Holding sexual offenders accountable for their crimes does not prevent sexual offenses from occurring. The Schubert Center for Child Studies is pleased to announce the release of “Getting Smarter on Sex Offenses & Youth: A Resource Guide for Ohio Policymakers.” The resource was published by the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence and co-authored with HelpLine of Delaware and Morrow Counties, Inc., Dr. Tyffani Monford Dent/ Monford Dent Consulting, Schubert Center for Child Studies and Office of the Ohio Public Defender. It provides information regarding current Ohio and National law on sexual offenses and encourages Ohio to become a leader in an effort to “truly prevent sexual violence by shifting its focus and resources to education, prevention, and treatment and ensuring that developmentally appropriate, truma-informed services for youth who commit these offenses and those who are victimized by them are consistently available throughout Ohio.”
Policy Director Gabriella Celeste says about the guide, “When it comes to sex offending and children we are often too quick to make snap judgments. We need to be concerned about both the child victim as well as the child involved in sex offending behaviors. Evidence shows that with the right treatment young people are significantly less likely to reoffend. Registries and other policies meant for adults are not appropriate for youth. This resource notes what research says about how to developmentally address the needs of children, whether as a survivor or one who has caused harm, or both, to ensure the best outcomes.”