Why Teens Who Commit Sex Offenses Rarely Reoffend

When your child is accused of a sex crime, it can feel like your entire world has collapsed — shame, fear, heartbreak, and a storm of uncertainty. As a parent, you're left questioning everything: your child's future, your role, and whether your child will ever have a second chance. But here’s what most people don’t know — research consistently shows that teens who commit sex offenses rarely reoffend.

The truth is that these situations are often complex and fueled by immaturity, confusion, or even misunderstandings. Your teen is not a monster — they are still growing, learning, and capable of change. And they deserve to be seen as more than their worst moment.

As defense attorneys who specialize in working closely with families like yours, we want you to understand that there is hope, and your teen deserves the chance to rebuild. The Seattle sex crime defense attorneys at Marshall & Saunders have decades of experience helping families during some of their worst moments. Let us help you.

This piece examines why recidivism rates among young people are significantly lower than commonly believed and how Marshall & Saunders use this fact in the defense of their teenage clients.

The Facts About Juvenile Sexual Offense Recidivism

Often, the public forms its understanding of sexual offenses from the media sensationalizing allegations in cases that ultimately turn out to be untrue. Take for example, the case of Brian Banks, a 17-year old high school football star accused of kidnapping and raping a classmate. He was portrayed in the media as a “super predator”, despite there being no physical evidence or eyewitness testimony supporting the allegations. Banks was forced to take a plea deal and spent over five years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Studies consistently reveal that juveniles who commit sex offenses have remarkably low sexual recidivism rates:

• 90% of youth sex offense arrests represent a one-time event.
• Most studies show youth recidivism rates ranging from 3% to 4%.
• The National Center on Sexual Behavior of Youth reports a youth recidivism rate of just 5% to 14% (compared to approximately 40% of adults, as reported by the Bureau of Justice).
• The reoffense rate for sex offenses is substantially lower than the recidivism rates for other adolescent offenses, which range from 8% to 58%.

The SMART Office meta-analysis of 63 studies involving over 11,000 juveniles found a weighted mean sexual recidivism rate of only 7% over a 59-month follow-up period.

Comprehensive Analysis of Juvenile Sexual Recidivism Rates by Setting

Source: SMART Office, U.S. Department of Justice.

This data suggests that there may be fundamental differences between minors who commit sexual offenses and adult sexual offenders, particularly in their tendency to reoffend sexually. A relatively small percentage of young people who commit a sexual offense will sexually reoffend as adults.

Why Juvenile Reoffense Rates Are So Low

Adolescence is a time for discoveries of many kinds, and it’s normal for young people to become curious about sex at this stage of life. In the internet era, access to sexually explicit material is more accessible than ever to curious young people who lack the mental, emotional, and perhaps physical maturity to make appropriate decisions about sexual behavior.

Fortunately, young people who make poor choices and are convicted of sex offenses as a result usually respond very well to intervention and treatment. This is in part because youths are still developing and maturing — their sexual behaviors and attitudes are not yet fixed. So, most of them respond to education and treatment better than most adult offenders do.

How This Information Can Help Juveniles Facing Charges

The empirical evidence on this subject impacts defense strategies and legal outcomes greatly:

Disposition and Sentencing Considerations

For both adults and minors who have committed sex offenses, the likelihood of reoffending plays a large role in both sentencing (known as “disposition” in Washington State’s juvenile justice system) and in setting restrictions on behavior after release. It’s helpful to have the facts on your side when arguing to a prosecutor or judge that no incarceration is needed or appropriate. This is especially the case for young people with no prior criminal history.

Special Sex Offender Disposition Alternative (SSODA)

In Washington, many young people who commit sex offenses are eligible for the Special Sex Offender Disposition Alternative, often known as “SSODA”. SSODA requires long-term outpatient treatment for the youth’s sexual misconduct, but it often requires no incarceration time at all.

Sex Offender Registration Relief

Depending on the offense, some minors will have an obligation to register as sex offenders. After a certain period (defined by law), these youths can ask the court to revoke the duty to register under RCW 9A.44.143. The young person’s likelihood of reoffending is an important factor in whether the judge will grant the motion. The studies cited above demonstrate that, in the general population of youths who have committed sex offenses, this likelihood is quite low.

How Marshall & Saunders Can Help

At Marshall & Saunders, we have extensive experience representing juveniles accused of sexual offenses. We approach these sensitive cases with both compassion and skilled legal advocacy, helping courts understand that most juveniles who commit sexual offenses will not reoffend and deserve an opportunity for rehabilitation without the lifelong stigma of sex offender labeling.

This is one of the hardest calls you’ll ever make — but it’s the right one. If your child is facing sex offense charges, contact us immediately to schedule a consultation with our experienced attorneys.