Risk Factors for Sexual Offending in Men Working with Children: A Community-Based Survey

Identifying risk factors for sexual abuse in men who work with children and who have already abused a child could lead to more appropriate screening and prevention strategies and is thus of major scientific and societal relevance. 

A total of 8649 German men from the community were assessed in an extensive anonymous and confidential online survey. Of those, 37 (0.4 %) could be classified as child sexual abusers working with children, 90 (1.0 %) as child sexual abusers not working with children, and 816 (9.4 %) as men who work with children and who have not abused a child. 

We assessed the impact of working with children as an individual risk factor for self-reported child sexual abuse and compared personal factors, pedophilic sexual fantasies, deviant sexual behaviors, antisocial behaviors, and hypersexuality among the three groups. Most interestingly, working with children was significantly associated with a self-reported sexual offense against children; however, it explained only three percent of its variance. 

Child sexual abusers working with children admitted more antisocial and more sexually deviant behaviors than child sexual abusers not working with children and than men working with children who have not abused a child. 

Our findings support some of the suggestions made by other researchers concerning factors that could be considered in applicants for child- or youth-serving institutions. However, it has to be pointed out that the scientific basis still seems premature.

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By:  Turner D1, Hoyer J2, Schmidt AF3, Klein V4, Briken P4.

• 1Institute for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany. turner.daniel@gmx.de.
• 2Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
• 3Institute for Health and Behaviour, Health Promotion and Aggression Prevention, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg.
• 4Institute for Sex Research and Forensic Psychiatry, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
• Arch Sex Behav. 2016 May 16.

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Anxious Attachment, Social Isolation, and Indicators of Sex Drive and Compulsivity: Predictors of Child Sexual Abuse Perpetration in Adolescent Males?

It has been suggested that child sexual abuse is related to poor attachment to parents, which is associated with an inability to form intimate relationships. Seto and Lalumière indicated that there were too few studies of adolescent males to determine whether poor attachment was associated with perpetration. 

This study was designed to follow up on a previous study and further explored the association between insecure attachment to parents, social isolation, and interpersonal adequacy to child sexual abuse perpetration in adolescents. We compared two samples of adolescent males who had committed sexual offenses, those who committed offenses against children (n = 140) and those who committed offenses against peer or adults (n = 92), with a sample of similarly aged males in treatment for mental health or substance use issues (n = 93). Data were collected using a semi-structured interview and computer-administered questionnaire. 

We found an indirect association between anxious attachment and sexual offenses against child victims, which was accounted for by measures of social involvement and social isolation. These involvement and isolation measures also did not have a direct association with sexual offenses against child victims, in that their contribution was accounted for by a measure of Masculine Adequacy. This Masculine Adequacy, combined with decreased levels of Sexual Preoccupation and Hypersexuality and increased Sexual Compulsivity, was associated with commission of child sexual abuse. 

The interpersonal variables did not enter a model predicting sexual offending against peers/adults, which seemed solely associated with the interaction between Sexual Compulsivity and Hypersexuality.

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By:  Miner MH1, Swinburne Romine R2, Robinson BB2, Berg D2, Knight RA3

• 1University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA miner001@umn.edu.
• 2University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
• 3Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA. 
• Sex Abuse. 2016 Mar;28(2):132-53. doi: 10.1177/1079063214547585. Epub 2014 Aug 20.

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Fantasy-Driven versus Contact-Driven Users of Child Sexual Exploitation Material: Offender Classification and Implications for Their Risk Assessment

Since the advent of the Internet, convictions for the possession, display, trading, and distribution of child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) have risen steadily, but little is known about their appropriate assessment and treatment, especially concerning their risk of reoffending. It has been suggested that a conceptual distinction of fantasy- versus contact-driven CSEM users might be of merit. 

Sixty-eight offenders recruited from sex offender treatment providers were assessed via an anonymous computer survey including a variety of clinical and risk-related variables; the findings showed differences in the psychological profiles between CSEM users and contact child sex offenders. Numerical and spatial methods of data analysis were used to identify subgroups of CSEM users; these confirmed the twofold distinction of fantasy- versus contact-driven offending. 

The spatial representation of participants identified three dimensions as crucial in the classification of these subgroups: direct sexual contact with a minor, possession of fantasy-generating material, and social contact with other users with a sexual interest in minors; potentially differentiating distinct offender subgroups with different risks and needs. 

The current study informed the development of an empirical model of CSEM users that could aid in the assessment of risk of reoffending and cross-over to contact sex offending.

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By:  Merdian HL1, Moghaddam N2, Boer DP3, Wilson N4, Thakker J3, Curtis C3, Dawson D2.

• 1University of Lincoln, UK hmerdian@lincoln.ac.uk.
• 2University of Lincoln, UK.
• 3The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
• 4Department of Corrections, Hamilton, New Zealand. 
• Sex Abuse. 2016 Apr 6. pii: 1079063216641109.

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Early Parenting Styles & Sexual Offending Behavior: A Comparative Study

Sexual offenders, in general, report problematic rearing practices from their parents, lacking however more empirical research on this topic regarding particular subtypes of offenders. 

The current study examined the relationship between early parenting styles and different types of sexual offending. A total of 113 sexual offenders (rapists, pedophilic and nonpedophilic child molesters), and 51 nonsexual offenders completed the EMBU (My Memories of Upbringing), the Brief Symptom Inventory, and the Socially Desirable Response Set Measure. 

Results showed that rapists were less likely to remember their fathers as being emotionally warm compared with nonsexual offenders and pedophilic child molesters. In addition, compared with rapists, pedophilic offenders perceived their mothers as having been less emotionally warm to them. 

Overall, results showed that certain developmental experiences with parents were able to distinguish between subtypes of offenders supporting an association between distal interpersonal factors and sexual offending.

These findings may have important implications for early intervention and prevention of sexual crimes. Further research using larger samples of pedophilic child molesters is recommended.

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By:  Sigre-Leirós V1, Carvalho J2, Nobre PJ3.

• 1Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: vera.sigre.leiros@gmail.com.
• 2Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, Lisboa, Portugal.
• 3Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal. 
• Int J Law Psychiatry. 2016 Mar 24. pii: S0160-2527(16)30055-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2016.02.042.

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General Characteristics of Child Sexual Offenders in Hatay, Turkey

Objective:

Child sexual offenders are a poorly studied and relatively neglected population in our country. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between criminal behavior and socio-demographic characteristics of a series of child sexual offenders.

Materials and Methods:

The records of social worker interviews with 48 child sexual offenders between 2009 and 2013 were used. The reports issued by social workers regarding child sexual offenders were retrospectively examined, since these reports were relatively the most thorough documents including offenders’ personal and familial characteristics, and criminal event information. Cases were investigated in terms of socio-demographic and psychosocial characteristics.

Results:

There were 48 children interviewed based on an alleged sexual crime, during four-year of study period. All of the cases were male and their ages ranged between 12 and 17 years. Of these, 50% were students at any grade of school. Five cases were living in social service facilities. Only two cases involved incest. Of all, three offenders were accused of repeated sexual crimes. Type of sexual assault was anal penetration in 20 (41.7%) cases. Of all cases, 19 were cigarette smoker, while 4 were drug abusers. The families of 12 (25%) cases suffered from low socio-economic status, while 23 (47.9%) offenders were members of broken families. According to social worker reports, 47 cases had criminal responsibility based on their psychosocial development. Out of all cases, 7 children were suspected of suffering from impulse control disorder and one was suspected to be mentally retarded. Twelve cases were reported to need consulting and social protective services.

Conclusion:

The rate of offenders with interrupted education was considerably high. Interestingly the number of male victims and the frequency of cases involving anal penetration were high. Obtained results suggest that male children of broken and scattered families, and particularly those lacking father’s supervision were more likely to commit a sexual crime.

Types of sexual acts committed by child sexual offenders

Crime types	n	%
Rape
➢ Anal penetration to a boy (Sodomy)	19	39.6
➢ Rape to a girl	20	41.7
➢ Anal penetration to a girl (Sodomy)	1	2.1
Touching a girl	7	14.6
Touching a boy	1	2.1
Total	48	100

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/hc9Gmw

By:  M. Mustafa Arslan,1 D. Sumeyra Demirkiran,1 Ramazan Akcan,2 Cem Zeren,1 and M. Hanifi Kokacya3

¹Department of Forensic Medicine, Mustafa Kemal University School of Medicine, Antakya, Hatay, Turkey

²Department of Forensic Medicine, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

³Department of Psychiatry, Mustafa Kemal University School of Medicine, Antakya, Hatay, Turkey

This article was presented as a poster in World Forensic Festival, South Korea, 2014.

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Lessons Learned: Conducting Research with Victims Portrayed in Sexual Abuse Images and Their Parents

Victims portrayed in sexual abuse images may be resistant to participate in research because of embarrassment or shame due to the sensitive nature and potential permanency of images. No studies we are aware of explore reactions to participating in research after this type of crime. 

Telephone interviews were conducted with convenience samples of parents (n= 46) and adolescents who were victims of child sexual abuse (n= 11; some of whom were portrayed in sexual abuse images), and online surveys were completed by adult survivors depicted in abuse images (N= 133). 

• The first lesson was that few agencies tracked this type of crime. This lack of tracking raises the question as to what types of data should be collected and tracked as part of an investigation. 
• The second lesson was that few victims at the two participating agencies had been portrayed in sexual abuse images (4%-5%). 
• The third lesson was that once possible cases were identified, we found relatively high percentages of consent to contact and interview completions. 
• This implies that researchers and service providers should not be hesitant about conducting research after an investigation of child sexual abuse. 
• The fourth lesson was that the vast majority of participants reported not being upset by the questions. 

We hope that the data presented here will encourage agencies to reconsider the types of data being tracked and will encourage researchers to conduct in-depth research with populations that are often difficult to reach to continue improving the professional response to child victimization.

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By:  Walsh WA1, Wolak J2, Lounsbury K3, Howley S4, Lippert T5, Thomas L6.

• 1University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA Wendy.walsh@unh.edu.
• 2University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
• 3National Children's Alliance, Washington, DC, USA.
• 4National Center for Victims of Crimes, Washington, DC, USA.
• 5Kaiser Permanente, Portland, OR, USA.
• 6The Harris County Children's Assessment Center, Houston, TX, USA. 
• J Interpers Violence. 2016 Mar 27. pii: 0886260516640545

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Discriminant Factors for Adolescent Sexual Offending: On the Usefulness of Considering Both Victim Age & Sibling Incest

Understanding the pathways and circumstances of juvenile sexual offending is of utmost importance. However, juvenile sexual offenders (JSO) represent an especially diverse group of individuals, and several categorizations have been proposed to obtain more homogeneous subgroups. Victim age-based and family relation-based categorizations are particularly promising because they seem theoretically and clinically relevant. Empirical results however are still inconsistent, and most studies have not considered these two dimensions jointly. 

The first goal of this study was to further examine the value of subgrouping JSO according to the age of their victim. A second goal was to determine the supplementary value, if any, of considering sibling incest. Based on a sample of 351 male JSO, it was first confirmed that sexual abuse of children was more strongly related to asociality (social skill deficits) than sexual abuse of peers, the latter being more closely associated with antisociality (general delinquency). 

The relevance of considering mixed-type JSO (with both child and peer victims) separately was also confirmed. More importantly, multivariate statistical analyses demonstrated that adding sibling incest to the equation was useful. JSO of intra-familial child were significantly more likely to have been victimized during their own childhood compared to JSO with extra-familial victims. Nevertheless, adolescents who had committed sibling incest obtained middle ground results on most variables (except for crime severity), suggesting that they constitute a distinct but not extreme, subgroup. 

This study confirmed the utility of using both the age and the family relation with the victim in characterizing juvenile sexual offending.

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By:  Joyal CC1, Carpentier J1, Martin C1.

• 1Psychology Department, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, C.P. 500, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada, G9A 5H7; Research Center, Institut Philippe-Pinel de Montréal, Quebec, Canada; International Center for Comparative Criminology, Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada. 
• Child Abuse Negl. 2016 Feb 19;54:10-22. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.01.006.

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Sexual Violence Against Female and Male Children in the United Republic of Tanzania

During a household survey in Tanzania, a nationally representative sample of females and males aged 13-24 years reported any experiences of sexual violence that occurred before the age of 18 years. The authors explore the prevalence, circumstances, and health outcomes associated with childhood sexual violence. 

The results suggest that violence against children in Tanzania is pervasive, with roughly three in 10 females and one in eight males experiencing some form of childhood sexual violence, and its health consequences are severe. 

Results are being used by the Tanzanian government to implement a National Plan of Action.

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By:  Vagi KJ1, Brookmeyer KA2, Gladden RM2, Chiang LF2, Brooks A3, Nyunt MZ4, Kwesigabo G5, Mercy JA2, Dahlberg LL2.

• 1U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA kvagi@cdc.gov.
• 2U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
• 3UNICEF Afrique de l'Ouest et du Centre/West and Central Africa Regional Office, Dakar-Yoff, Sénégal.
• 4United Nations Children's Fund, Laos.
• 5Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 
• Violence Against Women. 2016 Mar 14. pii: 1077801216634466

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Children's Knowledge of Sexual Abuse Prevention in El Salvador

BACKGROUND:

Child sexual abuse (CSA) remains a global health problem that must be addressed. In a country with limited resources such as El Salvador, we sought an alternative way to disseminate CSA prevention information to elementary school children.

OBJECTIVE:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a child sexual abuse (CSA) prevention exhibit at a children's museum.

METHODS:

We asked 189 children to answer a questionnaire about CSA prevention before entering a museum exhibit on the subject and then asked 59 different children to answer the questionnaire after visiting the exhibit.

FINDINGS:

Children's knowledge scores on CSA prevention significantly improved after visiting the exhibit (P < .012).

CONCLUSIONS:

A museum exhibit that addresses CSA prevention is an effective way of communicating CSA prevention to children.

Children's Answers to Knowledge Questionnaire Pre– and Post–Museum Visit (all ages) and P Values for Correct Answers

Question	Pre-visit	Post-visit (P-value)
Q1. “My body belongs to me”
Yes (%)	89.9	98.3 (.038)
No (%)	10.1	1.7
Q2. “What should you do if someone tries to touch you or looks at you in a manner that scares or makes you feel bad?”
I would scream NO and get away (%)	73.4	88.1 (.018)
I would tell someone until later (%)	11.6	11.9
I would say nothing (%)	15	2.4
Q3. “Why is it important to tell if someone tries to touch you or looks at you in a manner that scares or makes you feel bad?”
Because I have not done anything wrong and I have the right to ask for help (%)	86.7	96.1 (.033)
It is not important to tell or I do not know (%)	13.3	3.4
Q4. What are a girl's private parts?
vulva, vagina, buttocks and breast (%)	93.6	100 (.045)
face, arms (%)	4	0
Q5. What are a boy's private parts?
penis, testicles, buttocks (%)	95.2	100 (.086)
knees, teeth (%)	4.8	0

Full article at:   http://goo.gl/2BV0qY

By:  Hurtado A, Katz CL, Ciro D, Guttfreund D, Nosike D.

¹Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY

²Department of Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY

³Global Health Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY

⁴Department of Medical Education, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY

Ann Glob Health. 2014 Mar-Apr;80(2):103-7. doi: 10.1016/j.aogh.2014.04.004.

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Emotion Regulation in Sexually Abused Preschoolers: The Contribution of Parental Factors

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with emotion regulation deficits in childhood. Parents play a crucial role in the development of emotion regulation in their children, especially at younger ages. 

Close to 50% of mothers of sexually abused children report having been sexually victimized themselves as children. They are consequently at risk of experiencing significant distress following the disclosure of sexual abuse of their child. Parents' distress could interfere with their ability to provide support and to foster development of emotion regulation in their children. 

The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship of parental factors (history of sexual victimization in childhood and the current level of distress) to sexually abused preschoolers' emotion regulation competencies. Emotion regulation was assessed in 153 preschoolers by their parents with the Emotion Regulation Checklist; 75 of these children were abused (14 boys); 78 were not abused (21 boys) and were part of a comparison group. Parents reported their level of distress using the Psychiatric Symptom Index. 

Results indicated that parental factors contributed to some dimensions of preschoolers' emotion regulation (namely displays of underregulation of emotion) above and beyond children's victimization status and gender (Cohen's ƒ² = .15). Identifying parental distress and history of sexual victimization as positively associated with emotional dysregulation in preschool children victims of CSA has important research and clinical implications.

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By:  Langevin R1, Hébert M2, Allard-Dansereau C3, Bernard-Bonnin AC3.

• 1Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
• 2Department of Sexology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
• 3Child Protection Clinic, CHU Ste-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
• J Trauma Stress. 2016 Feb 24. doi: 10.1002/jts.22082. 

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An Expressive Art Group Intervention for Sexually Abused Adolescent Females

OBJECTIVE:

South Africa has a high prevalence of sexual abuse of children and adolescents. Among the numerous adverse consequences of sexual abuse is the difficulty survivors may experience in developing positive self-esteem and maintaining positive relationships. In a low resource setting, an expressive art group intervention tailored to female adolescents who have been sexually abused was implemented and its value explored.

METHOD:

Six adolescents met for 10 weekly sessions which included expressive art activities, followed by reflective group discussions. The value of the intervention was explored using a qualitative research design with limited quantitative data.

RESULTS:

The participants reported that the group intervention relieved their sense of isolation and contributed to their ability to express emotions and develop self-awareness. Participants reported more positive self-esteem and improved interpersonal closeness. The intervention helped participants to find new meaning in painful experiences which contributed to personal growth.

CONCLUSIONS:

The group dynamics, expressive art activities and reflective group discussions contributed to the therapeutic value of the intervention. The expressive art group intervention showed value as an alternative therapeutic strategy in a low resource setting for female adolescents who have experienced sexual abuse. An experimental design could follow to confirm the effectiveness of the intervention.

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By:  Visser M1, du Plessis J1.

• 1 Department of Psychology , University of Pretoria , South Africa.
• J Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2015 Dec;27(3):199-213. doi: 10.2989/17280583.2015.1125356. 

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