Intervening from the ground up: A Narrative review on adolescent perpetrators of sexual violence

¹ Doctorate Program in Psychology; Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
² Faculty of Psychology, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: ulfaamalia@mail.ugm.ac.id

Abstract

Adolescent perpetrators of sexual violence represent a serious and often overlooked issue. Despite the increasing number of reported cases, there is still a lack of focused attention on effective intervention strategies tailored specifically to this group. This study aims to analyze various intervention approaches used for adolescent perpetrators of sexual violence, with the goal of supporting the development of relevant and effective programs. A narrative literature review was conducted using articles sourced from Google Scholar, Sage, Scopus AI, and ScienceDirect. Inclusion criteria included full-text articles published between 2016 and 2025, written in either Indonesian or English, and specifically addressing interventions for adolescent perpetrators. Articles that focused solely on victims, lacked a clear intervention target, were incomplete, or available only as abstracts were excluded. A total of nine relevant articles were identified. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was found to be the most commonly applied intervention method. Other approaches showing positive outcomes included schema therapy, multisystemic therapy, parent-child interaction therapy, community-based interventions, the Good Live Model, individual counseling (behavioral approach), reality counseling, and personal development plans. However, research on specific assessment tools and structured intervention programs remains limited, highlighting the urgent need for further program development and integration into policy and practice frameworks.