The boys to be placed in the Waimano facility, from ages 12 to 17, aren't like adult sexual predators, Uale said. Adult sex offenders are, and should be, very scary, but these kids for the most part do not fit that category. He said 95 percent or more of the teen offenders are abused children. We try to get them into treatment early to not have them get into a situation where they can't be cured. Robinson said although it's widely believed by professionals and nonprofessionals that most sex offenders were abused as children, research doesn't support that.
Treatment does seem to have a positive impact as far as reducing the probability of future offenses.
In fact, their own view of themselves is they are playmates, the same age as the victim in their mind. A judge will order treatment after a child exhibits such behavior two or three times, Arensdorf said, explaining Waimano will provide a therapeutic alternative to confinement in a correctional facility. Those who end up in an adult prison generally have an added element of aggression and coercion, Arensdorf said. The state also pays the cost of family members going to the mainland for periodic visits and therapy sessions with the kids.