NCJ Number
192349
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 33 Issue: 2 Dated: 2001 Pages: 33-45
Date Published
2001
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This research explores the traumagenic dynamics in adult women survivors of childhood sexual abuse in an attempt to support the use of a model with male adolescent sex offenders who reported a history of childhood sexual abuse.
Abstract
Two hypothesis are suggested: (1) adolescent male sexual offenders will report higher levels of the traumagenic dynamic “betrayal” (the dynamic most often related to trust, intimacy, and relationships) than of other traumagenic dynamics; and (2) male sexual offenders with a history of childhood sexual abuse would report traumagenic beliefs in a pattern similar to beliefs reported by female survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Clinical records of 60 non-psychotic and non-suicidal adolescent male sexual offenders with a history of childhood sexual abuse were reviewed. Data on 120 female survivors of sexual abuse were obtained from a previous study. The Trauma-Related Beliefs Questionnaire was used to assess the participants. Results show that male sex offenders hold high levels of traumagenic beliefs common in females, especially related to trust and betrayal. Male participants differed from female survivors on measures of stigmatization and traumatic sexualization, but were not significantly different from female subjects on measures of trust and powerlessness. This suggests that the Model of Traumagenic Dynamics utilized with females reporting a history of childhood sexual abuse may be useful in working with male adolescents who report a history of sexual abuse. Future research should replicate the current findings and explore differences between offending and non-offending adolescent males, adolescent females, and adult males that may have experienced childhood sexual abuse. 2 tables, 32 references