Who are the people who sexually abuse children?

Home: Family & Friends: About Child Abuse: Who are the offenders?

This information has been reproduced with the kind permission of the Department of Human Services Victoria. Many of the DHS booklets on this site are no longer available in printed format, but all inquiries should be directed to the Protection and Care Publishing Unit, Department of Human Services Melbourne (03) 9616 7013.

The below sections are extracted from the booklet You and Your Child.

Department of Human Services. (2002).
You and your child- for parents of children who have been sexually abused.
Melbourne, Victoria: Community Care Division.

There are a number of different theories and explanations about why people, almost always men, sexually abuse children. Research into this area is continuing and we are learning more all the time about why men are violent to children and others.

We do know that most people who sexually abuse children are men, about 98 per cent.

Of the cases that are reported to authorities, the victims of incest are about 80 per cent female and 20 per cent male. If a child has been sexually abused it is rare that the abuse has only occurred once.

One research report says that the average number of times that a female child is sexually abused is 81.3 times, with the average number of times for boys being 62.3 times (Healey, 2005). Additionally, research indicates that of those men who abuse children within their families, 66 per cent of them are also abusing children outside their own family and many also abuse adult women (Healey, 2005).

Research tells us that the people who sexually abuse children do so in a planned way and work out times to be alone with children. Without intervention to protect the child we know that sexual abuse will continue, become more frequent and more intrusive. Sexual offenders come from all walks of life. One research study found that about half of the men who sexually abused children were in a stable relationship and nearly half had completed at least one year of university.

Between 20 per cent and 50 per cent of men who are sexual offenders claim to have been sexually abused themselves as children (Healey, 2005).

Ways perpetrators use power and control to sexually assault others

• Position of power
• Relationship to the person
• Physical size and strength
• Economic position
• Gender
• Being an adult or older person
• Knowledge and experience
• Coercion
• Weak criminal sanctions

Can we teach sexual offenders not to offend?

Again, different people have different ideas on the best way to respond to men who sexually abuse children. Some researchers conclude that treatment programs are useful in helping the offender own up to what they have done and to stop them from offending again.

Most people who work in treatment programs agree that treatment needs to be a long term proposition lasting from between twelve months to several years.

More will be learnt about why men sexually abuse children as more men are treated. Child sexual abuse is a crime and some abusers are tried before the courts and some receive jail sentences. However it is unclear how helpful jail sentences are in stopping the abuser from abusing again.

Reference: Healey, J. (Ed.).(2005). Child Sexual Abuse (Issues in Society no.215). NSW: Spinney Press.

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