An Exploration of the Subtypes of Male Youth Adjudicated for Sex Offenses: A Latent Class Analysis Based on Personal, Offense, and Victim Characteristics

Buker H., Cohen A., ERBAY A.

Crime and Delinquency, vol.70, no.10, pp.2732-2759, 2024 (SSCI, Scopus) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 70 Issue: 10
  • Publication Date: 2024
  • Doi Number: 10.1177/00111287221137306
  • Journal Name: Crime and Delinquency
  • Journal Indexes: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, Periodicals Index Online, Criminal Justice Abstracts, EBSCO Education Source, EBSCO Legal Source, Education Abstracts, HeinOnline-Law Journal Library, PAIS International, Psycinfo, Public Affairs Index, Social services abstracts, Sociological abstracts, Violence & Abuse Abstracts
  • Page Numbers: pp.2732-2759
  • Keywords: criminogenic factors, juvenile, latent class analysis, sex offense, Turkey, youth
  • Istanbul Kültür University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

This study intended to explore possible variations among youth adjudicated for sexual offenses based on personal criminogenic factors, offense, and victim characteristics. Utilizing a data set collected from the juvenile court files in Turkey (n = 460), the Latent Class Analysis revealed that the study sample included three different subgroups with distinct features: “non-delinquent, peer victim-targeting,” “non-delinquent, younger victim-targeting,” and “delinquent, versatile” youth adjudicated for sex offenses. The first two of these groups were similar in terms of having low levels of delinquency, while the third group included the lowest number of youth with significantly broad delinquent activity patterns. These findings were in line with the results of previous studies, and the implications were discussed for future research and policy development.