No description available.

Childhood sexual abuse is represents a significant public health problem in the United States, as 21% of U.S. children experience sexual victimization prior to age 18. Research dedicated to preventing further sexual victimization has identified factors that influence the development of sexually abusive behavior. The abused-abuser hypothesis suggests that a prior history of sexual victimization may increase the risk of engaging in sexually abusive behavior among some victims. Some research has also investigated the relationship between characteristics of an individual's experiences of sexual abuse and the characteristics of their own sexually abusive behavior, but such research is scarce with inconsistent findings. For the present study, we first hypothesized that childhood sexual victimization is more prevalent among those who have engaged in sexually abusive behavior than those who have not. We also posited that among those who have engaged in sexually abusive behavior, their own sexual abuse experiences contribute to victim Page 188 2017 Appalachian Student Research Forum choice, the age at which they begin sexually abusing others, and the frequency of abuse. Our sample (N=529; 100% male; 84.7% Caucasian; M = 17.71) consisted of participants from two larger studies of university students with no known history of sexually abusive behavior (n = 286; 84.6% Caucasian; M = 20.18) and youth who have engaged in sexually abusive behaviors and received residential treatment in the Southeastern U.S (n = 243; 84.8% Caucasian; M =14.79). Data from university students were self-reported, while data from the residential youth were coded from archival records. Results of a chisquare analysis revealed that youth who have engaged in sexually abusive behavior were significantly more likely to have experienced childhood sexual abuse than non-sexual abusers,  2 (1, N=523) =210.788, p = .000. Additionally, within the sample of youth who have engaged in sexually abusive behavior, correlations were used to examine relationships between characteristics of their own sexual perpetrators and their victim choice. Results indicate being victimized by a male is significantly associated with having a male victim (r= .143, p=.033), being victimized by a relative is associated with sexually abusing a relative (r=.148, p=.024), and being victimized by a non-relative is associated with sexually abusing a non-relative (r=.194, p=.033). Findings thus far indicate that youth who have engaged in sexually abusive behavior have not only experienced greater sexual victimization than non-sexual abusers, but that the characteristics of their sexual perpetrators may relate to how they sexually abuse others, specifically with regard to victim choice. Additional analyses will examine whether these characteristics of sexual victimization influence the age of onset of their sexual offending and their number of arrests, sexual offenses, and victims. Future directions and limitations will also be explored.

The abused-abuser hypothesis posits that a history of sexual victimization may increase the risk of engaging in sexually abusive behavior for some victims. Although many researchers have discovered a higher prevalence of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in sex offenders in comparison with non-sex offenders, less research has considered how specific characteristics of prior sexual abuse may contribute to how these individuals sexually abuse others. For the present study, archival data were collected from 243 youths receiving residential treatment for sexually abusive behavior and self-reported data were collected from university students with no known history of sexual offending. The present study confirms disproportionally high rates of CSA in the sample of sexually abusive youth, compared to non-sexual abusers. Further, among the sample of sexually abusive youth, we examined the effects of sexual perpetrator characteristics and age of sexual victimization on victim choice, age at first sexual offense, and number of sexual offenses, number of arrests, and sexual victims. Results revealed associations between perpetrator characteristics and victim choice. Additionally, being sexually victimized by a male or a relative was significantly associated with a younger age of onset of sexually abusive behavior and a younger age of sexual victimization suggested a greater number of sexual victims. Implications and future directions will be explored.

Child maltreatment and household dysfunction have long been linked to delinquency, adult criminality, and sexual offending. However, the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), factors related to out-of-home placement, and the onset of maladaptive behaviors has not thoroughly been explored in adolescents who have engaged in sexually abusive behavior. In the present study, we examined archival records of 120 male youths who have received treatment for sexually abusive behavior. As expected, the male adolescents in this sample have experienced higher rates of ACEs than samples of adult males in the community, adult males who committed sexual offenses, and juvenile justice–involved males as reported in the literature. Discrete-time survival analyses yielded increased risks of onset of aggression and sexually abusive behavior during early childhood and mid-to-late childhood, with significant associations between higher ACE scores and a greater number of out-ofhome placements. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) exhibit a strong influence on later functioning in adolescence and adulthood, including impacts on physical and mental health, as well as behavioral and risk-related outcomes. A dose-response effect is evident, in that as the number of ACEs increase, the likelihood of detrimental outcomes similarly rises. Important outcomes associated with increased ACEs include: physical health problems like cancer or heart disease, risky sexual behaviors, diagnosis of a trauma-related disorder, and criminality (Felitti et al., 1998; Espleta et al., 2018; Lew & Xian, 2019; Ramakrishnan et al. 2019; Van Niel et al., 2014). More recently, the exploration of the impact of ACEs has demonstrated differential accumulated risk in offender populations, with ACEs that are more prevalent and a more intensified dose-response relationship between ACEs and outcomes associated with sexual offending and other violent behaviors (Harlow, 1999; Levenson, Willis, & Prescott, 2014; Baglivio et al., 2014; Stinson, Quinn, & Levenson, 2016). One such population evidencing increased risk are youth who have engaged in sexually abusive behaviors. These youth have experienced ACEs at higher rates than other typical youth in the community, or those involved in the justice system (Baglivio & Epps, 2016; Levenson, Willis, & Prescott, 2016), resulting in them being categorized as high-risk. Predictors like out-of-home placements have been linked to an earlier onset of aggression and sexually abusive behaviors (Hall, Stinson, & Moser, 2017). Conversely, ACEs and the youth’s own behavior are two important factors to consider when evaluating the timing and persistence of an out-of-home placement. The current study evaluates the temporal relationship between two main factors (specific ACEs and the youth’s own behavior) and out-of-home placements. We also plan to examine the relationship between these two factors and the persistence of specific placements. Data for this study consisted of archival records that were collected from a nonprofit inpatient treatment facility for adolescents who had engaged in sexually abusive behavior. The sample was comprised of 290 males and 5 females between the ages of 10 and 17 years of age (M = 14.8, SD = 1.56). The mean age was 14.8 years at time of first admission (SD = 1.56; range: 10-17 years). The sample was minimally diverse with regard to ethnicity: 83.1% Caucasian, 9.5% African American, 0.7% Hispanic, 4.4% mixed race, and 2.4% unspecified. The majority of participants were referred by the state’s Division of Children’s Services (68%), while others were referred by court representatives (20%), parents/guardians (3%), mental health providers (4%), insurance representatives (0.7%), or others (0.3%). These referrals were often used as an alternative to formal legal sanctioning (i.e., court diversion). Prior to admission, the majority of participants were residing in either a family member’s home (40.3%), residential care (78.3%) and/or foster care (48.4%), though others came from group homes (37.3%), inpatient care (36.9%), and/or a friend’s home (4.4%). The majority had only one admission to the current facility (89.5%), while approximately 10% had two or more admissions. It is expected that physical and sexual abuse will be the most significant predictors for placements like juvenile detention centers and residential treatment facilities. It is also expected that ACEs will prompt more immediate but also longer out-of-home placement decisions resulting from the youth’s own behavior. This study is for an honors thesis and has a completion deadline set for next month. For this reason, statistical analyses are still underway. Results and implications for this research will be discussed.

No description available.

Background: Exposure to greater Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) has been associated with increased likelihood of general and sex offending behaviors. However, few studies consider both the impact of varied ACE exposures and other early experiences on pathways to offending behaviors in adolescents who have engaged in sexually abusive behaviors. Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of ACEs and sexual boundary problems within the home on the development of delinquent and sexually abusive behavior. Participants & setting: Data were collected from archival records of male adolescents (N = 285) who had received treatment for sexually abusive behavior at a youth facility. Methods: This study investigated the effects of individual adverse experiences on delinquent nonsexual and sexually abusive behaviors through structural equation modeling. Results: Structural equation modeling revealed a three-factor model for ACEs. Direction and significance of paths between ACEs and the onset, persistence, and nature of maladaptive behaviors differed. Household dysfunction was related to an earlier onset (β = 1.19, p = 0.013) and more persistent nonsexual delinquent offending (β = 1.05, p = 0.048) and contact sexual offending (β = 1.19, p = 0.010). Conversely, sexual abuse and exposure to sexual boundary problems were associated with an earlier onset of sexually abusive behavior (β = −1.08, p = 0.038) as well as indicators of adolescent-onset (β = −1.30, p = 0.002), less persistent (β = −1.53, p = 0.001), and nonviolent (β = −1.89, p = 0.001) delinquency. Conclusions: Findings suggest variations in ACE exposures differentially influence the onset, severity, and persistence of delinquent and sexually abusive behaviors among these youths.