Sexual Offending in Adolescence: A Prospective Longitudinal Examination of General Delinquency Characteristics in Early Adulthood

Conference by Stéphanie Chouinard-Thivierge
Thursday, December 11, 2025 — 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Room C-1017-11, Pavillon Lionel-Groulx, Université de Montréal
and on Zoom

Registration required for in-person attendance

Registration required for Zoom attendance

(After registering, you will receive a confirmation email allowing you to add this event to your calendar.)

---

Abstract

Traditional theories and current empirical knowledge about adolescents who have committed a sexual offense (ASO) offer a limited understanding of this phenomenon. Indeed, most prior studies have relied on a specific, clinical, and static approach that fails to provide a clear and detailed picture of the developmental course of delinquent behaviors among this population. Moreover, earlier research has primarily focused on the persistence of sexual offending over time. These findings have shown that sexual recidivism in adulthood among ASOs is relatively rare.

However, little information is currently available regarding general delinquency and its characteristics as these adolescents transition into adulthood. These gaps in the literature are particularly significant in light of the increasingly differential treatment of ASOs within the justice system. Being officially detected for a sexual offense carries important legal and social consequences, including stigmatization and social exclusion, which can hinder rehabilitation. This underscores the importance of gaining a better understanding of the evolution of delinquent behaviors among individuals with official sexual offense records—particularly across different developmental periods.

The main goal of this study is to examine the characteristics of delinquency in early adulthood among AIS (Adolescents Involved in Sexual Offenses).
Using prospective longitudinal data (both official and self-reported) collected from a sample of adolescents with official records for serious crimes in the United States (n = 1,170), regression models were conducted. This approach allows for an investigation of the relationship between the presence of a sexual offense during adolescence and various parameters of general delinquency in early adulthood. The models also account for several control variables that may influence delinquent development (e.g., time spent in the community, age at first adjudication, frequency of delinquent activities during adolescence, etc.).

Within this sample of adolescents—all adjudicated for serious crimes—significant differences were observed between AIS and those who did not commit sexual offenses. Notably, AIS exhibited lower levels of delinquent activity in early adulthood. Moreover, these differences appeared in both official and self-reported delinquency data.

These findings have important theoretical, practical, and policy implications. While past research has clearly demonstrated the rarity of sexual delinquency persisting from adolescence into adulthood, this study highlights a pattern of lower general delinquency among AIS as they transition into adulthood. Despite the growing empirical evidence regarding this population, the juvenile justice system—particularly in the United States—continues to adopt a highly punitive approach toward them. It is therefore relevant to question whether there exists an imbalance between the actual long-term risk posed by most AIS and the severity of the official response to their adolescent conduct.

Biography:

Stéphanie Chouinard-Thivierge, PhD
Assistant Professor, School of Criminology, Université de Montréal