Parents of Sex Offender - Essay Example

Topic: Parent’s Of Sex Offender Sexual abuse is not just about abuse of power. It’s also about mental illness. Experts posit that when a person used his power, authority, strength or is driven by disorder to commit sexual act with the victim’s resistance, this is sexual abuse. Psychologist’s observed how sexual abuser manipulates the trust of the victim to enforce criminal designs or employ threat or force to maim them to quiet their bad experiences. Parents of sexual offender, especially those too absorbed on their careers, cannot immediately know of the criminal act unless reported or shared by victim or the offender. Or, even if it’s known, the parent of an offender could be in denial and attest to the innocence of his child based on offender’s denial. On the same note, parents of the offender might be in disbelief, aghast or maybe in an extreme incredulity or wonder what have gotten into the psyche of their child that prompted him to do sexual offense to another. The incident will generate quick personal evaluation how they’ve been parenting to their children. Offender’s parents will likewise be subjected to trauma and psychological disturbance as impacts of their child’s abuses has consequential effect to them, too. Larger than this, the parents must importantly address the following questions to their very selves. Is the kind of behavior you expected from your child at that age? Is the incident true or not? If true, how long has he been exhibiting this behavior? Why this behavior occurred? What are the factors that motivated him to harass or employ lewd designs against the innocent? If the accusation hurled against alleged abuser is true, under Juvenile Sex Law, it’s likely that the accused will be held under judicial action or if it’s a minor with mental disorder committing it, offender will likely be put under rehabilitation institution. If they cannot cope with the problem, parents may seek the professional support from the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers—a global organization devoted on multi-disciplinary support system working to prevent sexual abuses (ATSA, 2012). The institution offer services on extensive research, education, and empirical-based learning process using practical experiences, advocacy on public policy and community-based intervention strategies that will pave for effective holistic evaluation, medication or treatment, and about managing individuals who have sadly caused sexual abuses or posed sexual risks or vulnerabilities to others (ATSA, 2012; Ethical Treatment for All Youths, 2012). ATSA (2012) contended that they could support person, family and association that are committed to “community safety, reduction of sexual recidivism, protection of sexual offenders, and safe-keeping vulnerable populations (p. 1).” They assured parents to provide intelligible and emotional support that could transform the very lives of people who’ve been intricately involved in the commission of sexual violence and could be directed to change their behavior to facilitate the prevention of sexual abuse (ATSA, 2012, p.1). Other than ATSA, the National Center for Reason and Justice (NCRJ, 2012) and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (2012) also help assist families in developing child-protective laws by educating stakeholders of child rights, responsible judicial system and promote laws, investigation and treatment to those who’ve been accused of sexual crimes. If legal measures aren’t enough to discipline a child, maybe institution that can help subject a child to psychological and emotional healing can assist in normalizing and understanding an offender’s state. No, it’s not too late. Parents of offenders should recognize and study their children’s behavior as they grow into adolescence. They should be assisted to have a healthy adult sexual lifestyle since they are constantly challenged by numerous factors and pressures while at their respective developmental stages as persons (Hart-Kerkhoffs, 2010). Parents should be responsible in nurturing the sexual identity of their children and should manage some physical and emotional intimacy with them so that they will not seek and employ deviant attention from others. Parents should likewise understand that other than psychosocial and biological commotion that is developed among youths, peer groups and irresponsible media have great roles in motivating them to be involved on sexual harassment and coercion cases, too (Smallbone 2006). Thus, parents should regulate and educate children or youths to acquire appropriate sexual behavior, both as a right and as responsibility to ascertain that the child can’t violate the right of others by employing (sexual) abuses. Parental guidance is a must to counsel youths and discourage them to commit sexual inappropriateness or of intrusive and offensive sexual behaviors. Responsible sex education is viewed helpful in decreasing the risk of victimization. This is in correlation to high probability that any person with evident socio-relational problems is a threat to others. Parents of offenders must be keen in noting if their children has certain disturbances in their social interaction and communication, as experts opined that this could be the common description of children or person with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)—an illness that could lead a child or a person to commit socially unacceptable behaviors (Hart-Kerkhoffs, 2010). Experts posit that this behavior, if unnoticed, will result to social misjudgment and commission of socially inappropriate (sexual) behavior (Hart-Kerkhoffs, 2010, p. 51). While parents should be concern themselves on nurturing proper discipline on children, they should know that their children could somehow commit abusive acts, do sexual bullying, and the like, as empirical evidenced by observations that there are youths who are sexually exhibitionist. The latter are those who can afford to touch intimate body parts of other persons at their own volition, masturbate in public, remove clothes in public and lewdly touch opposite sex inappropriately (Hart-Kerkhoffs, 2010, p. 51). This researcher argues that while it’s significant that sex offenders be subjected to institutions that can provide counseling and treatments, parents should likewise be educated about observing their children’s developmental process because they are primary agent to their respective personal developmental progression. Appropriate love, care, guidance, care and value-nurture should be accorded to their children for parents to model the proper social behaviors. Parents of sexual offenders should understand that sexual violence loomed as one of the leading problems under the legal system because other than it posed health problem for those traumatized, its also meant budget from the state be expended for their judicial correction (Hart-Kerkhoffs, 2010). Implications of this should be considered well noting that jail at times can’t really reform a person effectively. In a study done involving 106 adolescent sex offenders with an average age of 15 years old classified as rapists, with psychiatric disorders, and child molesters, psychiatric disorders and possible recidivism is found (Hart-Kerkhoffs, 2010). Study used the semi structured interview (K-SADS-PL) and by means of the Children’s Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (CGAS) (Hart-Kerkhoffs, 2010). Researcher affirmed recidivism was ascertained and most of the minor sex offenders should be subjected to test for psychiatric disorder and comorbidity (Hart-Kerkhoffs, 2010). Further probe showed that most minor sex offenders are functionally impaired while child molesters are affirmed with higher rates of internalizing disorders and certain level of functioning (Hart-Kerkhoffs, 2010). They also assailed that minor sex offenders committed multiple sexual offenses and has higher DBD and anxiety disorder as compared (Hart-Kerkhoffs, 2010). They are also potent to commit more non-sexual violent acts and repeat of the same due to presence of psychological disorder (Hart-Kerkhoffs, 2010). Researcher recommended adolescent psychiatric care to minor sex offenders, especially those who are recidivist of the same offense (Hart-Kerkhoffs, 2010). Experts posit that sexual abuses are mostly done by adults although there are significant cases when sexual violence is done by minors who have sexual perversity and abnormal curiosity. Sexual deviancy cases covered molestation, pedophilia and fetishism (Hart-Kerkhoffs, 2010). Parents have known that such sexual victimization have been proven to have caused negative psychological effect, emotional depression, suicidal tendencies, early pregnancy, antisocial conduct, and possible mental illnesses (Hart-Kerkhoffs, 2010). Hence, parents of the offender must also be sensitive about the (a) incapacity of the victim to understand that the act constitutes violence, injustice and a crime to her very person; (b) the abuser has so much authority to instill fear to the victim; (c) victim’s confusion incapacitated her to relate sexual assault; (d) victim blame self; and (e) parents are unable to notice the behavior of sexual offender (Hart-Kerkhoffs, 2010). The issue requires some openness and sensitivities to deliberately probe what actually happened. Parents should likewise regulate the availability of resources that can expose a teen to believe that sexuality can be just any liberating actuation and can be done irresponsibly anytime to another. Children should be educated that interrelationship is governed by norms and ethical standards that are socially acceptable. Parents should carefully deal with children with deviant behaviors who tend to overreact on everything and to everyone or are easily angered. Such is necessary to ascertain that discipline will be nurtured whilst fine tuning it with adaptable social behaviors in all situations. Parents must importantly know that high prevalence of psychiatric illnesses have already occurred among juvenile offenders based on research studies correlating psychopathology and sex-offending among minors. Studies pertaining to psychiatric disorders are related to sexual reoffending remained explored up to these days. Researchers have started generating deliberation about the significance of including the person or an offender’s psychiatry in diagnostic assessment and treatment. This is bolstered by the fact that there is high rate of psychiatric disorders among general minor sex offenders and that academic institution have severely criticized the poor quality of services of institutions focused on mental health services for youths held under juvenile justice authorities (Grisso 2004; Teplin, Abram, McClelland, Dulcan, & Mericle, 2002). Teens and children should be led to interaction that espouses social interest, reciprocity and kindness. At end, this is not just about exacting legal remedies but most importantly, it’s about parenting with values. The home, being an influential agent in shaping a person’s behavior, inclination, perspective, and behavior should be a home that nurtures a person to be understanding; a person that puts limits on every rights; and when external intervention is necessary, seek attention that could help curve the child’s behavior so that he will not pose risks or vulnerabilities to others. References ATSA. About Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers. Beaverton , Oregon. 2012, p. 1. Family Services of Greater Vancouver. Sibling Sexual Abuse—A Parents Guide. Vancouver, B.C. 1994. http://www.sasian.org/guide/aguide_en.htm Retrieved: June 10, 2012. Hart-Kerkhoffs, L. Juvenile sex offenders mental health and reoffending. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, Duivendrecht, Netherlands, 2010, pp. 1-118 Grisso T. Double Jeopardy: Adolescent Offenders with Mental Disorders. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 2004. Teplin, LA; Abram KM; McClelland GM; Dulcan MK; & Mericle AA. Psychiatric disorders in youth in juvenile detention. Archives of General Psychiatry, 2002; 59(12): 1133-43 National Center for Reason and Justice. About Us. NCRJ, GAIA Host Collective, Roxbury, MA. 2012,p. 1. NAMI. About National Alliance on Mental Illness. Arlington, Vancouver. 2012, p. 1. Ethical Treatment for All Youths. Help for Parents. http://www.ethicaltreatment.org/index.htm Accessed: June 11, 2012 Read More