engleski

Gender differences in child sexual abuse

The present study investigates gender differences in child sexual abuse in a sample of criminal offenses reported to police in two Croatian police administrations. This study has two objectives. First, it seeks to investigate characteristics of child sexual abuse in three groups of variables: (1) criminal offense, (2) victim, and (3) offender. Secondly, it aims to examine gender differences in all three groups of variables. This study draws on police case files of sexual victimization of children reported to the Karlovac County and Sisak-Moslavina County Police Administrations in the period from 1998 to 2012 (N=154). The results show that male victims made up 22. 1% of all victims, and their age range from 3 to 17 years. The most prevalent criminal offence was sexual intercourse with a child ; the victim knew the offender and the majority of the criminal offences were reported to the police within one year. The criminal offence is committed with the use of force in more than half of cases and victims did not suffer from injuries. The majority of victims attend elementary school and in only 5.8% of all cases there was no prior relationship between the victim and the perpetrator. More than half of the victims resisted the offender. Male offenders made up 94.8% of all offenders and their age ranged from 11 to 72. The majority of the offenders have finished secondary school, are unemployed, unmarried, and are first time offenders. Gender differences were found in several variables. The results indicate that gender differences in child sexual abuse should be considered more closely.

child sexual abuse, research, police data, Croatia

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