Sexual offenses encompass a wide spectrum of behaviors, in a variety of situations, with many types of victims.  Sexual aggression in the form of violent or sadistic rape has long been feared and punished, and other deviant sexual behaviors or paraphilias have been shunned and prohibited.  Moreover, sexual deviancy has generated many myths and misconceptions.  Sex offenders have often escaped report and recrimination because of the lack of accurate information and the reluctance of many cultures to discuss sexual issues.  Juvenile offenders have often been exempted from responsibility for their deviant behavior and sexual aggression; many exploitative behaviors were considered “adolescent adjustment reactions” or “exploratory” stages and were thought to pass with age.