Will children who get sexually abused become sexually abusive as teens or adults?
The vast majority of sexual abuse survivors live their lives without ever sexually abusing others.
Although adults who have sexually abused a child are more likely to have been sexually abused as a child [3], children and teens who have been sexually abused are no more likely to sexually abuse someone else [8]. One way to look at this is to consider that in actuality, female children are more often sexually abused than male children [4], yet over 90% of people who sexually abuse children are male [6].
Also, even though some kids who hurt others have been hurt themselves, many have not been abused [7]. There are many reasons why a child might act out sexually, such as problems controlling their impulses, seeing inappropriate material, having a disability, or dealing with stress at home or in their environment [5].
Primarily, when a person is exposed to traumas in childhood, they are more likely to have difficulties in other areas of their lives as they grow into adults, like relationships, safety, decision making, mental health, and physical wellbeing [1, 2].
Intervention - help and support - is crucial after a child has been abused. Acknowledging and addressing the distress a child has experienced to begin ending this abusive cycle and to helping a child recover. Experts and parents agree that with specialized treatment children who have been sexually abused can heal, and do not pose a risk to other children - now or later in life.
Learn More
- Treatment and Support Resources for Children and Parents
- Children and Youth with Sexual Behavior Problems
- When a Child Tells About Sexual Abuse
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[1] Almuneef, M. (2021). Long term consequences of child sexual abuse in Saudi Arabia: A report from national study. Child Abuse & Neglect, 116, 103967. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.03.003
[2] Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/index.html#print
[3] Drury, A. J., Elbert, M. J., & DeLisi, M. (2019). Childhood sexual abuse is significantly associated with subsequent sexual offending: New evidence among federal correctional clients. Child Abuse & Neglect, 95, 104035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104035
[4] Pérez-Fuentes, G., Olfson, M., Villegas, L., Morcillo, C., Wang, S., & Blanco, C. (2013). Prevalence and correlates of child sexual abuse: a national study. Comprehensive psychiatry, 54(1), 16-27.doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2012.05.010.
[5] Pringle, J., Mills, K. L., McAteer, J., Jepson, R., Hogg, E., Anand, N., & Blakemore, S. J. (2017). The physiology of adolescent sexual behaviour: A systematic review. Cogent social sciences, 3(1), 1368858.
[6] United States Sentencing Commission (n.d.). Quick facts on sexual abuse offenses.
[7] Wamser-Nanney, R., & Campbell, C. L. (2020). Childhood sexual abuse characteristics, abuse stress, and PTSS: Ties to sexual behavior problems. Child Abuse & Neglect, 105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104290
[8] Widom, C. S., & Massey, C. (2015). A prospective examination of whether childhood sexual abuse predicts subsequent sexual offending. JAMA pediatrics, 169(1), e143357-e143357. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25561042