Things we should know about child molesters. (They are everywhere.)

[Dont call me Shirley]

50. Not all predators are victims. Many victims do not become predators.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026712691



Solly Mack

56. It's not always true that a predator was once a victim.

Yes, the odds are in favor of it, but it's still not always true. So it could be that he wasn't abused himself. Or it could even be he was physically abused, as that can lead to his being a juvenile sex offender as well.

It could be the environment he grew up in....it could be a combination of physical & sexual abuse and his environment.

I don't know.

http://www.csom.org/pubs/mythsfacts.html

Myth:
"Children who are sexually assaulted will sexually assault others when they grow up."
Fact:
Most sex offenders were not sexually assaulted as children and most children who are sexually assaulted do not sexually assault others.

Early childhood sexual victimization does not automatically lead to sexually aggressive behavior. While sex offenders have higher rates of sexual abuse in their histories than expected in the general population, the majority were not abused. Among adult sex offenders, approximately 30% have been sexually abused. Some types of offenders, such as those who sexually offend against young boys, have still higher rates of child sexual abuse in their histories (Becker and Murphy, 1998).

While past sexual victimization can increase the likelihood of sexually aggressive behavior, most children who were sexually victimized never perpetrate against others.



Myth:
"Juvenile sex offenders typically are victims of child sexual abuse and grow up to be adult sex offenders."
Fact:
Multiple factors, not just sexual victimization as a child, are associated with the development of sexually offending behavior in youth.

Recent studies show that rates of physical and sexual abuse vary widely for adolescent sex offenders; 20 to 50% of these youth experienced physical abuse and approximately 40 to 80% experienced sexual abuse (Hunter and Becker, 1998). While many adolescents who commit sexual offenses have histories of being abused, the majority of these youth do not become adult sex offenders (Becker and Murphy, 1998). Research suggests that the age of onset and number of incidents of abuse, the period of time elapsing between the abuse and its first report, perceptions of how the family responded to the disclosure of abuse, and exposure to domestic violence all are relevant to why some sexually abused youths go on to sexually perpetrate while others do not (Hunter and Figueredo, in press).