Barcelona Study on Sex Offenders: Characteristics and life styles of juvenile sex offenders and non-sex offenders

• In Event: Perspectives on Punishment for Juvenile Sex Offenders

Abstract

This paper shows some results from the Barcelona Study on Sex Offenders, which is a complete Spanish research in development on both juveniles and adult sex offenders. Specifically, in this paper the characteristics of a sample of 42 juveniles sentenced for sex crimes in relation to 49 adolescents sentenced for other non-sexual crimes (robberies, burglaries, assault, homicide…) are analyzed. For that, personal, family, peers, school, and environmental characteristics are assessed. As for environmental features, we focus on the subjects’ life styles, analyzing their routines in terms of school attendance, social interactions, leisure, hobbies, etc. From these data the most common characteristics of the evaluated juveniles are highlighted. In parallel, the risk factors mainly associated with the youths’ antisocial and criminal behavior are identified. Finally, the empirical information is contrasted to distinct theoretical models of juvenile delinquency in order to compare these models in a tentative way.

Authors

• Ana Martínez-Catena, University of Barcelona

• Santiago Redondo, University of Barcelona

• Antonio Andrés-Pueyo, University of Barcelona