Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Our Minds Are Made Up--Don't Confuse Us With the Facts: Commentary on Policies Concerning Children With Sexual Behavior Problems and Juvenile Sex Offenders
Child Maltreatment, Vol. 13, No. 2, 110-121 (2008)
http://cmx.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/2/110?rss=1
M. Chaffin
"This commentary examines four common policy-relevant perceptions of teen and preteen sex offenders—high risk, "specialness," homogeneity, and intransigence. Each perception is contrasted with long-standing as well as more current scientific facts. It is argued that public policies for these youth have been fundamentally driven by misperceptions, resulting in a set of well-intentioned but ultimately flawed policies and practices that are unlikely to deliver either child protection or juvenile justice benefits..."
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