Risk Management of Sexually Abusive Youth in Massachusetts, 1998-2004 (ICPSR 4308)

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Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose

The goal of this study was to assist the Massachusetts Department of Social Services (DSS) with the risk management of youth (aged 4 to 20), identified through the Assessment for Safe and Appropriate Placement (ASAP) program, because of their sexually inappropriate and coercive behavior. The missions of this project were to identify and test potentially useful risk and protective factors for adolescent and pre-adolescent youth who had already begun engaging in sexually coercive behavior. The project sought to find empirically-based answers to assist in assessing the risk posed by sexually abusive boys and girls. Thus, the primary mission of this research project was to begin at the earliest stage of identifying risk-relevant factors, examine the age and gender specificity of those factors, and test risk models for assessing indices of proximal sexually abusive behavior.

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An award from the National Institute of Justice complemented and supported state funding for the research project and permitted detailed coding of 720 cases selected from all 28 DSS area offices throughout Massachusetts. The first task of this project was to create a comprehensive descriptive picture of the ASAP population. The first five months of the research program had two priorities: (1) the creation of a dictionary designed to permit maximally reliable coding of the information gleaned from the DSS files on these youth, and (2) coding a representative sample of youth on critical variables to examine the adequacy of the information gathered and the reliability of the individual variables in the dictionary. The project identified youths who were ASAP-evaluated from a list generated by the region's lead agency. After the names were received, the project coordinator from the research department sent a list to each DSS office from which the youth were evaluated. Overall, the researchers requested the files of approximately 1,300 ASAP-evaluated youth. A total of 720 cases had been coded, checked, and entered when data analysis began at the beginning of June 2004. After the collection of abstracts, trained staff coded the files using the coding dictionary. During the three years of the research project, the coding dictionary was revised twice to improve clarity and reliability of individual items, as well as coverage. The last revision was made in July 2003. The 250 cases that had already been coded and that served as a basis for item changes and clarifications were recoded using the revised coding dictionary. The assessment of outcome was more complicated in this study because the vast majority of these children had not been detained in a secure setting, such as a prison or secure residential placement, were never legally charged for their offense-related behavior, and had not been "released" in the formal sense of the term. The present study created a proxy "reoffend" variable, defined as any inappropriate hands-on sexual behavior after the ASAP evaluation.

Sample View help for Sample

A total of 1,300 cases were requested for study from 28 DSS area offices throughout Massachusetts. Of the original 1,300 requested cases, 89 were closed and unattainable, 65 cases were not able to be found, and 37 cases assigned to ASAP were halted because of insurance issues or were cancelled by an authorized person. Of the approximately 1,100 cases remaining, the researchers created 884 abstracts. However in 60 cases, the researcher could not obtain the actual ASAP report, reducing the sample to 822 cases. Of these, 55 percent of the original 1,300 known ASAP cases are available in this collection with the age ranging from 4 to 20 and a gender breakdown of 81 percent boys to 19 percent girls. The principal investigator reports that the final sample of 822 cases has been coded and entered and serves as the basis of the follow-up of these children. That follow-up study has been concluded and the findings will be presented in a separate final report.

Universe View help for Universe

Youth offenders in the state of Massachusetts from the start of the ASAP program, in 1998 through 2004, who met the program criteria.

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Variables in this study include demographic variables such as date of birth, race, last grade completed in school, and gender. Variables are also provided regarding psychological measures such as Intelligence Quotient (IQ), the presence of learning disabilities, and numerous psychological disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and anxiety, among others. Other variables also include information regarding previous sexual, psychological, or physical abuse, family make-up, caregiver history, drug or alcohol abuse, victim characteristics, delinquency and anti-social behavior, juvenile penal history, and ASAP related variables. Specific variables in regards to the current sexually coercive behavior are also present such as the specific type of acts engaged in, and whether or not the acts were with agemates, and if they were nonforced or forced.

Response Rates View help for Response Rates

Not applicable

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Juvenile-Sex Offender Assessment Protocol (J-SOAP)

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Original Release Date View help for Original Release Date

2006-01-06

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