Browsing by Subject "cycle of abuse"

Childhood sexual abuse has long been seen as a major predisposing factor for the transition from victim to offender. Research results from this theory called the cycle of abuse are partly contradictory. In the light of new research, the association between childhood sexual abuse and subsequent sexual offending can be seen in a way that childhood sexual abuse serves as a predisposing factor but does not alone predict future sexual offending as the effect of experienced abuse depends on many other factors affecting the child’s development. This thesis summarizes what is currently known about the psychological factors mediating and moderating the association between childhood sexual abuse and subsequent sexual offending. Research literature suggests several different factors related to caregiving environment, emotional regulation, social learning and sexual development of the child. The most important conclusion is, however, that there is an urgent need for further research, as most of the discussed factors are mainly based on theories and hypotheses that haven’t been tested empirically. It is important to identify the factors mediating and moderating the association between childhood sexual abuse and subsequent sexual offending as that is how they can be taken into account in working with abused children, for instance, which can be considered as an effective way to break the intergenerational cycle of sexual offending.