The Developmental Antecedents of Child Sexual Abuse: An Empirical Framework Using a Developmental Approach

• In Event: Multilevel Approach to Child Sexual Abuse: Profiles, Patterns, and Contexts

Abstract

There is limited research examining the developmental antecedents of child sexual abuse and a fewer number of these studies are supported by empirical data. As a result, theories of child sexual abuse (CSA) are relatively muted about the developmental pathways leading to child sexual abuse, focusing instead on clinical and contextual factors. Building on past research, the current study examines the developmental antecedents of a sample of individuals convicted of CSA. Combining data from multiple sources, the study examines the developmental antecedents of repetitive CSA. For exploratory purposes, the current study operationalized repetitive CSA in three different ways which are consistent with the different sexual offending patterns for this group: (a) number of victims; (b) number of sex crime charges; (c) number of sex crime events. Using a series of structural equation modeling, the findings highlight the presence of multiple pathways which are consistent with the heterogeneity characterizing this group. In other words, the study highlights the inherent difficulties of developing a unified developmental theory of CSA that are consistent with our empirical observations.

Authors

• Alexandre Gauthier, Université de Montréal

• Patrick Lussier, Université Laval