U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Descriptive Study of Preursors to Sex Offending among 813 Boys and Girls: Antecedent Life Experiences

NCJ Number
232309
Journal
Victims & Offenders Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: April 2006 Pages: 61-77
Author(s)
Barbara K. Schwartz; Deborah Cavanaugh; Ann Pimental; Robert Prentky
Date Published
April 2006
Length
17 pages
Annotation
In order to understand the factors leading to sexual offending among youth and the associated gender differences, the records of 813 sexually abusive children (659 boys and 154 girls) referred for an evaluation of their sexually inappropriate and coercive behavior were reviewed and coded.
Abstract
These children ranged in age from 3 to 18 when they committed their first hands-on offenses. All were under the care of the Massachusetts Department of Social Services either prior to or as a result of their behavior. Principal findings included: (1) a high proportion of girls (19 percent) in a sample of children flagged as sexually abusive to other children, (2) an exceptionally high base rate of severe maltreatment and associated clinical and psychiatric sequelae, and (3) girls were significantly more likely to be sexually abused, and when sexually abused the abuse lasted longer, was more severe, and involved more perpetrators. In addition, the girls were significantly more likely to witness domestic violence and to witness sexual deviance within the home. For all other types of abuse, there were no group differences, and (4) all of the children were subjected to a very high level of caregiver instability. (Published Abstract)