NCJ Number
155556
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 19 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1995) Pages: 579-594
Date Published
1995
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This article contains information from interviews with 91 child sex offenders about the methods they used to target children, the age range of their victims, how they selected children and maintained them as victims, and what suggestions they had for preventing child sexual abuse.
Abstract
Offenders were selected from treatment programs, probation, special hospitals, and prisons. They were interviewed using a semistructured questionnaire. Results indicate that offenders gained access to children through caretaking, such as babysitting; targeted children by using bribes, gifts and games; used force, anger, threats, and bribes to ensure their continuing compliance; and systematically desensitized children through touch, talk about sex, and persuasion. Nearly half the offenders had no bad feelings about sexually abusing children. The authors include offenders' comments relevant to prevention; suggested preventive actions for parents, teachers and schools; and the implications of their findings for prevention programs. Table, figures, references