Reports of sex abuse at local youth correctional facility above national average

GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Three youth correctional facilities in Oregon are being shown in a negative light. They’re all above average when it comes to reports of sexual abuse.

Out of the 58 youth surveyed at “Rogue Valley Youth Correctional Facility” in Grants Pass, 10.3 percent reported being sexually victimized in 2018.

That’s above the national average of 7.1, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Another facility, Albany’s “Oak Creek Youth Correctional Facility” had 14.3 percent of its youth reported being sexually victimized.

The communications director for the Oregon Youth Authority in Salem says the state agency is puzzled by the report.

“All of the other information we have about our youth safety is really different from this data,” said Benjamin Chambers, Oregon Youth Authority. “It’s much lower. The kinds of incidents we’re talking about are much more infrequent.”

Chambers says the report doesn’t distinguish between youth on youth assaults and staff on youth assaults.

He says that’s an important distinction when you want to find solutions to a problem.

Other facilities above the national average include “St. Mary’s Home for Boys” in Beaverton, according to the report.

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