ADOLESCENT SEXUAL OFFENDERS - A SELF-PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

A qualitative study was conducted to explore the application of self-p sychological principles in the treatment of adolescent sexual offender s. A theoretical standpoint which straddled the opposing views of the psyche offered by Mahler and Stern was adopted after a review of the d evelopmental literature. With object relations and self-psychological views on development in adolescence, a group of adjudicated and not-ad judicated offenders was intensively interviewed. After qualitative ana lysis, findings suggested substantial support for the self-psychologic al view of treatment applied to this group. A number of additional fin dings suggested directions for further research with this group.