This booklet provides a behavioral analysis of child molesters. The terms child molesters and pedophiles are defined and distinctions are drawn between the two. The second section develops a law enforcement typology differing from those of mental health professionals, focusing on pre-arrest behavior or pre-identification behavior of child…

In this article, theories of sexual abuse of children and treatment programs are reviewed. Familial patterns and signs of psychological distress are identified. (Author)

Reviews the literature concerning the association between adolescent abuse and the predisposition to violence and other antisocial behavior. Reviews the family dynamics of abuse and recent work in sexual abuse and its relationship to male sexual offenders. Helping professionals should be aware of these factors. (JAC)

The House-Tree-Person test is based on the premise that unconscious aspects of the personality are exposed through the person's drawings of familiar items. Children who have experienced sexual abuse are often hesitant to respond to direct questioning about this experience. Researchers have studied the H-T-P to determine if these children produce…

Helping child abuse victims receive the mental health treatment they need is an important component of victim advocacy with children, and benefits both the children and the criminal justice system. As part of this work, the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center at the Medical University of South Carolina and the Center for Sexual…

This article reviews recent literature dealing with child sexual abuse and identifies the role health educators can play in combating this problem. (JD)

Provides an overview of physical and chemical castration and its use in controlling sex offenders. Discusses castration and sexual aggression, then focuses on the use of therapeutic physical castration in dealing with those who display unacceptable sexual behaviors. Details legal and ethical issues and the efficacy of testosterone-lowering…

Highlights the potential value of free symbolic play to the field of sexual abuse. Preliminary guidelines are suggested for appropriate use to gain information about possible sexual abuse; a case study is presented illustrating application. Potential impact of research comparing the free symbolic play of sexually abused and nonabused children is…

Investigates the effectiveness of a residential treatment program for boys with histories of sexually aggressive behavior. Clients were assessed at the beginning and end of treatment and at several time points in between. There was evidence of improved functioning on 10 of the 12 measures. On most of the measures, improvement occurred gradually…

This study focused on sexual abuse victimization and psychological distress among 272 adolescent offenders. Female respondents reported more sexual abuse victimization and psychological distress than did their male counterparts. Furthermore, church attendance moderated the association between sexual abuse victimization and psychological distress…

Study identifies ways that traumatic experiences and trauma-associated feelings can be offense triggers for juvenile sex offenders. Researchers interviewed the treating clinicians of 40 male juvenile sex offenders. Overall, clinicians identified prior trauma exposure as being related to the offense triggers in 85% of offenders. Implications for…

Sixty-eight parents of children with alleged child sexual abuse (CSA) were surveyed 4 months after visiting an interdisciplinary CSA evaluation clinic in order to examine the extent to which recommendations were recalled and implemented. Results reveal that 9% of parents recalled recommendations for medical follow-up, 79% recalled recommendations…

Examines whether sexually abused preschool boys and girls differed in terms of abuse characteristics or psychological outcomes. No differences were found between boys and girls in terms of the victim's age at the time of abuse, perpetrator's age, or the identity of the perpetrator. Results indicated that boys exhibited more developmental delays…

A survey of 164 college women revealed that 18% recalled some instance of childhood sexual abuse. These women were from a variety of ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds. The majority were abused by nonfamily members, but strangers were the identified perpetrators in 21% of the cases. The importance of these findings is discussed as well as…

Self-report drug use data were collected from 282 female alternative school students. Logistic regression analyses indicated that sexual abuse history was significantly associated with lifetime use. While the relationships tested in this study are exploratory, they provide evidence for an important connection between sexual abuse and substance use…