Comparison of Clinical Characteristics, Gender Perceptions, and Rape-Related Beliefs of People Assessed for Criminal Liability for Rape Against Children and Adults. / Çocuga ve Eriskine Yönelik Tecavüz Suçu Nedeniyle Ceza Sorumlulugu Degerlendirilen Kisilerin Klinik Özelliklerinin, Toplumsal Cinsiyet Algilarinin ve Tecavüze Iliskin Inançlarinin Karsilastirilmasi.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the criminal, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, paraphilic behaviors, sexual attitudes, gender perceptions, and rape-related beliefs of people assessed for criminal liability for rape against adults and children. METHOD: The study compared 40 people investigated for criminal liability for rape against an adult (RAA) with 40 individuals investigated for criminal liability for crime of rape against a child (RAC), and 43 age, sex and education matched individuals without any sexual crime history using the Structured Clinical Interview form for DSM-5 disorders, Hendrick Brief Sexual Attitude Scale, Gender Perception Scale, Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11. RESULTS: All participants were male. There was no difference between the groups in terms of lifelong or existing psychiatric diseases. All participants had full criminal responsibility during the crime. No participant in any group was diagnosed with a paraphilic disorder. It was determined that people in both RAC and RAA groups tended to use sexuality as a tool, paid less attention to birth control methods, had a far less egalitarian perception of gender, and their myths about rape were significantly higher compared to the control group. The control group was much more impulsive than the sex offenders. CONCLUSION: Our results show that the act of sexual assault should not be explained only by impulsivity or psychiatric disorders, and that gender perception and sexual myths may also be influential. The fact that all individuals had full criminal responsibility emphasizes the need for more research on the social and cultural origins of sexual violence.

Mapping the global geography of cybercrime with the World Cybercrime Index.

Cybercrime is a major challenge facing the world, with estimated costs ranging from the hundreds of millions to the trillions. Despite the threat it poses, cybercrime is somewhat an invisible phenomenon. In carrying out their virtual attacks, offenders often mask their physical locations by hiding behind online nicknames and technical protections. This means technical data are not well suited to establishing the true location of offenders and scholarly knowledge of cybercrime geography is limited. This paper proposes a solution: an expert survey. From March to October 2021 we invited leading experts in cybercrime intelligence/investigations from across the world to participate in an anonymized online survey on the geographical location of cybercrime offenders. The survey asked participants to consider five major categories of cybercrime, nominate the countries that they consider to be the most significant sources of each of these types of cybercrimes, and then rank each nominated country according to the impact, professionalism, and technical skill of its offenders. The outcome of the survey is the World Cybercrime Index, a global metric of cybercriminality organised around five types of cybercrime. The results indicate that a relatively small number of countries house the greatest cybercriminal threats. These findings partially remove the veil of anonymity around cybercriminal offenders, may aid law enforcement and policymakers in fighting this threat, and contribute to the study of cybercrime as a local phenomenon.

Justice involvement prediction as individuals age: An age-graded evaluation of the public safety assessment.

OBJECTIVE: Some scholars have criticized pretrial assessments for perpetuating racial bias in the criminal legal system by offering biased predictions of future legal system outcomes. Although these critiques have some empirical support, the scholarship has yet to examine the predictive validity and differential prediction of pretrial assessments across individuals by their age. Following the guidance of the life-course literature, the present study serves as the first age-graded evaluation of the Public Safety Assessment (PSA) focused on assessing whether the predictive validity and scoring predictions of the tool vary across the lifespan. HYPOTHESES: We expected that the predictive validity of the PSA scores would vary across the lifespan, such that the PSA underpredicts for younger individuals and overpredicts for older individuals. METHOD: The present study relied on pretrial information collected from 31,527 individuals during the Advancing Pretrial Policy and Research project. Logistic regression models were estimated to evaluate the differential prediction of the PSA for individuals ranging from 18 to 68 years of age. The results of bivariate models were used to produce area under the curve estimates at each year of age. RESULTS: The results of the present study provided some evidence that the PSA differentially predicted pretrial outcomes for individuals from 18 to 68 years of age. Specifically, the predictive validity of the New Criminal Arrest and the New Violent Criminal Arrest scales appears to improve as individuals become older, suggesting that these instruments are better able to predict pretrial outcomes for older individuals relative to younger individuals. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the PSA is a valid predictor of pretrial outcomes and that the predictive validity of some PSA scores is impacted by age. These findings suggest that the age of the defendant should be accounted for when interpreting the new criminal arrest and new violent criminal arrest scores. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Sobre el pasaje al acto criminal. Historia, definiciones, aspectos forenses.

El presente artículo se propone llevar a cabo una revisión exhaustiva de la literatura científica existente sobre esta modalidad conductual humana particular, impulsiva y transitoria, que escapa al control consciente del sujeto, desde un enfoque psicopatológico y forense. Para ello, se realizarán puntualizaciones históricas de los diferentes matices de la temática, proporcionando una visión panorámica y crítica de la misma. Se puede decir que se trata de memorias implícitas acerca de situaciones traumáticas pasadas que, a raíz de una reedición presente del evento displacentero mediante un mecanismo disociativo, generan en el individuo una reacción impulsiva agresiva, sobre la cual la persona no dispone de control ni conciencia. Este tipo de comportamiento abre el debate, en el marco de la Psicología y Psiquiatría Forense, sobre la  capacidad que tienen los acusados de un crimen, de comprender la criminalidad del acto y dirigir sus acciones, presentando un desafío controversial para los tribunales de diferentes países. Así mismo, es menester poder entender estas conductas, desarrollar estrategias de prevención más adecuadas, plantear los nuevos abordajes terapéuticos frente al trauma psicológico e intervenir en estas conductas delictivas que ponen en peligro la seguridad, así como el bienestar de la sociedad.

CRIMINAL LAW PROTECTION OF THE CIRCULATION OF MEDICINAL PRODUCTS ACCORDING TO THE LEGISLATION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY, THE REPUBLIC OF AUSTRIA AND THE SWISS CONFEDERATION.

The purpose of the article is to find out the scope of the criminal law protection of the circulation of medicinal products according to the legislation of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Austria, and the Swiss Confederation. The materials of the research were the legislation of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Austria, and the Swiss Confederation. Dialectical, axiological, comparative, and legal methods were applied during the research. Having studied the experience of the scope of criminal law protection of the circulation of medicinal products made it possible to conclude about the importance of having a certain legislative reference point that can help improve the criminal legislation of these and other countries and build a new model of the system of norms that ensure the criminal law protection of circulation of medicinal products. It has been concluded that in the criminal legislation of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Austria, and the Swiss Confederation there is an "aspiration" of the legislator to ensure the most complete scope of criminal law protection of circulation of medicinal products by creating their own specific systems. It has been proposed to single out separate groups of signs of criminal protection of pharmaceutical activity, since the scope of such protection is not the same in such countries (but has a lot in common). This may be a certain legislative guideline of the systematization of norms that ensure the circulation of medicinal products from the point of view of their criminal law protection.

[Criminal liability of practitioners. Patient consent as a justification ?] / Responsabilité pénale du médecin. Le consentement du patient comme fait justificatif ?

The medical world brings together the divergent interests of healthcare professionals and patients, and a balance between the two is always necessary to establish and maintain a relationship of trust and to ensure that the healthcare system functions properly. Conflicts do arise, however, particularly when patients feel that their rights have not been respected by health professionals, in which case the latter may be held liable, particularly under criminal law. However, there are justifications that practitioners can use to avoid any liability : in particular, the patient's consent, and it is up to the professional to prove this.

Le monde médical mêle les intérêts parfois divergents des professionnels de la santé et des patients, un équilibre entre les deux étant toujours nécessaire à la création et au maintien d'une relation de confiance ainsi qu'au bon fonctionnement du système de santé. Il arrive toutefois qu'un conflit apparaisse, notamment lorsque le patient estime que ses droits n'ont pas été respectés par le praticien, auquel cas la responsabilité ­ en particulier pénale ­ de ce dernier peut être engagée. Or, il existe des faits justificatifs que le professionnel de la santé peut invoquer, pouvant lui permettre de se libérer de tout chef de responsabilité : c'est le cas notamment du consentement du patient, à charge pour le praticien d'en apporter la preuve.

Lower autonomic arousal as a risk factor for criminal offending and unintentional injuries among female conscripts.

BACKGROUND: Lower autonomic arousal is a well-known correlate of criminal offending and other risk-taking behaviors in men, but few studies have investigated this association in women. AIM: To test associations between autonomic arousal and criminal offending as well as unintentional injuries among female conscripts. METHODS: All women born 1958-1994 in Sweden who participated in voluntary military conscription (n = 12,499) were identified by linking Swedish population-based registers. Predictors were resting heart rate (RHR) and systolic blood pressure (SBP). Covariates were height, weight, and physical energy capacity. Main outcomes were criminal convictions (any, violent, and non-violent) from the National Crime Register. Secondary outcome was unintentional injuries requiring medical treatment or causing death. We used survival analyses to test for associations between predictors and outcomes. RESULTS: Low RHR, relative to high RHR, was associated with an increased risk of any criminal conviction, non-violent criminal convictions, and unintentional injuries. Low SBP, relative to high SBP, was associated with an increased risk of violent criminal convictions. CONCLUSIONS: Results support lower autonomic arousal, particularly lower RHR, as a correlate of criminal offending among women that warrants further examination, as the reported findings have potential implications for the prediction of future female crime.

Life History Strategies of Male Criminal Offenders: Verifying Traditional Life History Patterns.

Life history (LH) strategies are results of trade-offs that species must make due to inhabiting certain ecological niches. Although it is assumed that, through the process of developmental plasticity, similar trade-offs are made by individuals in response to a certain level of harshness and unpredictability of their local environments, the study results on this matter are not consistent. In LH-oriented psychological research, such inconsistencies are often explained as a consequence of significant individual differences in phenotypical quality and owned resources, which make studying trade-offs difficult due to different costs and benefits of the same behaviors taken by different individuals. To verify if traditional LH patterns can be found among individuals with more comparable qualities, than in the general population, the current study was conducted on a group of male criminal offenders, who are typically associated with a fast LH strategy. Our results did not show any support for either LH trade-offs or unidimensional character of LH strategies in the criminal group studied. The traditional biodemographic LH traits, that we used to assess a LH strategy, merged into three well-known LH dimensions (mating, parenting, and somatic effort) that yet turned out to be entirely independent from each other. Moreover, each LH dimension turned out to be uniquely related to a different aspect of the developmental environment. The implications of the obtained results are discussed.

Factors influencing the length of stay in forensic psychiatric settings: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Forensic psychiatry is often associated with long admissions and has a high cost of care. There is little known about factors influencing length of stay (LOS), and no previous systematic review has synthesised the available data. This paper aims to identify factors influencing the LOS in forensic psychiatry hospitals to inform care and interventions that may reduce the length of admissions. METHODOLOGY: A systematic review was conducted by searching major databases, including PubMed, EMBASE and PsycInfo, from inception until May 2022. Observational studies conducted in forensic hospitals that examined associations between variables of interest and LOS were included. Following data extraction, the Newcastle‒Ottawa Scale was used for quality appraisal. No meta-analysis was conducted due to heterogeneity of information; a quantitative measure to assess the strength of evidence was developed and reported. RESULTS: A total of 28 studies met the inclusion criteria out of 1606 citations. A detailed quantitative synthesis was performed using robust criteria. Having committed homicide/attempted homicide, a criminal legal status with restrictions, and a diagnosis of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders were all associated with longer LOS. Higher Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores were associated with a shorter LOS. CONCLUSION: High-quality research examining factors associated with LOS in forensic psychiatry is lacking, and studies are heterogeneous. No modifiable characteristics were identified, and thus, practice recommendations were not made. There is an increasing necessity to understand the factors associated with longer admissions to inform care and increase success in reintegration and rehabilitation. This paper provides recommendations for future research.

Patients' Suits Against Psychiatrists for Not Preventing the Patients' Criminal Acts.

Patients who allege negligent treatment by their psychiatrists can sue to be compensated for the harms they experience. But what if the harms result from a criminal act committed by the patient that the patient claims the psychiatrist should have prevented? A long-standing common law rule bars plaintiffs from being compensated for harms caused by their own wrongdoing. The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania recently considered the scope of this rule in the case of a psychiatric patient convicted of murder. Even when the rule is upheld, various exceptions may exist, and there is pressure to do away with an absolute bar on recovery of damages.

Morality, self-control, age, type of offence and sentence length as predictors of psychopathy amongst female incarcerated offenders in South Africa.

There has been an increase in female incarcerated offenders nationally and internationally. Despite this trend, literature and research on female offenders remain limited compared to their male counterparts. Evidence of the relationship between certain personality disorders and offending behaviour has led numerous countries to prioritise identifying and assessing personality disorders among the offender population. Psychopathic personality traits may contribute to women's risk factors for expressing antisocial behaviours, resulting in their potential future incarceration. Thus, a need exists to understand possible factors that may predict the expression of psychopathic traits in females, which may have notable utility among female offenders. This study aimed to investigate possible predictor variables of psychopathy amongst incarcerated female offenders in South Africa. A quantitative research approach, non-experimental research type, and correlational research design were employed. A convenience sampling technique was used. The sample consisted of 139 (N = 139) female offenders housed in two correctional centres in South Africa who voluntarily participated in this study. Correlation analyses and hierarchical regression analysis procedures were conducted to analyse the results. Results indicated (i) a certain combination of predictor variables that statistically and practically significantly explained both primary and secondary psychopathy and (ii) individual predictor variables (e.g., Impulsivity, Simple Tasks, Risk-Seeking, and Self-Centredness) that explained both primary and secondary psychopathy statistically and practically significantly. This study provides valuable information about the possible predictor variables of psychopathy amongst female offenders within the context of South Africa. However, further research must be conducted to validate these findings and advance our knowledge on this topic.

Child torture victimization: Review of criminal statutes and medico-legal issues.

A renowned group of pediatricians and an attorney with expertise in child abuse matters proposed a medical definition of intrafamilial child torture perpetrated by a caretaker in a landmark 2014 publication in the health sciences literature. Representing one of the most widely cited publications on non-politically motivated child torture to date, this medical definition encompassing physical abuse, psychological abuse, deprivation, and neglect characterizing child torture has been broadly recognized and accepted by multidisciplinary professionals across medical, child welfare, and criminal justice sectors. While the medical community's efforts aimed to compel legislative changes, including adoption of explicit torture-specific statutes that would enable criminal justice system responses reflective of abuse severity, subsequent legal analyses have revealed tremendous variability in criminal investigations, prosecution, sentencing, and case outcomes. In this discussion piece, medico-legal issues relevant to intrafamilial child torture case prosecution are reviewed. The impact of the established medical definition on jurisdictional legal approaches and unique case challenges related to longitudinal nature of abuse, frequent psychological injury, and victim-perpetrator dynamics are explored in depth. Utilizing available legal research platforms, investigative information, health sciences literature, and prosecutor self-report, existing child torture statutes and case outcomes were compared with focus on perpetrator, victim, socio-environmental, and community influence on legal outcome. Prosecutorial challenges facing jurisdictions lacking child torture statutes are discussed with emphasis placed on the critical role played by the medical community to support diagnosis of physical and emotional impacts to the child. Finally, the process by which states can establish a jurisdictional torture statute are suggested.

An analysis of published study designs in PubMed prisoner health abstracts from 1963 to 2023: a text mining study.

BACKGROUND: The challenging nature of studies with incarcerated populations and other offender groups can impede the conduct of research, particularly that involving complex study designs such as randomised control trials and clinical interventions. Providing an overview of study designs employed in this area can offer insights into this issue and how research quality may impact on health and justice outcomes. METHODS: We used a rule-based approach to extract study designs from a sample of 34,481 PubMed abstracts related to epidemiological criminology published between 1963 and 2023. The results were compared against an accepted hierarchy of scientific evidence. RESULTS: We evaluated our method in a random sample of 100 PubMed abstracts. An F1-Score of 92.2% was returned. Of 34,481 study abstracts, almost 40.0% (13,671) had an extracted study design. The most common study design was observational (37.3%; 5101) while experimental research in the form of trials (randomised, non-randomised) was present in 16.9% (2319). Mapped against the current hierarchy of scientific evidence, 13.7% (1874) of extracted study designs could not be categorised. Among the remaining studies, most were observational (17.2%; 2343) followed by systematic reviews (10.5%; 1432) with randomised controlled trials accounting for 8.7% (1196) of studies and meta-analysis for 1.4% (190) of studies. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible to extract epidemiological study designs from a large-scale PubMed sample computationally. However, the number of trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis is relatively small - just 1 in 5 articles. Despite an increase over time in the total number of articles, study design details in the abstracts were missing. Epidemiological criminology still lacks the experimental evidence needed to address the health needs of the marginalized and isolated population that is prisoners and offenders.

State Medicaid Initiatives Targeting Substance Use Disorder in Criminal Legal Settings, 2021.

Objectives. To document state Medicaid pre- and postrelease initiatives for individuals in the criminal legal system with substance use disorder (SUD). Methods. An Internet-based survey was sent in 2021 to Medicaid directors in all 50 US states and the District of Columbia to determine whether they were pursuing initiatives for persons with SUD across 3 criminal legal settings: jails, prisons, and community corrections. A 90% response rate was obtained. Results. In 2021, the majority of states did not report any targeted Medicaid initiatives for persons with SUD residing in criminal legal settings. Eighteen states and the District of Columbia adopted at least 1 Medicaid initiative for persons with SUD across the 3 criminal legal settings. The most commonly adopted initiatives were in the areas of medication for opioid use disorder treatment and Medicaid enrollment. Out of 24 possible initiatives for each state (8 initiatives across 3 criminal legal settings), the 2 most commonly adopted were (1) provision of medication treatment of opioid use disorder before release from criminal legal settings (16 states) and (2) facilitation of Medicaid enrollment through suspension rather than termination of Medicaid enrollment upon entry to a criminal legal setting (14 states). Initiatives pertaining to Medicaid SUD care coordination were adopted by the fewest (9) states. Conclusions. In 2021, states' involvement in Medicaid SUD initiatives for criminal legal populations remained low. Increased adoption of Medicaid SUD initiatives across criminal legal settings is needed, especially knowing the high rate of overdose mortality among this group. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(5):527-530. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307604).

Abuse of right during application of coercive medical measures in criminal proceedings.

OBJECTIVE: Aim: To determine the problematic issues of ensuring the rights and freedoms of persons suffering from mental disorders and to whom CMM are applied in criminal proceedings under the legislation of Ukraine and the legislation of the states that adhere to the modern concepts of international standards of human rights ensuring to a person the CMM are applied to. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and Methods: Legal positions of the ECHR, criminal procedural legislation of a number of states, and a survey of scientists and practitioners conducted by the authors are used in this paper (total number of respondents was 168). A set of general scientific and special methods are used to achieve the aim of the study. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: The practice of applying СMM to persons suffering from mental disorders in criminal proceedings in Ukraine and other states does not fully meet international standards and needs improvement. It was suggested to make changes to the legal acts on the use of CMM in criminal proceedings.

Contextualizing medications for opioid use disorder and peer support service provision in the probation system with implementation science.

BACKGROUND: Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is an evidence-based approach that reduces opioid-related mortality, particularly among criminal legal-involved persons who are at increased risk of adverse outcomes related to OUD. Implementing evidence-based approaches in the context of probation settings requires an in-depth understanding of specific contexts to improve intervention efficacy and effectiveness. Here, we use the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) framework to understand implementation contexts for MOUD provision in the probation setting. METHODS: In-depth individual interviews were conducted with key programmatic stakeholders (treatment providers and probation staff involved in service provision for people on probation). The study examined stakeholder perspectives regarding MOUD and Peer Support Service (PSS) implementation among people who are involved in community supervision. Deductive and inductive thematic analysis was conducted, and subsequently the codes, subcodes, and themes were mapped onto the EPIS framework to better understand implementation contexts. RESULTS: We deduced key inner, outer, and bridging contexts that shape treatment service provision for individuals with OUD who are on probation. Inner contexts include a strong organizational climate that supports MOUD implementation and enthusiasm for peer support services. Outer contexts include difficulty navigating insurance among providers, treatment costs, and systemic stigma towards MOUD. Bridging contexts include a lack of collaboration/communication between relevant agencies (e.g., probation and courts). CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate the implementation is complex and requires a coordinated effort between correctional systems, probation agencies, and community-based treatment providers.

The Relationship Between Family Member Incarceration, Criminal Offending, and Victimization.

Mass incarceration has significantly impacted families nationwide. Recent evidence suggests that at least 45% of Americans have experienced the incarceration of an immediate family member (Enns et al., 2019). Prior evidence has demonstrated that adolescents and young adults who experience family member incarceration experience increases in criminogenic outcomes. However, less is known about whether family member incarceration contributes to increases in victimization and if it occurs indirectly through increases in offending. To address this question, the current study uses 10 waves of the Pathways to Desistance Study, which is a longitudinal study that followed justice-involved youth over 7 years (N = 8,346 person waves). Using fixed-effects negative binomial regression, findings demonstrate that experiencing familial incarceration is associated with increases in victimization and that criminal offending may be one mechanism that indirectly explains this relationship. Policy and programming implications are further discussed.

Mental health interventions for individuals with serious mental illness in the criminal legal system: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Globally, individuals with mental illness get in contact with the law at a greater rate than the general population. The goal of this review was to identify and describe: (1) effectiveness of mental health interventions for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) who have criminal legal involvement; (2) additional outcomes targeted by these interventions; (3) settings/contexts where interventions were delivered; and (4) barriers and facilitating factors for implementing these interventions. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted to summarize the mental health treatment literature for individuals with serious mental illness with criminal legal involvement (i.e., bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depressive disorder). Searches were conducted using PsychINFO, Embase, ProQuest, PubMed, and Web of Science. Articles were eligible if they were intervention studies among criminal legal involved populations with a mental health primary outcome and provided description of the intervention. RESULTS: A total of 13 eligible studies were identified. Tested interventions were categorized as cognitive/behavioral, community-based, interpersonal (IPT), psychoeducational, or court-based. Studies that used IPT-based interventions reported clinically significant improvements in mental health symptoms and were also feasible and acceptable. Other interventions demonstrated positive trends favoring the mental health outcomes but did not show statistically and clinically significant changes. All studies reported treatment outcomes, with only 8 studies reporting both treatment and implementation outcomes. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight a need for more mental health research in this population. Studies with randomized design, larger sample size and studies that utilize non-clinicians are needed.

A location discrete choice model of crime: Police elasticity and optimal deployment.

Despite the common belief that police presence reduces crime, there is mixed evidence of such causal effects in major Latin America cities. In this work we identify the casual relationship between police presence and criminal events by using a large dataset of a randomized controlled police intervention in Bogotá D.C., Colombia. We use an Instrumental Variables approach to identify the causal effect of interest. Then we consistently estimate a Conditional Logit discrete choice model with aggregate data that allow us to identify agents' utilities for crime location using Two Stage Least Squares. The estimated parameters allow us to compute the police own and cross-elasticities of crime for each of the spatial locations and to evaluate different police patrolling strategies. The elasticity of crime to police presence is, on average across spatial locations, -0.26 for violent crime, -0.38 for property crime and -0.38 for total crime, all statistically significant. Estimates of cross-elasticities are close to zero; however, spillover effects are non-negligible. Counterfactual analysis of different police deployment strategies show, for an optimal allocating algorithm, an average reduction in violent crime of 7.09%, a reduction in property crimes of 8.48% and a reduction in total crimes of 5.15% at no additional cost. These results show the potential efficiency gains of using the model to deploy police resources in the city without increasing the total police time required.

A Systematic Review of Multisystemic Therapy in Adolescent Sex Offenders.

Multisystemic therapy (MST) is an intense, family-focused, community-based treatment designed for youth with criminal behaviors. Literature on its usefulness among juvenile sexual offenders (JSOs) remains limited. We conducted a systematic review of published studies assessing effectiveness of MST among JSOs. A comprehensive search of published studies, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, was undertaken using multiple databases. Search terms included "multisystemic therapy" or "multisystemic family therapy." A total of 542 articles were obtained on initial search. After excluding duplicates, 297 articles were included in further analysis that yielded 48 articles for full-text analysis. Six randomized controlled trials of MST, comprising 231 juvenile sex-offenders, were assessed for final review. MST performed favorably relative to alternative treatments among juvenile sex offenders while also demonstrating lasting treatment effect on sustained follow-up.