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The purpose of this information is to assist the Probation Officer responsible for investigating and supervising a Juvenile Sex-Offender caseload, along with setting up and monitoring the treatment plan. Unless otherwise stated, the observations and comments herein are my own, and are the result of many years of acquaintance and work with sex-offenders, juvenile and adult, both as a Deputy Probation Officer and through affiliation with various Mental Health agencies, Police, and Children's Services.
The investigation and supervision of a sex-offender caseload can be a very exciting and rewarding job. Sex-offenders have the potential to create more victims in their lifetimes than any other type of predator. In fact, many adult pedophiles, sometimes referred to as 'chicken hawks' will molest hundreds of children during their sexual careers. There are also rapists who escalate to sadistic, serial rapes or murders and, as with many other types of offenders, most start in their teens. Victims who survive are frequently left with lifelong, emotional scars, with some going on to become sexual predators themselves. Many have great difficulty with interpersonal relationships, which can even include their own children. Still others abuse alcohol or drugs and/or indulge in a generally criminal lifestyle.
Compared to the sex-offender, persons who rob banks or steal cars are a much lesser threat to society. Particularly in terms of the human suffering and social cost involved. When you calculate the damage caused by one pedophile with several hundred victims, and multiply it out to the suspected number of pedophiles in society, you have some idea of the problem. Multiply that out by two or more generations and it becomes unimaginable.
Although the role of a sex-crime investigator is both challenging and interesting, it is often misunderstood. Until recent years, when certain sex-crimes began to be highlighted in the media, most persons thought of the sex-offender as the dirty old man in a raincoat with a bag of candy, the peeping tom or the underwear thief. Few recognized the offender in all of his or her guises, levels of sophistication, and capacity for mayhem. Individuals involved in the investigation, apprehension, control and/or treatment of the sex-offender were seen as involved in some kind of comical or sleazy occupation. Few appreciated the truly predatory aspects of the worst of these individuals, nor fully understood the magnitude of their numbers. Consider Ted Bundy. He began victimizing others while still a juvenile and we will probably never know the full scope of his predatory behavior. In truth, however, there are many Ted Bundy's, and many more on the way.
The Probation Officer who works with a juvenile population often has more to contend with than those who work with adults. Many persons employed within any given Probation Department tend to believe that the handling of juvenile felons and misdemeanants is a less glamorous and demanding job than the adult positions. Juvenile Probation Officers are sometimes thought of as some kind of legal babysitter or camp counselor, and are therefore not always accorded the same respect as the deputy in adult units.
This is true across the board as the public feels pretty much the same way. The consensus seems to be that juvenile crime is somehow less serious than the crimes of adults, and the behavior more easily corrected. Although the proliferation of gangs and gang warfare has somewhat eroded this notion, most people are still inclined to view the average juvenile offender in rather benign terms.
Enter the Probation Officer who works with juvenile sex-offenders and the problem is compounded. The officers who deal with these individuals are often seen as having something intrinsically wrong with them. For most people, the subject of sex offending is a very emotional one. An astonishing number of people have been molested themselves; some have dealt with it, others have not. Still others were brought up in an environment where they were never exposed to this kind of deviancy. Just to contemplate the facts of a sexual assault can bring on feelings of horror and repugnance for them. "Who could do such a thing?" is asked, but then the question quickly turns to, "Who would want to have anything to do with someone who could do such a thing?" Thus, the personal identity, and even the morality and ethics of the professional are called into question. More importantly, some of the stigma that is generally reserved for the offender is now transferred to the professional.
Even though the perception of sex-crime investigator as some kind of closet weirdo tends to persist, there is a growing appreciation of persons working within this field. There is also a growing body of research on the subject, and many are familiar with the extensive work done by the FBI in their Behavioral Science Unit. There are also a vast number of police officers involved in professional organizations who pursue the subject with well-organized training programs that are staffed by seasoned professionals. Added to that is a smallish but hardy band of treatment providers who work on the problem with little support, and no applause. But for now, too few step forward to take on the task of working with this population. In the words of Jan Hindman, a well known therapist and author who treats offenders and their victims, "those who do should be treated with the utmost respect and care." (ATSA Conference, SF, 1994).
Due to the harm done by the adult offender, it is imperative that we place special emphasis on detecting and treating the juvenile sex-offender population. Most experts would agree that treating the offender at a young age is very effective in reducing the number of repeat crimes. Specialized treatment can break up patterns of deviant behavior, slow down and hopefully stop new behaviors from developing, and prevent already formed patterns from becoming hardened and set. And while the juvenile sex-offender is being treated, the family is being educated and treated as well. Family patterns that may have contributed to the offender's behavior can be changed to more positive ones, so that the offender has a supportive framework to work within, both during treatment and after.
I sincerely hope the information will be helpful, but please remember that it is largely a collection of ideas and practices that worked for me and is not meant to be the whole story by any means. Do read and explore and attend pertinent training sessions. Also, join organizations and network with other professionals. And don't forget to check out and make friends with related agencies such as the police, Rape Crisis, the medical field, County Mental Health, and programs for the developmentally disabled. In short, create a team that you can call on when needed to help you do your job. Most of all, never forget that you are doing some of the most important work there is.
Note: From this point forward, the term JSO will be used to denote Juvenile Sex-offender.
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