Young perpetrators of sexual violence

Young people aged 12 to 17 who commit acts of sexual violence differ from children with problematic sexual behaviour, but also from adult perpetrators of sexual violence, due to their level of maturity and legal responsibility.

Under the Canadian Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act applies to young people aged 12 to 17 who are accused of committing an offense, including sexual assault. This Act establishes that they must bear fair and proportionate responsibility for their offenses, consistent with their state of dependency, moral culpability, and degree of maturity, which differ from those of adults.

• For more information: applicable laws regarding sexual violence

Characteristics of young perpetrators of sexual violence

Young people aged 12 to 17 represent the majority of victims of sexual offenses reported by police services, but also a significant proportion of alleged perpetrators. In 2022, according to Quebec police data, they accounted for 29% of all alleged perpetrators of sexual offenses, which included both sexual assaults and other sexual offenses (e.g., sexual contact, luring, non-consensual publication of intimate images). However, proportionally speaking, young people had a rate more than five times higher than that of adults aged 18 and over (255.5 versus 48.2 per 100,000 people)¹.

The population of young perpetrators of sexual violence is diverse, both in terms of their personal characteristics and those of their victims. Victims are usually known to the young people who commit the violence and are in the same age group, although some may also be younger. They may be intimate partners, friends, or siblings. Sexual violence can occur at home or in other public places, such as school².

• For more information: sexual violence statistics

Factors associated with the risk of committing sexual violence during adolescence

Several factors are associated with the risk of committing sexual violence during adolescence. These mainly relate to prior experiences of violence, adverse experiences within the family, and attitudes toward gender roles and myths about sexual violence.

Past experiences of violence

Young people who have experienced multiple forms of abuse during childhood are at greater risk of committing sexual violence during adolescence³. These forms of abuse include sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, or witnessing violence in the family². Being a victim of sexual violence during childhood was the form of violence most often and most strongly associated with future perpetration^2,3,4. However, the majority of people who experienced this abuse during childhood will not commit acts of sexual violence later in life, and there is no causal relationship between the two.

Adverse experiences within the family

The family environment can also influence young people’s behaviour, including acts of sexual violence. For example, parental substance abuse problems, marital problems between parents, attachment issues between the child and parents, and caregiver instability (e.g., frequent separations of the child from one of the parents or multiple placements) increase the risk of sexual violence². Other stressful events in the family, such as the death of a parent or substance abuse problems of a family member, are also associated with the risk of committing this type of violence in adolescence².

Attitudes and beliefs about sexual violence

Young people’s attitudes and beliefs also influence their behaviour. Studies show that certain attitudes and beliefs are associated with an increased risk of committing acts of sexual violence. These include³:

• Adhering to traditional gender norms and standards of masculinity that value hostility toward women
• Adhering to myths about sexual violence (e.g., believing that the victim is responsible for what happened to them)
• Tolerating the use of interpersonal violence (e.g., believing that violence is a legitimate way to get what you want)
• Excusing acts of violence between intimate partners

Individual characteristics and behaviours

On an individual level, young perpetrators of sexual violence tend to have less empathy and be more impulsive and narcissistic than young people who have not committed such acts². They are also more likely to have engaged in delinquent behaviour in the past and to have been exposed to sexually explicit content, whether violent or non-violent^3,5.

Protective factors

There is little literature on factors that could help reduce the risk of young people committing sexual violence. Among the few protective factors that have been studied, empathy and strong support from peers and family appear to reduce the risk of committing sexual violence during adolescence ^3,6.

Sexual recidivism among young sex offenders

In general, young people aged 12 to 17 who commit sexual offenses do not usually follow the same trajectory of delinquency as adults who commit these offenses. Sexual offenses committed during adolescence tend to be more contextual and part of a broader pattern of delinquency that is not solely sexual in nature^6,7.

Young people aged 12 to 17 are unlikely to reoffend later in adolescence or adulthood. According to studies, a minority of these young people (7 to 9%) will commit another sexual offense as adults⁷.

• For more information: sexual violence prevention