SAGE Journal Articles
Click on the following links. Please note these will open in a new window.
LO 13-1
Abstract: Almost all research on juvenile sex offending pertains to adolescent males. This study comprises all female juveniles convicted for sexual offences in the Netherlands between 1993 and 2008 (N = 66). From analysis of their court files and their criminal records, these female offenders are described in terms of demographics, family background, (psychiatric) disorders, victim characteristics and co-offending patterns. Heterogeneity in offending patterns and offending motives are studied, by using a reconstruction of the sexual offences. Almost 60 percent of the juvenile female sex offenders committed the abuse with someone else. Summarizing the offender motives as they emerged from offender and victim statements, five offender subtypes are identified. The findings are discussed in terms of implications for research and treatment.
LO 13-2
Juveniles Committing Adult Crimes
Abstract: During the 1980s and 1990s, policy makers became alarmed by the perceived increase in juveniles’ involvement in serious crime. As a result, a number of laws were passed to increase the penalties associated with the commission of such crimes, including laws making juvenile waiver to adult court easier. Although research exists regarding public support for transferring juveniles, limited research is available to shed light on whether the public supports juveniles receiving “adult time” for “adult crimes.” This study expands on the current literature by assessing the public’s views on the appropriate level of punishment for juveniles who have committed a serious felony offense. Drawing on public responses to vignettes and data from the National Judicial Reporting Program, we also benchmark public preferences against actual sentences in criminal court. Although our results show that the public favors less severe penalties for many juveniles, we also find evidence of a public sentiment that “adult crime” merits “adult time.”