Citation

Kaufman KL, Holmberg JK, Orts KA, McCrady FE, Rotzien AL, Daleiden EL, Hilliker DR. Child Maltreat. 1998; 3(4): 349-361.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1998, American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1077559598003004007

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Child sexual abuse is recognized as a national problem that has reached epidemic proportions. However, empirical investigations of offender behaviors associated with the sexual-offending process (i.e., modus operandi [MO]) are lacking in the literature yet critically needed to inform prevention and intervention initiatives. This investigation contrasted the MO of 114 adults and 114 adolescents who sexually offended against intrafamilial or extrafamilial victims. Study findings indentified adolescent offenders' more frequent use of a variety of MO strategies to gain victim compliance in sexual activity and to maintain victim silence following the onset of abuse, including approaches designed to coerce or manipulate victims. Results also indicated significant differences in offenders' MO based on their relatedness (i.e., intrafamilial or extrafamilial) to victims. Implications for prevention as well as offender and victim treatment are discussed.

Language: en