title: Development of sexually abusive behaviour in sexually victimised males: a longitudinal study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sexual maltreatment is one of the most common forms of child abuse. To identify risk factors for sexually abusive behaviour by adults, we prospectively assessed childhood experiences and personal characteristics of male child victims who became abusers in later life.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a longitudinal study (7-19 years duration), we included 224 former male victims of sexual abuse. Risk factors contemporaneous with the abuse, and putative protective influences, were identified from social service and clinical records. Evidence of later criminal acts was obtained from a nationwide search of official records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 224 former victims, 26 had subsequently committed sexual offences (victim-abusers), in almost all cases with children, mainly outside their families. Risk factors during childhood for later offending included material neglect (odds ratio 3.4, 95% CI 1.2-9.7), lack of supervision (3.0, 1.1-8.3), and sexual abuse by a female person (3.0, 1.1-8.7). Victim-abusers had more frequently witnessed serious intrafamilial violence (3.1, 1.0-10.0). Six (29%) of 21 victim-abusers on whom we had relevant data had been cruel to animals (7.9, 2.0-31.4). No single putative protective factor, nor a composite protective index, significantly reduced the risk of paedophilic behaviour.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most male victims of child sexual abuse do not become paedophiles, but particular experiences and patterns of childhood behaviour are associated with an increased risk of victims becoming abusers in later life. Our findings have implications for the design of selective interventions with a vulnerable subgroup of male victims, aimed at reducing the risk of paedophilic behaviour in later life.
authors.affiliation: Behavioural and Brain Sciences Unit, Institute of Child Health, London, UK.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Salter
authors.forename: Dean
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McMillan
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: Tiffany
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Talbot
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hodges
authors.forename: Arnon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bentovim
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hastings
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Skuse
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010378:Pedophilia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011606:Psychosexual Development; D012307:Risk Factors