In 2005 and 2006 More Than 4,000 Allegations of Sexual Violence Were Reported in...

In 2005 and 2006 More Than 4,000 Allegations of Sexual Violence Were Reported
in Juvenile Facilities

About One in Five Were Confirmed After an Investigation

WASHINGTON, July 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- State, local and private
juvenile correctional authorities reported an estimated 4,072 allegations of
sexual violence involving youth held in juvenile facilities during 2005 and
2006, the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced
today. It was the equivalent of 16.8 allegations per 1,000 youth held in
state, local or private facilities in 2006 and 16.7 allegations per 1,000
youth in 2005.

An estimated 36 percent of the allegations of sexual violence in juvenile
facilities were youth-on-youth nonconsensual sexual acts, such as rape and
forcible sodomy; 21 percent were youth-on-youth abusive sexual contacts, such
as unwanted touching or grabbing with the intention to exploit sexually.

About 32 percent of all allegations of sexual violence reported in state
juvenile systems and local or private juvenile facilities involved staff
sexual misconduct, defined as any act of a sexual nature directed toward a
youth, either consensual or nonconsensual; 11 percent involved staff sexual
harassment, including repeated comments or demeaning references of a sexual
nature to a youth.

Juvenile correctional authorities substantiated 732 incidents of youth sexual
violence in 2005 and 2006. An estimated 437 incidents involved youth-on-youth
and 295 involved staff-on-youth. Nearly equal percentages of the incidents of
youth-on-youth sexual violence were reported as voluntary sexual acts (22
percent), unwanted touching for sexual gratification (21 percent) and
nonconsensual sexual acts involving force or pressure (21 percent).

Sexual misconduct involving staff-on-youth accounted for 28 percent of all
substantiated incidents, while staff sexual harassment of youth accounted for
8 percent.

Victims of substantiated incidents of youth-on-youth sexual violence were more
likely to be male (73 percent) than victims of staff-on-youth violence (49
percent). Females were more likely to be victims of staff sexual violence than
victims of youth-on-youth sexual violence (51 percent versus 27 percent).

More than 60 percent of incidents of sexual violence took place outside the
victim's room or dormitory. A quarter of the incidents took place in a common
area. In more than two-thirds of the incidents, the victim or another youth
reported the incident.

Force or threat of force was more common among male victims (32 percent) of
youth-on-youth incidents of sexual violence than among female victims (6
percent). A third of older victims (age 16 or older) had been injured,
physically forced, held down or threatened (34 percent).

Approximately 10 percent of the substantiated incidents of staff-on-youth
sexual violence involved force or pressure. Two-thirds were characterized by
juvenile correctional authorities as "a romantic relationship" or as "appeared
to be willing." About half of staff perpetrators were male (54 percent) and a
majority were under the age of 30 (63 percent).

Across all substantiated incidents of youth-on-youth sexual violence about 1
in 8 victims were injured (12 percent). Victims received medical attention and
counseling or mental health treatment in nearly two-thirds of the incidents.
Nearly half of all victims of staff-on-youth sexual misconduct or harassment
were provided counseling or mental health treatment.

Sixty-three percent of perpetrators of youth-on-youth nonconsensual sexual
acts received some form of legal sanction, including referral to law
enforcement, arrest, referral for prosecution or a new sentence. Perpetrators
of staff-on-youth sexual misconduct or harassment were arrested or referred
for prosecution in nearly 40 percent of the incidents; nearly 90 percent
resigned or were discharged.

The report is a part of the data collections required under the Prison Rape
Elimination Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-79). Its publication is mandated by
the act and is prepared annually.

The report, Sexual Violence Reported by Juvenile Correctional Authorities
2005-06 (NCJ 215337), was written by BJS statisticians Allen J. Beck, Devon B.
Adams, and Paul Guerino. Following publication, the report can be found at
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/svrjca0506.htm.

For additional information about the Bureau of Justice Statistics' statistical
reports and programs, please visit the BJS Web site at
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs.

The Office of Justice Programs (OJP) provides federal leadership in developing
the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice and
assist victims. OJP has five component bureaus: the Bureau of Justice
Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of
Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and the
Office for Victims of Crime. Additionally, OJP has two program offices: the
Community Capacity Development Office, which incorporates the Weed and Seed
strategy, and the Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending,
Registering and Tracking (SMART) Office. More information can be found at
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov.

* OJP and its component agencies' press releases are available for use without
restriction.

BJS08095

SOURCE Office of Justice Programs - US Department of Justice

Kara McCarthy of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice,
+1-202-307-1241, after hours, +1-781-308-3696