The Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Children and Adolescents Who Display Harmful Sexual Behaviour: A Review of the Existing Research

Abstract

There is no systematic review focusing on the prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among children and adolescents who display harmful sexual behaviour (HSB). This study addresses this gap to further our understanding of the aetiology of HSB among children and adolescents. The full text of 87 articles was retrieved and assessed for eligibility, following which 10 articles were deemed relevant for inclusion in the review. These 10 studies were then subjected to quality assessment, data extraction and synthesis. The present review included only studies that used data pertaining to both males and females, and some studies provided a comparison between males and females. There were higher rates of sexual victimisation among females who display HSB. Additionally, child sexual abuse perpetrated by female caregivers is likely to be higher than most of the existing body of research suggests. The findings of the present review corroborate many of the hypotheses discussed in the introduction, emphasising that children and adolescents who display HSB are more likely to have come from backgrounds of trauma, signaling the importance of multi-agency responses, early intervention and the importance of protective factors.