[From victim to offender: characteristics of sexually abused violent and sex offenders].

Introduction: Prospective studies on victims of sexual abuse and retrospective studies on offender populations have indicated a connection between experiences of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and delinquency in adulthood.

Method: Using a representative sample of violent and sex offenders from the Canton of Zurich (Switzerland; N=354), the aim of this study was to identify the characteristics of offenders who have experienced CSA. Two multivariable models for CSA were generated.

Results: CSA was documented for 13% of the sex offenders and 5.8% of the violent offenders. Child molesters displayed the highest prevalence rate with 18.9%. Multivariable analyses identified Swiss nationality, having stayed in a foster home and violence in the nuclear family as the strongest risk factors for CSA. In a second model, only offender characteristics from adulthood were taken into account as predictors: child molesters, offenders who prostituted themselves and repeat violent and sex offenders had a significantly higher risk of belonging to the group of offenders who had experienced CSA.

Discussion: The results suggest that the experience of CSA leads to an elevated and chronic risk for committing child abuse.