RE: sexual offender attempts to deceive or reassure mothers of victims

["Stephanie Dallam" <sjdscout@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The following study may have some useful information - it notes that
offenders often gained access to children through care-taking such as
baby-sitting   --Stephanie Dallam

Elliott, Michele, Kevin Browne, & Jennifer Kilcoyne. Child sexual abuse
prevention: What offenders tell us. Child Abuse & Neglect. 19(5), May
1995, 579-94.

The authors interviewed 91 adult males sexual offenders (aged 19-74
years) to gather information about how they target and maintain their
child victims, and to obtain suggestions for preventing child sexual
abuse (CSA).  Offenders were selected from treatment programs, prisons
and probation.  Results indicate that 93% of the men acted alone, and
none had more than one co-perpetrator.  Offenders often gained access to
children through care-taking such as baby-sitting.  35% of the men
frequented places where children were likely to go such as schools,
shopping centers, arcades, parks, playgrounds, beaches, public toilets,
etc.  33% worked on becoming welcome in the child's home, and 18% tried
to gain access to more children by having their victims recruit other
children.  Children were picked for a variety of reasons but offenders
most often chose children who had family problems, were alone, lacked
confidence, and were indiscriminate in their trust of others
--especially when the child was also perceived to be pretty,
"provocatively" dressed, young, or small.  Perpetrators targeted
children by using bribes, gifts and games; and desensitized children
through touch, talk about sex, and persuasion.  Force, anger, threats,
and bribes were used to ensure the child's continuing compliance.
Nearly half of the offenders had no bad feelings about sexually abusing
children.  The offenders provided a large number of suggestions about
how children could be protected from abuse.  Many noted how trusting
children are and how easy it is to trick them.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu 
> [mailto:owner-CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu] On 
> Behalf Of plummerc@umich.edu
> Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2004 1:51 PM
> To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
> Subject: sexual offender attempts to deceive or reassure 
> mothers of victims
> 
> 
> I am looking for any studies that document attempts by 
> incestuous or nonincestuous sexual abuse offenders to deceive 
> the mother of the victim or to reassure her that the child is 
> safe with him/her.  Suggestions?
> 
>