Childhood sexual abuse is significantly associated with subsequent sexual offending: New evidence among federal correctional clients

Abstract

Background: Adverse childhood experiences are associated with multiple negative behavioral outcomes and childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is particularly damaging. There is controversial evidence that CSA has a specialized effect on subsequent sexual offending.

Objective: The current study tested the hypothesis that CSA is associated with sexual offending.

Method: Using a near-population of correctional clients on supervised release in the Midwestern United States, we examined the hypothesis with hierarchical negative binomial regression models.

Results: CSA was significantly associated with official charges for rape/sexual abuse despite controls for sex, race, age, arrest onset, total arrest charges, total adverse childhood experiences, Antisocial Personality Disorder, sexual sadism, and pedophilia. Age of onset of CSA was also inversely associated with sexual offending with effect sizes ranging between 2-5 standardized z-scores.

Conclusion: The current study provides significant evidence that CSA is associated with later sexual offending even when accounting for powerful clinical and criminological covariates.

Keywords: Adverse childhood experiences; Childhood sexual abuse; Criminal careers; Sexual aggression; Sexual offending; Violence.