The relationship between phallometrically measured deviant sexual arousal and clinical characteristics in juvenile sexual offenders.

The current study examined the relationship between clinical characteristics and a phallometrically derived deviance quotient index in two samples of 44 and 54 juvenile sex offenders. Results support an association between higher measured deviant arousal and having a male victim only, consistent with the literature on adult child molesters. However, results reflected greater fluidity in the offense patterns of the juvenile offenders, and generally less correspondence between measured arousal and offense histories than what has been cited for adults. The authors review whether there is empirical support for a conditioning model of deviant arousal onset in juveniles, and suggest caution in the interpretation of phallometric data with this population.