ABSTRACT
Juvenile sex offenders as a group have generally been shown to have significant psychopathology that is different from that of non-sexual offenders. Juvenile sex offenders have been found to be predominantly male, despite an increase in the number of female sex offenders, with the typical offender being fourteen years old and offending against children who are female and seven years of age. Developmental difficulties are common among this group of offenders, with up to 30% of them having delayed developmental milestones. Many juvenile sex offenders often have had close relatives who are offenders and are consequently often exposed to sexually abusive attitudes and values demonstrated by family members, who themselves often exhibit a range of sexual deviance. Most comparisons of juvenile sex offenders have been made on the basis of their personality dimensions and find considerable psycho-pathology among them compared to other offenders, with the juvenile sex offenders also demonstrating considerable within-group personality trait differences.
