed numerous direct and indirect effects on the path to deficits in executive functioning, and that sexual abuse, above and beyond other forms of traumatic events, contributed to executive functioning deficits via trauma symptoms. The results are contextualized and implications are discussed.