NCJ Number
120358
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 13 Issue: 4 Dated: (1989) Pages: 571-585
Date Published
1989
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This document describes the sexual perpetration behavior of 13 female child perpetrators between 4 and 13 years of age.
Abstract
These children were treated in a specially designed program for child perpetrators, the Support Program for Abuse-Reactive Kids (SPARK) at Children's Institute International of Los Angeles, California. All of these girls used force or coercion to gain the compliance of the other child or children. Of these child perpetrators, 100 percent had been previously sexually abused; 31 percent had been physically abused; and 85 percent were molested by family members. Seventy-seven percent of the girls chose a victim in their family. The mean age of their first known perpetration was 6 years, 9 months. The average age of their victims was 4 years, 4 months. The average number of victims of these girls was 3.5 with a range of 1 to 15. The girls victimized two times more boys than girls, and there was a history of sexual, physical, and substance abuse in the families. 5 figures, 19 references. (Author abstract modified)