NCJ Number
112437
Date Published
1987
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This article discusses an epidemiological and social psychological approach to child sexual abuse within the context of a 1985 survey conducted by the 'Los Angeles Times.'
Abstract
The telephone survey examined attitudes and victimization experiences of a probability sample of 2,627 adults. A randomized simultaneous question technique was used to estimate the percentage of males who had sexually abused a child. Of respondents, 27 percent of women and 16 percent of men reported having been sexually abused in childhood. Responses of men asked simultaneous questions pairing molestation and rental status produced an estimated percentage of child abuse of between 13 and 21 percent, while a pairing of questions on molestation and union membership produced estimates between 1 and 7 percent. An analysis of factors contributing to this difference suggests that the higher estimate is more accurate. While the technique used in this study requires additional validation, it could prove useful in identifying not only the incidence of child molestation in the general population, but also the characteristics of child sexual abusers who have not come to the attention of social control agencies. In addition, epidemiological findings can provide greater insights into social psychological concepts such as oversexualization of needs, the sexualization of subordination, and deficiency in empathy with children. 1 table, 1 footnote, and 26 references.