Young people with learning disabilities who sexually harm others: the role of criminal justice within a multi-agency response
This paper outlines the key findings from a recent study of statutory service responses to young people with learning disabilities who show sexually inappropriate or abusive behaviours, with a particular focus on the involvement of criminal justice agencies. The study found that although inappropria...
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| Format: | Article |
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Blackwell Publishing
2007
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/766/ |
| _version_ | 1848790476353699840 |
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| author | Fyson, Rachel |
| author_facet | Fyson, Rachel |
| author_sort | Fyson, Rachel |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | This paper outlines the key findings from a recent study of statutory service responses to young people with learning disabilities who show sexually inappropriate or abusive behaviours, with a particular focus on the involvement of criminal justice agencies. The study found that although inappropriate sexual behaviours were commonplace in special schools, and that serious acts of abuse including rape had sometimes occurred, education, welfare and criminal justice agencies struggled to work together effectively. In particular, staff often had difficulty in determining the point at which a sexually inappropriate behaviour warranted intervention. This problem was frequently compounded by a lack of appropriate therapeutic services. In many cases this meant that no intervention was made until the young person committed a sexual offence and the victim reported this to the police. As a consequence, young people with learning disabilities are being registered as sex offenders. The paper concludes by addressing some of the policy and practice implications of the study’s findings, particularly those which relate to criminal justice. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:13:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-766 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:13:13Z |
| publishDate | 2007 |
| publisher | Blackwell Publishing |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-7662020-05-04T20:28:50Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/766/ Young people with learning disabilities who sexually harm others: the role of criminal justice within a multi-agency response Fyson, Rachel This paper outlines the key findings from a recent study of statutory service responses to young people with learning disabilities who show sexually inappropriate or abusive behaviours, with a particular focus on the involvement of criminal justice agencies. The study found that although inappropriate sexual behaviours were commonplace in special schools, and that serious acts of abuse including rape had sometimes occurred, education, welfare and criminal justice agencies struggled to work together effectively. In particular, staff often had difficulty in determining the point at which a sexually inappropriate behaviour warranted intervention. This problem was frequently compounded by a lack of appropriate therapeutic services. In many cases this meant that no intervention was made until the young person committed a sexual offence and the victim reported this to the police. As a consequence, young people with learning disabilities are being registered as sex offenders. The paper concludes by addressing some of the policy and practice implications of the study’s findings, particularly those which relate to criminal justice. Blackwell Publishing 2007 Article PeerReviewed Fyson, Rachel (2007) Young people with learning disabilities who sexually harm others: the role of criminal justice within a multi-agency response. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 35 (3). pp. 181-186. ISSN 1354-4187 learning disability; juvenile abuse; criminal justice; young offenders with learning disabilities; sexual offenders; inappropriate sexual behaviour http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=1354-4187&site=1 |
| spellingShingle | learning disability; juvenile abuse; criminal justice; young offenders with learning disabilities; sexual offenders; inappropriate sexual behaviour Fyson, Rachel Young people with learning disabilities who sexually harm others: the role of criminal justice within a multi-agency response |
| title | Young people with learning disabilities who sexually harm others: the role of criminal justice within a multi-agency response |
| title_full | Young people with learning disabilities who sexually harm others: the role of criminal justice within a multi-agency response |
| title_fullStr | Young people with learning disabilities who sexually harm others: the role of criminal justice within a multi-agency response |
| title_full_unstemmed | Young people with learning disabilities who sexually harm others: the role of criminal justice within a multi-agency response |
| title_short | Young people with learning disabilities who sexually harm others: the role of criminal justice within a multi-agency response |
| title_sort | young people with learning disabilities who sexually harm others: the role of criminal justice within a multi-agency response |
| topic | learning disability; juvenile abuse; criminal justice; young offenders with learning disabilities; sexual offenders; inappropriate sexual behaviour |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/766/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/766/ |