Differences between Child Sexual Abuse and Adult Rape in the Offender-Victim Interactions

Abstract

In order to develop a single behavioral framework that would encompass both adult rape and child sexual abuse and differentiate child sexual abuse from adult rape based on crime-scene behaviors, 44 adult rape cases and 42 child sexual abuse cases were examined. As a result, a three-way common thematic structure of offender-victim interaction that encompasses both adult rape and child sexual abuse was identified in the present study, namely Hostility, Control, and Involvement. The results suggest that offenders involved in adult rapes were more likely to display violence toward the victim and try to control the victim than offenders involved in child sexual abuse. Finally, suggestions for future research were made.