This policy brief from the Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse (ATSA) addresses growing calls for juvenile justice reform in Ohio following the prosecution of two young children in Cleveland. It emphasizes that addressing sexual harm must not compromise a child’s safety, development, or future.

The brief calls for evaluation, treatment, and family-based intervention—not adult-style prosecution—when children engage in harmful behavior. Grounded in developmental science, it highlights that youth are not mini-adults; their brains, emotions, and decision-making capacities are still developing. Treating them as adults increases reoffending and fails to improve public safety, while early, developmentally informed intervention works.

ATSA recommends individualized assessment and treatment, comprehensive family-involved care, developmentally appropriate policies, and prevention through education on consent, empathy, and emotional regulation. The brief concludes that Ohio can protect both victims and youth by investing in evidence-informed approaches that prioritize prevention, rehabilitation, and lasting community safety.