NCJ Number
234296
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 35 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2011 Pages: 40-49
Date Published
January 2011
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study examined the effect of abuse history on children suspected of sexually intrusive behavior.
Abstract
The study found that 9.7 percent of the children suspected of sexually intrusive behavior (SIB) (N=3,554) had a formal record of abuse. In addition, it was found that boys with an abuse history engaged in SIBs at a younger age; were more likely to have mental disabilities; more often came from families that were large, single-parent, low socio-economic status, and immigrant; and were more likely to be placed in alternative care than boys with no history of abuse. It was also found that children who were victim-suspects were more likely to repeatedly engage in SIBs, and to do so with younger children, siblings and unrelated children. This study examined a large, non-clinical nationwide sample of children (age 14 and under) identified as victim-suspects of SIBs in Israel over a decade to determine the extent of history of abuse as a risk factor for SIB. Only confirmed cases of boys with SIBs were used in the analysis. The results of the study indicate that clinical assessors should not assume that history of abuse is a significant risk factor for SIB, or that children suspected of SIB will have an abuse record. Tables and references