Working with Teenage Sex Offenders: Things We Can Learn
Anti-social behaviors, PSB programs, and path to success.
Sexual offenses, criminality, and anti-social behaviors — these are lurking issues in our society that are either over-sensationalized in the media or are glossed over by our hyper-idealist culture.
I’ve been thinking about sharing my experience with the world for months now but have not been “inspired” enough to do so until I read an article by Mai Provencio, LCSW.
Before we begin, here’s my disclaimer:
I am not a licensed clinical psychologist or therapist. I work in the residential side of our treatment programs and am highly trained to handle the behaviors of PSB teenage males. I am a residential counselor on “ground zero” providing hands-on, day-to-day support to both our clients and our program. I also take notes for our therapists, program directors, and state examiners.
It’s not a job for everyone, needless to say.
(By the way, PSB stands for Problematic Sexual Behaviors. You will see some professional jargon in this article but not without an explanation of what they are.)
PSB consists of:
1. Sexual behaviors that are developmentally inappropriate…
Such as young children engaging in sexual acts or using explicit language beyond their age level.
2. Coercive or exploitative behaviors…
Where one individual pressures, manipulates or forces another into sexual activity.
3. Sexual behaviors that may involve an abuse of power…
Such as using manipulation or threats to engage in sexual acts or harming others, including animals.
4. Other risky and harmful behaviors…
Such as exposing oneself in public or engaging in sexual activity with a peer, animal, or inanimate object in ways that may cause harm.
It’s actually a bit more complex than just the 4 descriptions provided above…
When it comes to mental health and behaviors, it’s always more complicated than it seems.
To highlight how dangerous Problematic Sexual Behaviors are:
Our clients are court-ordered.
(Side note: Only one of our current clients is not court-ordered and was admitted through our other program.)
All clients have victims.
Victims are not only confined to those who directly experienced sexual abuse firsthand — finding evidence or hearing about it can also cause significant emotional, psychological, or relational harm.
Discoverers of PSB, such as parents, guardians, or even peers, often feel a profound sense of betrayal, guilt, confusion, or even responsibility for the behavior. This type of trauma can manifest in various ways, including but not limited to: trust issues, anxiety, and difficulty navigating relationships within families or communities.
It’s a terrible ripple effect that cuts across all socio-economic backgrounds and cultures.
Some of our clients enter our program showing very little or seemingly no empathy and/or remorse.
Remorselessness and a fear of accountability can be intense trauma responses but not always so.
For clients who exhibit extreme manipulative behaviors, it is not safe for staff to be alone with them. These clients can make it extremely challenging to hold them accountable for their actions due to their use of constant deflection and false accusations.
In some cases, they may go to great lengths to create problems for staff (counselors, therapists, directors) and the program itself as an intensified form of deflection.
100% of our clients are diagnosed with ADHD and ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder). We currently have quite a few who are diagnosed with CD (Conduct Disorder). ODD can be part of the developmental trajectory that descends into ASPD (Anti-Social Personality Disorder) without timely intervention, while CD is often a precursor to ASPD without timely and effective treatment.
With all the negatives out of the way…
Our clients are human, after all. Just like us.
They are teenage boys between the ages of 13 to 18 and do the same things teenagers do: hang out with peers, experiment with sexuality, explore independence, think about dating, sports, video games, etc…
Children are absolutely adorable, not gonna lie.
Our clients too, can be adorable kids when they are not in their cycles of abuse or trying to one-up over their staff, their peers, and/or the therapeutic system.
I learned that the hard way through witnessing aggression, being manipulated, and being gaslighted countless times. Despite all the intensity —
Kids generally try to please their adults due to survival instincts: guardians, therapists, doctors, counselors, etc…
But pleasing behavior can quickly become grooming.
Grooming in this context means when someone is deliberately trying to gain the trust of a potential victim with the sole purpose of gaining favors, desensitizing the target, creating unhealthy attachments, facilitating abuse, and testing boundaries.
Mental health staff often experience grooming from their clients, we have to be very aware, know when to stand our ground and work on ourselves constantly. Any weakness or conflicts will be picked up on and manipulated.
I first started in a Level 2 facility, which we have since shut down.
I have been working in Level 3, which is one step below the PRTF (Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility) where they offer intensive, structured care for youth with more severe emotional, behavioral, and/or psychiatric issues.
Our program has a super long wait list of 100+. There aren’t enough PSB programs out there.
That’s a lot of youth growing older by the day without PSB treatment. Time is ticking not just for this highly vulnerable population, but also for the community at large.
Our program is not designed to treat anyone over 18, although we have had occasions where we made room for clients to stay another 6 months after they turned 18.
As a matter of fact, PSB is highly treatable and it’s imperative to get as many PSB teens treated as possible.
Here are some statistics on successfully treated PSB teens:
- 5–7% re-offend rate
- 70% future, non-sexual criminal charges
As demonstrated by our high success rates, we primarily have the resources to address the sexual side of problematic behaviors because PSB is our focus. However, we are less equipped to tackle the after-program behaviors that can lead to eventual criminal charges, such as violent crimes, substance abuse, or vandalism. We must tackle the behaviors outside of the PSB programs together to provide care for our young males in order to prevent the development of other destructive patterns that could harm their futures and the communities they are part of.
While we fully support and prepare our clients by connecting them with additional programs — such as therapeutic foster care — when they are ready to step down, addressing systemic or deeply rooted issues, including socio-economic conditions, family dysfunction, complex trauma, and/or severe mental health challenges, remains a critical gap. Without intervention in these areas, problematic behaviors may manifest in other ways.
This is a broader societal issue that few are willing to confront. I hope this article has some shed light on the complexities involved and provided a glimpse into the challenges we face — “we” as in our clients, mental and behavioral health professionals, and the larger community.
Failing our teens is failing society.