Qualitative Study on a Psychoeducation Group for Juvenile Sex Offenders

Qualitative Study on CRIAVS-LR (Resource Centre for Sex Offenders in Languedoc-Roussillon, France) Psychoeducation Group for Juvenile Sex Offenders

Some sexual violence is committed by minors but how to take care of them ? Despite heterogeneous profiles, some characteristics are common in these adolescents and can be used in psychoeducation group. CRIAVS-LR team has therefore decided to create a psychoeducation group on emotional and sexual life specific for this population of young adult/adolescents in order to improve their skills and find alternative solutions to violence, particularly in the area of sexual violence The qualitative aspect of this study would make it possible to provide data in this still little explored field, to try to understand the experience of the young people participating in this group and to improve its structure and content so that it reaches best its goals.

In France, 25% of perpetrators of sexual offenses are minors. Faced with this increasingly present problem in our society, the answer seems to be more on the side of education and care. However, this new problem confronts us with the limits of our care and forces us to reconsider the organization of care. Indeed, to date, there is no specific support for juvenile sex offenders. Little research exists on the subject because of the many difficulties in setting up this type of study: low power, problem of definition, variables that are difficult to compare, few therapists specialized in this field... In fact, studies must continue to demonstrate the effectiveness of psychoeducational treatment. Although there is no consensus on the profiles of juvenile sex offenders in the literature, there are common characteristics among these individuals. Indeed, the lack of social skills, relationship difficulties, empathy, self-esteem, sex education, impulse control and therefore self-control are issues that can be worked on by psychoeducation.

CRIAVS-LR's team have therefore decided to create a specific psychoeducation group for minors and young adults who are perpetrators of sexual violence. The objective is to improve their skills of knowing, knowing how to be and knowing how to do in the areas of affective and sexual interpersonal relationships and thus find alternative solutions to violence, particularly sexual violence. The qualitative aspect of this study would make it possible to provide data in this still little explored field, to try to understand the experience of the young people participating in this group and to improve its structure and content so that it reaches best its goals.

Inclusion Criteria:

• patient aged 14 to 20
• commit a sexual offense
• takes part to CRIAVS-LR psychoeducation group

Exclusion Criteria:

• severe intellectual disability, decompensated psychiatric disease
• Illiterate or unable to understand the purpose and methodology of the study
• Patient not affiliated to a French social security scheme or not a beneficiary of such a scheme
• Person unable to give consent
• Refusal of consent after information
• Adult protected by law (guardianship, curatorship)
• Person under psychiatric care
• Person participating in another research project with an exclusion period still in progress,