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International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology
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*Child Sexual Abuse
*Family Issues
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What's this?

An Exploration of Childhood Victimization and Family-of-Origin Characteristics of Sexual Offenders Against Children

Tania S. Stirpe

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto

Lana E. Stermac

Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto

A comparison of the childhood victimization experiences and family-of-origin characteristics of 33 sexual offenders against children, 66 violent offenders, and 25 nonviolent offenders participating in assessment or treatment at a forensic division of a Canadian psychiatric hospital was undertaken using a semistructured interview designed specifically for this study. Overall, 31.5% of the sample reported contact sexual abuse (i.e., oral, vaginal, or anal) by age 14. Sexual offenders against children reported significantly more sexual abuse than both violent and nonviolent offenders and were more likely to have been sexually propositioned and exposed to. Sexual offenders against children were also more likely to report physical discipline as the primary type of discipline in the home. Analyses of the variables concerning characteristics of parents, siblings, and significant others also indicated significant differences between groups. Implications of these findings on the intergenerational hypothesis are discussed as well as their relevance for treatment.

Key Words: sexual offenders • child molesters • childhood victimization

International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, Vol. 47, No. 5, 542-555 (2003)
DOI: 10.1177/0306624X03253316
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