ABSTRACT
Synopsis of Case ......................................................................................................................... 417 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 418 Pertinent Legal Cases ................................................................................................................ 421 Applied Ethics and Moral Consideration ............................................................................... 422 Aspiring toward Empirically Based Methods and Applications ......................................... 426
Diagnostic Assessment ......................................................................................................... 426 Risk Assessment .................................................................................................................... 428 Empirically Based Juvenile Sex Off ender Characteristics ............................................... 435
Basic Points to Consider in Clinical/Forensic Assessment ........................................ 438 Avoiding Evaluation and Consultation Errors ...................................................................... 439 Treatment Considerations ........................................................................................................440 Writing Forensic Reports and Acting as an Expert Witness ...............................................442 Novel Applications of Forensic Evidence and Knowledge ...................................................443 References ....................................................................................................................................444 Legal References ......................................................................................................................... 455
A juvenile court found 17-year-old Peggy involved* in a matter of child sexual abuse. Peggy was Caucasian, and repeating her junior year of high school. Peggy resided with her family in an upper-middle-class, suburban residential area. Th e victim was an 11-year-old Hispanic girl named Maria who lived in a low-income housing area with her maternal grandmother and two younger cousins who were in the grandmother’s care. Th e neighborhoods where the two girls lived were adjoining. Peggy befriended Maria and the two girls spent more and more time together usually at Peggy’s home when no one else was at home. Occasionally, Maria’s grandmother would give Peggy a few dollars for babysitting Maria. Following a school presentation conducted by police offi cers about child abuse, Maria confi ded in a school counselor about inappropriate sexual activity with Peggy. Th e counselor notifi ed Child Protective Service and there was an investigation. Because of her status in the babysitting/caretaking role, Peggy was charged with child sexual abuse. Th e alleged abuse had begun with Peggy and Maria playing house and role-playing husband and wife. Th e role-playing eventually led to disrobing, then digital, oral, and genital contact. According to Maria’s account, Peggy had orchestrated the inappropriate fondling activity all the while insisting to Maria that nothing was wrong. Th e juvenile court ordered an evaluation of Peggy to address risk of reoff ending and to generate dispositional recommendations.
