Building a research agenda for mental health assessments in resolving legal dilemmas on adolescent sexual consent

The dilemma of adolescent consent confounds dispensation of justice in child sexual abuse and juvenile justice contexts, with legal personnel struggling to discern between consent and coercion in cases of adolescents who are sexually abused and those who are accused of alleged sexual offences. Given that capacities for consent also determine personal safety and mental health, there is an imperative to build a child mental health research agenda for developing methodologies that incorporate psychological knowledge on abuse dynamics, adolescent mental health and development, vulnerability and risk, to assess adolescent sexual consent and sexual decision-making processes. •Adolescent consent creates dilemmas for dispensation of justice in child sexual abuse and juvenile justice contexts.•Child mental health professionals have an increasing role in child sexual abuse legal proceedings.•An Imperative for building a research agenda to understand adolescent capacities for consent and sexual decision-making.