Families of Youth Who Have Sexually Offended: Typologies and Shared Experiences

Background: Research on youth who commit sexual crimes has recently explored family system characteristics and interaction patterns that place youth at greater risk for sexual offending. An abundance of research has focused on identifying how various social and ecological frameworks explain the onset and continuation of sexually problematic behaviors. Ecological Theory posits that youth development is shaped by interconnected systems with the family microsystem arguably being the most influential. There may be certain family exchanges that drive sexually offensive behavior and others that mitigate the risk for such behavior. While some literature exists on family typologies among these youth, the evidence-base is lacking as empirical research has yet to be conducted on this topic. Using Ecological and Family Systems Theory collectively, while drawing from existing literature in analyses approaches, this study seeks to qualitatively explore typological distinctions and any commonalities or experiences among families of youth who have committed sexual crimes.

Method: In collaboration with a state sex offender management board, this study analyzed the perspectives of treatment providers (N = 19) on families of youth who have committed sexual crimes. Through an open cycle coding process, analyses of focus groups revealed themes centered on family oriented factors contributing to sexual offenses. These emergent concepts informed the development of a semi-structured interview guide that included eight broad content areas with respective questions. The content areas significant to the research questions included factors discriminating families of sexually abusive youth, and were used in the coding and analyses of the present study.

Deductive coding strategies including hypothesis and elaborative coding; observer triangulation and inter-subjective agreement; constant comparison analyses; and other rigorous qualitative techniques were used in data analyses. Extant literature and foundational knowledge pertaining to family typologies informed the manner in which the data was coded and observed. Additional themes and categories emerged to supplement these findings.

Results: The findings revealed distinctive typologies that characterize families of youthful sexual offenders, but also common and shared traits among these families. Two broad themes emerged that elucidate family typologies: open and closed family systems. These family systems can be understood by the way in which information is shared; structures and rules are set and maintained; sexuality is understood; how the family functions; and the purpose of the denial or minimization related to the sexual offense. Common experiences including distorted perceptions of sexuality, protection of the family system, and other contextual influences.

Implications: This study was the first of its kind to reveal family typologies that delineate commonalties and distinctive traits, and provide a family-oriented framework for understanding sexually problematic behaviors that can inform etiology, service approaches, and judicial responses. The results should also be considered as baseline evidence for further research inquiries into this phenomenon. This study can also enlist quantitative inquiries using principle components analyses or latent variable models to statistically test these latent constructs. Most definitely, the findings can relate to practice endeavors that seek to tailor interventions to the needs of families and youth.