Female sexual-offenders: Personality pathology as a mediator of the relationship between childhood sexual abuse history and sexual abuse perpetration against others

• Published in: Child abuse & neglect Vol. 31; no. 8; pp. 871 - 883
• Main Authors: Christopher, Kelly, Lutz-Zois, Catherine J, Reinhardt, Amanda R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2007; New York, NY Elsevier; Elsevier Science; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Adults; Antisocial Behavior; Antisocial Personality Disorder - diagnosis; Antisocial Personality Disorder - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Borderline personality disorder; Borderline Personality Disorder - diagnosis; Borderline Personality Disorder - psychology; Child; Child abuse & neglect; Child Abuse, Sexual - psychology; Child Sexual Abuse; Childhood; Childhood sexual abuse; Children; Correctional Institutions; Crime Victims - psychology; Criminals; Discriminant Analysis; Female; Female sex-offenders; Females; Humans; Institutionalized Persons; Measures (Individuals); Mediation Theory; Medical sciences; Pediatrics; Personality; Personality Assessment - statistics & numerical data; Personality Disorders; Personality Problems; Prisoners - psychology; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics - statistics & numerical data; Psychopathology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychopathy; Reproducibility of Results; Risk Factors; Sex crimes; Sex Offenders; Sex Offenses - psychology; Sexual Abuse; Sexual behavior disorders. Psychogenic sexual dysfunctions; Social behavior disorders. Criminal behavior. Delinquency; Sociopathic Personality; Statistics as Topic; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States (Midwest); Women; Childhood sexual abuse; Personality disorders; Female sex-offenders; Human; Victimology; Personality disorder; Sexual behavior disorder; Child abuse; Early traumatism; Sex offense; Female; Sexual abuse; Predictive factor; Social behavior disorder; Antecedent
• ISSN: 0145-2134; 1873-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2007.02.006

Abstract Objective : The goal was to examine, in an all female sample, possible mechanisms for the relationship between a history of childhood sexual abuse and the likelihood of perpetrating sexual abuse as an adult. It was hypothesized that Borderline and Antisocial Personality Disorder tendencies would mediate the relationship between these two forms of abuse. Method : One hundred forty two female participants (61 sex-offenders and 81 non-sex offenders) were recruited from a woman's prison in the Midwest. The participants completed measures that included a childhood history of sexual abuse, socially desirable responding, primary and secondary psychopathy, and Borderline Personality Disorder tendencies. Results : Participants in the sexual-offender group reported more frequent instances of childhood sexual abuse ( p < .05, M = 16.4, SD = 7.2) than participants in the non-sex offender group ( M = 12.2, SD = 7.7). Consistent with past research, childhood sexual abuse was related to Borderline Personality Disorder tendencies ( r = .36, p < .01). However, discriminant function analyses did not reveal support for our mediational hypotheses. Finally, the results indicated that participants in the sexual-offender group experienced childhood sexual abuse for a greater duration of time ( p < .05, M = 27.8, SD = 20.5 months) than participants in the non-sex offender group ( M = 16.6, SD = 10.4). Conclusions : This study replicated previous research conducted on all male samples suggesting that the nature of the sexual abuse suffered in childhood is an important variable in predicting future sexual abuse perpetration.