Adolescent sexual offense behavior: the role of the physician

This article explores the more common adolescent sexual behavior problems that have legal ramifications, and the role of the physician in approaching such problems. Various presenting sexual offense behaviors are described, as well as the implications for the patient as offender, and finally the parental and physician attitudes necessary to facilitate successful treatment outcomes. Intervention approaches are discussed, and two cases are presented from a group of 83 adolescent male sexual offenders referred to our Juvenile Sexual Offender Project. The discussion and cases illustrate abnormal sexual behaviors which may come to the attention of physicians and other health care professionals.