YOUTH SEX-CRIME WAVE ACCESS TO ABERRANT ACTS, BETTER REPORTING CITED.

Byline: Holly Edwards Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - The number of sexual assaults committed by juveniles in the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys has doubled since 1998 - part of a growing trend that officials say reflects decaying morals and a growing willingness to report the abuse.

In Santa Clarita, the number of sexual assaults committed by juveniles went from about 15 in 1998 to 30 a year ago, officials say. In the Antelope Valley, the number doubled from 35 to 70 over the same period.

And while the numbers are not large, officials say, they are nevertheless alarming.

``The perpetrators we're talking about are 13 or 14 years old. And they're having sex with children who are much younger, maybe 6 or 7 years old,'' said Sgt. Mike Becker of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Family Crimes Bureau.

So far, Becker said he has looked at specific areas of the county but has not totaled all of the sex crimes committed by juveniles countywide.

But those who work with juvenile sex offenders say they do not believe the number of youthful sex offenders is increasing. Instead, they say people have simply become more willing to report suspected abuse.

``I think sexual abuse has always been here, and there are a lot of grandparents who know that. In most cases, it's passed along from generation to generation,'' said Linda Peck, director of the Trinity Group Home in Apple Valley, a treatment center for juvenile sex offenders.

``I think we're just doing a better job of identifying and reporting sexual abuse at an earlier age.''

Creating dangerous adults

Whether it's due to increased reporting or a real increase in numbers, the criminal justice system is ill-equipped to deal with the rising number of juvenile sex offenders, officials say. There are few treatment facilities that deal with juvenile sex offenders, and the ones that do exist are booked.

Officials also point out that children under 14 cannot be charged with a crime unless prosecutors can prove they knew their actions were wrong. Many juvenile offenders, therefore, are not criminally charged and receive no counseling at all.

By repeatedly allowing young sex offenders to get away with their acts, experts say the criminal justice system may be breeding a new generation of adult sex offenders.

``We need to intervene in this behavior at a young age when we can still foster some changes,'' said Gary Lowe, a therapist and professor at California State University, Sacramento, who specializes in family crimes.

``By the time the offender reaches adulthood, in many cases they are so damaged and their anger and sadistic tendencies are so intense that you just hope they're locked up for the rest of their lives.''

Honesty crucial to change

Those who work with juvenile sex offenders say the key to successful treatment is to persuade the young person to be honest about his or her sexual behavior, a topic often shrouded in anger and shame.

Most young perpetrators are victims of sexual abuse themselves and view the sexual exploitation of others as normal, Peck said.

``Most of these kids have been educated in the home to act out inappropriately, and in many cases there are sexual materials and pornographic videos easily available in the home,'' she said. ``We had one case where the parents were in the video and they were watching it with their children. This kind of thing just opens the door for inappropriate behavior.''

Lowe added that the sexual material widely available on the Internet also signals to many juveniles that sexual aggression is normal.

``Young people can easily access some of the more bizarre and deviant forms of sexual behavior that in past years was almost impossible to get,'' he said. ``Kids think because it's so accessible, it can't really be that bad. I think the effect of this kind of hard-core pornography that deals with the exploitation of others really needs to be looked at.''

The message that must be driven home to young offenders is that their sexual feelings are normal, but their behavior is not, experts say.

``We want them to know that their anger and their feelings of arousal are normal, but acting out against someone else is not normal,'' Peck said. ``And, we tell them if they continue to do these things into adulthood, they will be arrested and they will be registered as a sex offender.''

Polygraph tests explored

To get a full account of the sex crimes committed by adult perpetrators, county officials are developing a pilot program that would require adult sex offenders to take polygraph tests and meet regularly with probation officers and counselors.

The so-called ``containment approach'' is expected to be put in place on a small scale in a few months and, if successful, could be expanded to include adult as well as juvenile offenders, officials say.

The method has been widely used for years in other areas, and experts say it has been particularly effective with young offenders.

``The first thing a sex offender of any age has to do to get well is be honest,'' said Kim English, research director at the Colorado Department of Public Safety, one of the first agencies to try to containment approach.

``The polygraph is to sex offender treatment what urinalysis is to drug abuse treatment. When we apply this method to juveniles, it really makes a big difference in their future behavior.''

Peck, however, said she was skeptical of the program, and said many of the boys at her center, who range from 7 to 15 years old, would simply burst into tears if they were forced to take a polygraph test.

``I think a real strong-arm method like that would scare them,'' she said.

But English said she believes it's healthy for young perpetrators to feel scared.

``If you ask any of their victims if they felt coerced, scared, intimidated and burst into tears, they would say yes,'' she said. `'Many times, offenders have never learned to feel empathy, so it's good for them to understand how their victims feel. Many of them do burst into tears when they take the polygraph test. That's what's so heartening.''

Using a polygraph test also allows those working with the offender to target treatment methods to specific problems, she added.

Treatment uncomfortable

It is extremely important to treat young offenders before their behavior becomes deeply ingrained, experts say. By the time an offender reaches adulthood and is charged with a sex crime, officials say, there may be hundreds of prior victims who were never detected.

``Nobody has all the information except the offender, and they need to give up that secret,'' English said. ``For these kids, the treatment program and taking the polygraph may be unpleasant, but they have the potential to get so much better. In order to change, you have to be uncomfortable.''

WARNING SIGNS

The following warning signs may indicate a child has been sexually abused by an adult or another child:

-- Difficulty walking or sitting.

-- Cuts, bruises or injuries to their genitals.

-- Sexual activity or talk that is inappropriate for the child's age.

-- Unwillingness to participate in physical activity.

-- In girls, pregnancy or venereal disease.

-- Any inappropriate or unsolicited sexual acting out toward other children.

SOURCE: Los Angeles County Child Protective Services Department.

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Box: Warning Signs (see text)