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Published on: May 3, 2016
Childhood experiences of perpetrators of child sexual abuse
Sandra P Thomas1, Kenneth Phillips, Kelly Carlson
1University of Tennessee, College of Nursing, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. sthomas@utk.edu
Purpose:
This study explored the childhood experiences of perpetrators of child sexual abuse.
Design And Methods:
A blend of narrative inquiry and phenomenology was employed. Interviews were conducted with 23 community-dwelling perpetrators (21 males, 2 females). The education of participants ranged from GED to PhD.
Findings:
There were four types of narratives: There Was No Love; Love Left; Love Was Conflated With Sex; and a Pretty Good Childhood. Chronic sorrow for a painful childhood was evident in most participants.
Practice Implications:
Cognitive-behavioral treatment may not be optimal for all perpetrators because it is not designed to facilitate recovery from early trauma and loss.
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