Understanding Sexual Perpetration Against Children: Effects of Attachment Style, Interpersonal Involvement, and Hypersexuality

Abstract

This study explores in an adolescent sample hypotheses about child sexual abuse perpetration drawn from contemporary theories that implicate insecure attachment and adolescent social development. Specifically, three 13- to 18-year-old adolescent male samples (sex offenders with child victims, sex offenders with peer/adult victims, and nonsex delinquent youth) were compared in a cross-sectional design. Participants completed a computer-administered self-report questionnaire and a semistructured attachment style interview. Attachment style was coded by two independent raters blind to study hypotheses and group membership. The results indicated an indirect effect for attachment style. Attachment anxiety affected involvement with peers and interpersonal adequacy. Feelings of interpersonal inadequacy, combined with oversexualization and positive attitudes toward others distinguished sex offenders with child victims from nonsex delinquents and from sex offenders with peer/adult victims. These data provide a preliminary model of sexual abuse perpetration consistent with contemporary theories. Attachment anxiety with a lack of misanthropic attitudes toward others appears to lead to isolation from peers and feelings of interpersonal inadequacy. Individuals with this constellation of factors may turn to children to meet their intimacy and sexual needs, both of which seem to be exaggerated compared with other troubled youth.

Assessing stereotypes of adolescent rape

“…In this view, self-control varies across contexts and situations (Tittle, Ward, & Grasmick, 2004;Wikström & Treiber, 2007), and low sexual self-control may contribute to adolescent rape independent of self-control in non-sexual situations. Consistent with this thesis, studies of relatively small samples of juvenile sex offenders in treatment programs, detention centers, and probation departments have reported that adolescent sexual offenders were less able to control sexual urges than non-sexual offenders (Miner et al, 2010) and that sexual compulsivity and preoccupation increased the likelihood of sexual coercion (Knight & Sims-Knight, 2003, 2005.…”

“…Empirical studies of the effects of sexual promiscuity on juvenile sex offending generally suggest that the number of sexual partners is not directly related to sexually coercive behavior Seto & Lalumière, 2010;Van Wijk et al, 2005). The two studies that contradict this trend (Driemeyer, Spehr, Yoon, Richter-Appelt, & Briken, 2013;Miner et al, 2010) relied on data from small samples of identified sex offenders and measured promiscuity using categorical variables rather than a continuous measure of the number of sexual partners.…”

Patterns of Sexual Abuse among Children: Victims’ and Perpetrators’ Characteristics

“…The perpetrators are more aggressive and cause more serious physical and emotional damage than female perpetrators (Davies, Pollard, & Archer, 2006). One theory regarding male perpetrators of child sexual abuse is that they might be more able to use their physical strength to control and limit the child victim's resistance, thereby attempting to satisfy their attachment needs and intimacy desires, which fail to be satisfied through normal relationships (Miner et al, 2010). Carlstedt and colleagues (2009) reported that male perpetrators with mental health problems, such as anxiety and depressive symptoms, who manifest aggression and hostility toward women were more likely to abuse young children.…”

“…Rejection by peers and lack of intimate relationships could contribute to seeking intimacy and autonomy by abusing even younger children or using their authority to satisfy their sexual desires (Miner et al, 2010). Family characteristics could further influence juvenile offenders.…”

Sexual Abuse – Current Medico-legal, Forensic and Psychiatric Aspects

“…This overview has reported only a minor part of the several hypotheses concerning the etiology of juvenile sex offending, and there would be many other aspects of this topic to analyze, such as the association between adolescent sex offending and autism spectrum disorders symptoms [1], the relationship between sexual offending and sex chromosome abnormality [11], or -from a psychological perspective -the effects of attachment style, interpersonal involvement, and hypersexuality in sexual perpetration against children [12].…”