Adolescent Child Molester
When we think of a child molester we think of an adult and there are many adult child molesters. However, adolescents are responsible for a large number of rapes and child molestation cases. A study in 1993 found that adolescents were responsible for about one-half of the child molestation cases and about one-fifth of all rapes. This is one perpetrator we cannot forget when teaching our children what to watch for and what to do if someone tries to hurt them.
Studies have found that adolescent offenders have many traits in common. They are socially isolated; they have a hard time with socialization and they often feel socially inadequate. They have chronic learning problems, they may have been victimized in the past, they have anti-social traits (which may be a result of being victimized), alcohol or drugs were involved, and psychopathology was an issue before they victimized another. Some studies have found that adult child molesters were interested in abusing others sexually at a young age. This would account for some of the adolescent sexual abuse rates. There have been successful therapies when children, who want to abuse others, are helped at an early age.
