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Date: November 22, 2024 Fri
Time: 11:51 am
Time: 11:51 am
Results for child sexual abuse (florida)
1 results foundAuthor: Winokur, Kristin Parsons Title: Child on Child Sexual Abuse Needs Assessment - White Paper. Summary: Cases involving children engaged in sexual assaults against other children are of growing concern in Florida. Research indicates that sexual assaults of children under the age of 12 are most commonly committed by adolescents who are 14 years of age (Chaffin, 2008). The sexual victimization of these youths puts them at greater risk for a multitude of anti-social behaviors including sexualized behaviors (Browne & Finkelhor, 1986; Paolucci et al., 2001). Tragic events, such as the Gabriel Myers case involving a 7-year old boy who had previously been sexually assaulted by another child and later ended his own life, underscore the importance of understanding and addressing childhood sexual behavior problems. In addition, results from the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Kaiser Permanente, involving more than 17,000 study participants, found that childhood maltreatment dramatically increased the risk for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and several other major illnesses later in life (Dube, Anda, Whitfield, Brown, Felitti, Dong, & Giles, 2005). In an effort to understand and effectively address sexual abuse among children, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) has funded a Needs Assessment to examine the breadth and scope of these abuse cases, including an assessment of the factors relating to the context, frequency, impact, treatment, effects and recovery from such abuse. The state of Florida has defined these incidents as child-on-child sexual abuse (COCSA). Various terms are used to refer to the children involved in these incidents including, for example, alleged juvenile sex offenders, sex offenders, abusers, perpetrators, sexually reactive children, children with sexual behavior problems, victims, and alleged victims. In an effort to avoid confusion with legal definitions of sexual offending and given the complex nature of COCSA cases, youth engaging in these activities are referred to here as children with sexual behavior problems (SBP). Children victimized in these cases are referred to here as alleged victims.1 Understanding the children involved in incidents of child-on-child sexual abuse is critical to effective prevention and intervention efforts. However, the causal pathways associated with perpetration and victimization are complex. Some studies have suggested that a pattern of juvenile sexual offending at an early age may serve as a precursor to later victimization and/or offending (Abel et al., 1987; Hunter and Figueredo, 2000; Knight and Prentky, 1993). Others have found that prior peer sexual victimization does not increase the likelihood for later sexual abuse (Maker, Kemmelmeier and Peterson, 2001). For example, a recent examination of a historical official data set found no increased likelihood for adult sexual offending among a cohort of juvenile sex offenders (Zimring et al., 2009). These complex factors can inhibit child welfare and protection efforts in providing appropriate services and establishing state policies that would mitigate current or future incidents of child-on-child sexual abuse. Those efforts may be limited to treating diagnosed risk factors as opposed to the actual underlying causes. The current paper is intended to provide an overview of COCSA cases in the State of Florida. Such abuse can encompass various age-ranges (early childhood, preteen, and teenage years) and legal/official categorizations (juvenile sex offender, child sexual behavior, dependent child, etc.). While teens engaging in child-on-child sexual behaviors and juvenile sex offenders are generally discussed here, the emphasis is on sexual abuse and sexual behavior problems among children under the age of twelve. This group represents the primary child-on-child sexual abuse service population of the Florida Department of Children and Families. Details: Tallahassee, FL: Justice Research Center and Deptartment of Children and Families, 2010. 81p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 15, 2011 at: http://www.thejrc.com/docs/Child%20on%20Child%20Sexual%20Abuse%20Needs%20Assessment%20-%20White%20Paper.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.thejrc.com/docs/Child%20on%20Child%20Sexual%20Abuse%20Needs%20Assessment%20-%20White%20Paper.pdf Shelf Number: 122388 Keywords: Child Sexual Abuse (Florida)Juvenile Sex OffendersSexual Assaults |