Child Sexual Abuse and Compulsive Sexual Behavior: An Updated Systematic Review of Key Findings and Moderators

This systematic literature review updates and expands on Slavin et al.'s 2020 review, examining associations between child sexual abuse (CSA) and compulsive sexual behavior (CSB). It highlights potential neurobiological, psychological, and social moderators, discusses methodological advancements, and identifies gaps to guide research and clinical practice efforts.

Fifteen of seventeen publications reviewed reported a significant association between CSA and CSB. Moderators included neurobiological factors such as behavioral inhibition system sensitivity, psychological variables like post-traumatic stress disorder and depressive symptoms, and social influences, including gender differences, minority stress, and abuse characteristics. However, CSA-CSB research remains Western-centric, cross-sectional, and inconsistent in measurement.

CSA has been found to correlate with CSB, with a variety of factors influencing risk of development. Future research should enhance cultural representation, employ longitudinal designs, and standardize assessments to refine the field's understanding of CSA-CSB mechanisms and inform interventions for populations experiencing vulnerability.