Bridging Disciplinary Boundaries (January 11 - 14, 2007)

There has been an increasing awareness of the etiology, occurrence, and impact of juvenile sexual offending since the early 1990's (Kolko, Noel, Thomas, & Torres, 2004). However, social work research has lagged behind the phenomenal growth of treatment options for these adolescents (Efta-Breitbach & Freeman, 2004). Furthermore, much of the research on sexual offenders lacks methodological quality, which precludes the identification of best practices regarding treatment planning and procedures (Hanson, Broom, & Stephenson, 2004). To address this challenge, a systematic review of quantitative research on juvenile sexual offender treatment was conducted. The purpose was to provide practitioners and policymakers with evidence-based research to more effectively initiate and support treatment programs for this population.

The systematic review utilized a meticulous selection process based on the standards developed by the What Works Clearinghouse. After an exhaustive search of the literature, quantitative studies conducted from 1995-2005 that examined the effect of treatment on juvenile sexual offender outcomes were assessed on their internal and external validity. In the final stage of the review, meta-analyses were conducted to calculate effect sizes for the recidivism outcomes in seven of the studies that merited inclusion into the evidence base.

There was a small to moderate positive effect of treatment on the recidivism rates of juvenile sexual offenders. Specifically, adolescents who completed a cognitive-behavioral treatment program were less likely to commit a sexual or nonsexual re-offense than were juveniles who did not receive treatment, received an alternative treatment, or did not complete treatment. The average follow-up time for these studies was six years, while the average length of treatment was 16 months. Three of the studies were conducted in a community setting, three in a residential setting, and one in a correctional setting.

These results are limited by the sparse evidence base and are undermined by threats to the internal and external validity of the studies. Although these weaknesses may complicate the interpretation of the findings, several important implications for social work practice, policy, and research emerged from the systematic review. It appears that cognitive-behavioral treatment approaches are effective in reducing the long-term recidivism rates of juvenile sexual offenders. Thus, these adolescents should be provided with developmentally appropriate treatment options along with ongoing support services. Furthermore, adequate financial resources should be provided to child welfare agencies to fully support these costly programs. Finally, future research should be conducted on the mediating and moderating effects of different treatment modalities, settings, and intervention lengths.