Empowering Children: A Feminist and Trauma-Informed Approach to Rehabilitating Juvenile Sex Offenders
摘要
Research shows that adverse childhood experiences such as abuse, neglect, family dysfunction, and systemic oppression can lead to trauma with long-term effects. Multiple traumas can result in toxic stress and complex trauma reactions. Studies highlight a connection between childhood trauma and juvenile sex offending, but current frameworks often overlook the broader societal influences of structural violence and repressed sexuality. Gendered stereotypes within the juvenile justice system can also impede the rehabilitation of juveniles or children in conflict with the law. The Juvenile Justice Act (JJ Act 2015) in India initially focused on rehabilitating Children in Conflict with the Law. However, there has been a shift towards a punitive approach, emphasising the criminalisation of the child, particularly of those CCLs committing sexual offences. This shift has had significant implications for mental health services, highlighting the urgent need for further research and improvement. This chapter presents findings on the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences among those who have committed sexual offences, emphasising the importance and effectiveness of a feminist trauma-informed intervention for their rehabilitation.