Contemporary Practice with Young People Who Sexually Abuse

The subject of young children and adolescents who sexually abuse has been somewhat underappreciated in the UK and has always been viewed as a complex problem. Prior to the 1980s, the occurrence of sexual crimes involving young persons was often treated as isolated cases rather than as a serious social problem. The sexual behaviour of young children and adolescents was often dismissed and/or explained as instances of sexual curiosity or part of normal developmental processes. However, since the 1980s, there has been greater appreciation of the problem of young people who sexually abuse, particularly in the UK. This change was marked by the publication in 1992 of a report by the National Children's Home exploring the nature of the problem and societal response to sexual behaviour problems involving young people. Since then, we have seen a raft of legislation which can be applied to young people who sexually abuse and to their management within the criminal justice system (CJS)—of course, begging the question whether the CJS is the best place for dealing with young people who sexually abuse. At the same time, policy and guidance have been specifically generated to inform practice for those agencies dealing with young people who sexually abuse.

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