Family Dynamics from the Point of View of Adolescent Perpetrators of Sexual Abuse: A Qualitative Analysis

Dysfunctional family dynamics are thought to be an important antecedent of sibling sexual abuse (SSA). This study qualitatively compared the family dynamics of adolescent boys aged 14 to 19 who had either committed a sexual offence against a sister (n = 7), or an unrelated girl (n = 6). Five interviews given by the parents of participants were also analysed (n = 3 parents of boys who had committed SSA; n = 2 parents of boys who had committed sexual abuse against an unrelated girl). All the participants had sisters, and the two groups were matched based on sibling type (biological versus socio-legal) and participant and survivor age. Qualitative analyses - a deductive codebook thematic approach - yielded four themes: Family-System Functioning, Non-Normative Sexual Cultures, Participants' Personal Victimization, and Opportunities to Offend. Participants who had caused SSA tended to report greater perceptions of family brokenness, early sexualization, and insufficient sexual education, compared to those who had sexually offended against an unrelated girl. Both groups reported that access to the survivor was related to their sexual offending. This research highlighted that family dysfunction and factors related to sexuality might be associated with the perpetration of SSA and thus could be targeted in efforts to prevent and treat SSA.