Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Characteristics and risk factors in juvenile sexual offenders

2020; Cologio Oficial de Psicólogos del Principado; Volume: 3; Issue: 32 Linguagem: Inglês

10.7334/psicothema2019.349

0214-9915

Sandra Siria, Enrique Echeburúa, Pedro J. Amor,

Crime Patterns and Interventions

espanolAntecedentes: la violencia sexual cometida por adolescentes supone alrededor del 7% de los delitos sexuales denunciados anualmente en Espana. Sin embargo, la investigacion con jovenes ofensores sexuales (JOS) en poblacion espanola es casi inexistente. En este trabajo se analizan los factores de riesgo relacionados con la violencia sexual cometida por adolescentes. Metodo: los participantes fueron 73 adolescentes (M = 15.68 anos, DT = 1.12, rango entre 14 y 18) que estaban cumpliendo una medida judicial por delitos contra la libertad sexual en diferentes comunidades autonomas espanolas. En este estudio descriptivo se emplearon diversos metodos para recoger los datos: revision de expedientes, autoinformes y una entrevista aplicada a los JOS y a los profesionales implicados. Resultados: se analizaron los factores de riesgo vinculados a la historia familiar, a determinadas caracteristicas de personalidad y al desarrollo de una “sexualizacion inadecuada” (96% de los casos) relacionada, fundamentalmente, con un inicio precoz en el consumo de pornografia (70%), un ambiente familiar sexualizado (26%) y la presencia de victimizacion sexual durante la infancia (22%). Conclusiones: los resultados son coherentes con investigaciones internacionales. El desarrollo de la sexualizacion desde la infancia debe ser examinado en mayor profundidad con respecto a la violencia sexual. EnglishBackground: It is estimated that juvenile sexual offences constitute about 7% of the total annual rate of sexual offences in Spain. Nevertheless, research on Spanish juvenile sex offenders (JSO) is virtually non-existent. This paper analyzes the risk factors related to sexual violence committed by adolescents. Method: The participants were 73 adolescents (M = 15.68 years, SD = 1.12) aged between 14 and 18, who were serving a sentence for committing a sexual offence in various Spanish Autonomous Regions. In this descriptive study multiple methods were used to collect the data: court records, self-reports, along with an interview with the JSO and with the professionals involved. Results: Risk factors related to family history, certain personality characteristics, and the development of “inadequate sexualisation” (96% of cases) were analyzed. This latter variable was mainly related to an early onset of pornography consumption (70%), to a sexualized family environment (26%), and to sexual victimization during childhood (22%). Conclusion: These results are consistent with international research on juvenile sex offending, so we can conclude that the process of development of sexualization from infancy onwards should be deeply examined with regard to sexual violence.