T his paper reports on a small-scale study of social work reยฏections on previous intervention with young abusers. A large number of perpetrators who sexually abuse children are themselves juveniles. A study by of all instances of sexual abuse reported in Liverpool to three agencies during a 12-month period found that over one-third of all alleged perpetrators were 17 or younger. This ยฎgure is consistent with that reported by the National Children's Home Report (National Children's Home, 1992) and by .
Working with juvenile sex oenders presents particular challenges to those working with both oenders and victims. Previously it was possible for professionals to dichotomize sexual abuse issues into abusers (who warranted treatment, punishment or both) and victims (who required protection and treatment). In recent years, however, increasing evidence that a large proportion of juvenile abusers have themselves been the victims of abuse has made that dichotomy less tenable.
Longo (1982) reported 47%, Becker, Cunningham-Rathner and Kaplan (1986) reported 23% and reported 19% of their samples of adolescent sex oenders as having been abused themselves. In studies of intrafamilial abuse, Pierce and Pierce (1987) observed that almost always the abusers were themselves victims of abuse (63% had been physically abused, 47% sexually abused and 30% neglected); only 8% had not been abused at all. notes that all of her rather small sample had themselves been sexually abused. Clinical experience (Davies and Leitenberg, 1987) also suggests that male adolescents who molest younger boys may have a particularly high rate of having themselves been sexually abused when younger. Fillmore (1987) suggests that oending at a very young age is an indicator of victimization