Abstract
This paper continues the body of knowledge on the topic of juvenile sexual
activity and assaults in correctional facilities. This study used data collected through a
Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). The grant research team conducted a survey in a
juvenile facility of a mid-western state asking staff and juvenile participants to given their
perceptions of the occurrences, on a scale from never to very often, of a range of sexual
activity including consensual sex, sexual jokes, gestures, and touches, bribery for sexual
acts and sex by force in which the victim was received minor injuries, serious injuries, or
death. Using statistical tools and tests such as frequency distributions, Cronbach’s alpha
reliability test, and Chi-Square to test for significance, this study found a significant
difference in the perceptions of juveniles and staff.
