Development of a multidimensional typology of juvenile sex offenders: Applicability to risk assessment of recidivism and treatment planning

Abstract

This study was an empirical attempt to make a typology of juvenile sex offenders by using the J-SOAP-II (Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol-II) scales, and to see its applicability to risk assessment of recidivism and treatment planning. Methods: Data was extracted from the archival files of 115 boys who were arrested for any contact sex offense and placed in a Juvenile Classification Home in Japan from 1997 to 2006. Results: Two-step cluster analysis was performed on 4 J-SOAP-II scales, and the subjects were classified into 3 cluster groups: Antisocial-Impulsive, Unsocial-Hypersexual, and Transient/Latent. The differential characteristics of each group were found in comparing the J-SOAP-II scales, personality and so on, and examining recidivism rate of both general and sex offenses. Then, based on these differences among the groups, treatment strategies appropriate for each cluster group were proposed. In conclusion, the typology developed in this study was considered to be useful in clinical and practical settings.