Abstract
The case records of 240 children with validated sexual abuse were compared to 113 nonabused female children matched for age and education. Most were female (91%) with 65% of the children being 10 years of age or younger. The average age for all children was 8.47 years. In this study, chronological age was compared to the five stages of sexual maturity, as defined by Tanner (1978) to determine which was better in identifying the abused children. Use of arbitrary age limits makes it difficult to identify what victim features appeal to pedophilic and incestuous men. The results indicated that the majority of child victims (67%) were Tanner stage 1's, the least sexually mature. Of special import, it is the smaller, lighter, and least sexually mature children who appear to hold the most attraction for the sexual abuse perpetrator. More sexually mature children (Tanner 4's and 5's) were more often subjected to intrusive sexual acts: digital, oral, anal, and vaginal penetration. Older girls, also, were more likely to be threatened or bribed. Though age and Tanner scores correlated 0.75, this relationship does not resolve the diagnostic problem of pedophilia. However, for children 10 years or older, the Tanner score may be more informative than chronological age as a predictor of pedophilic attraction to children. This study calls into question the almost exclusive use of chronological age as a putative criterion for diagnosing child sexual offenders.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abel, G.G., Becker, J.V., & Cuningham-Rathner, J. (1984) Complications, consent, and cognitions in sex between children and adults.International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 7, 89–103.
American Psychiatric Association. (1980).Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, 3rd ed., Washington, D.C: American Psychiatric Association.
Browne, A., & Finkelhor, D. (1986). Impact of child sexual abuse: A review of the research.Psychological Bulletin, 99, 66–77.
Cupoli, J.M. & Sewell, P.M. (1988). One thousand fifty-nine children with a chief complaint of sex abuse.Child Abuse & Neglect, 12, 151–162.
Erickson, W.D., Walbek, N.H., & Seely, R.K. (1988). Behavior patterns of child molesters.Archives of Sexual Behavior, 17, 77–86.
Finkelhor, D. (1984).Sexually victimized children. New York: The Free Press.
Finkelhor. D. (1986).A sourcebook of child sexual abuse. San Fransisco, Ca: Sage Publications.
Freund, K., McKnight, C.K., Langevin, R., & Cibiri, S. (1972). The female child as a surrogate object.Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2, 119–133.
Fuller, K.A., Barnard, G., Robbins, L., & Spears, H. (1988). Sexual maturity as a criterion for classification of phallometric stimulus slides.Archives of Sexual Behavior, 17, 271–276.
Groth, A.N., & Burgess, A.W. (1979). Sexual trauma in the life histories of rapists and child molestors.Victimology, 4, 10–16.
Groth, A.N., Hobson, W.F., & Gary, T.S. (1982). The child molestor: clinical observations. In J. Conte & D.A. Shore (Eds.),Social work and child sexual abuse. New York: Haworth.
Job, J.C. and Pierson, M. (1981).Pediatric endocrinology, New York: Wiley Medical Publication.
Lang, R.A., Black, E.L., Frenzel, R.R., & Checkley, K.L. (1988). Aggression and erotic attraction toward children in incestuous and pedophilic men.Annals of Sex Research, 1, 417–441.
Lang, R.A., & Frenzel, R.R. (1988). Morphologic and behavioral features in child sex abuse victims. (In preparation).
Langevin, R. (1983).Sexual strands: understanding and treating sexual anomalies in men. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Langevin, R. & Lang, R.A. (1985) Psychological treatment of pedophiles.Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 3, 403–419.
Langevin, R., & Lang, R.A. (1988).Incest offenders: a practical guide to assessment and treatment. Toronto: Juniper Press.
Laws, D.R. (1984). The assessment of dangerous sexual behavior in males.Medicine and Law, 3, 127–140.
Marshall, W.L., Barbaree, H.E., & Butt, J. (1988). Sexual offenders against male children: sexual preferences.Behaviour Research & Therapy, 26, 383–391.
Mohr, J., Turner, R.E., & Jerry, M.B. (1964).Pedophilia and exhibitionism. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
Quinsey, V.L., Chaplin, T.C., & Carrigan, W.F. (1979). Sexual preferences amongst incestuous and nonincestuous child molesters.Behavior Therapy, 10, 562–656.
Quinsey, V.L., & Marshall, W.L. (1983) Procedures for reducing inappropriate sexual arousal: An evaluation review. In J.G. Greer (Eds.)The sexual aggressor: current perspectives and treatment (pp.267–289. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company.
Rouget, A.C., Lang, R.A., & Joffres, M.R. (1988). Sexually transmitted diseases in abused children and adolescents.Annals of Sex Research, 1, 95–114.
Tanner, J. M. (1978).Foetus into man: physical growth from conception to maturity. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Underwood, L.E., & Van Wyk, J.J. (1985). Normal and aberrant growth. In Wilson, J.D. & Foster, D. W. (Eds.),Textbook of endocrinology, 7th edition, pp 155–205. Philadelphia,PA: W.B. Saunders Co.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lang, R., Rouget, A.C. & van Santen, V. The role of victim age and sexual maturity in child sexual abuse. Annals of Sex Research 1, 467–484 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00854711
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00854711