Vol. 7, No. 2
May 2002

Boundaries and Rules to Consider for Juvenile Sex Offenders

The following (Flick, 2001) may prove helpful when working with birth, foster, and adoptive families of juvenile sex offenders.

What are the rules about access and opportunity?

The offender has no unsupervised access to any child. The offender agrees to avoid usual play places with younger children until all parties agree that “chance” contact is allowed.

The offender should have his or her own room.
The offender should not have company in his or her room without supervision by a non-offending adult.

The bathroom door will be closed when occupied, and the offender not invited in.
When any child in the family is bathing, he or she is alone, if old enough, or under the supervision of a non-offending adult at all times.
Younger children and the juvenile offender will be taught to be completely dressed before leaving the bathroom.

All family members will model examples of acceptable touch.
Hugs will be asked for, and the opportunity to accept or reject will be given.
Grabbing or touching the private parts of adults or children is not accepted.
Wrestling, tickling, back rubs, and sitting on laps are all activities that must be monitored by a non-offending adult, who will discontinue the activity if fear or anxiety are shown.
Special school supervision should be considered if there is risk to children there, from the offender or anyone else.