Widespread Sexual Abuse In Juvenile Detention Centers

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government says 1 in 10 youths at juvenile detention facilities around the country reports having been sexually victimized by staff or by other youths.

The study by the Bureau of Justice Statistics finds that among the more than 1,300 youths who reported victimization by adult staff, 9 out of 10 were male juvenile detainees reporting sexual activity with female staff members.

According to the bureau, about 2.5 percent of juveniles, or 450, reported a sexual incident involving another youth last year, and almost 8 percent, or 1,390, reported an incident involving facility staff.