This Australian Institute of Criminology study investigated whether a disproportionate number of child sexual abuse (CSA) victims subsequently perpetrate offences and experience future victimisation compared with people who have not been sexually abused.

The sample comprised 2,759 cases of CSA over a 31 year period (1964-1995), making this the largest known population of CSA victims studied in Australia.

The study found that "CSA victims were almost five times more likely than the general population to be charged with any offence than their non-abused counterparts, with strongest associations found for sexual and violent offences. CSA victims were also more likely to have been victims of crime, particularly crimes of a sexual or violent nature."

Subsequent offending:

The majority (99%) of male and female victims of CSA were not charged for a sexual offence but CSA victims were 7.6 times more likely to be charged with sexual offences than the general population. Almost one in 10 boys who were sexually abused at the age of 12 or older were subsequently were convicted of a sexual offence.

The authors state that one clear implication of the findings is "the need for therapeutic interventions targeted at adolescent male CSA victims with a focus on positive sexuality in attempt to reduce their heightened risk of committing a sexual offence."

Subsequent victimisation:

"Male CSA cases were significantly more likely than male comparisons to have been victimised for sexual and violent offences. Female CSA cases were significantly more likely than comparison females to report victimisation for a sexual offence, threat of violence, violence and property damage. The association for sexual victimisation was stronger for male CSA cases relative to their male peers compared with females; however, female CSA cases were significantlymore likely than CSA males to be sexually re-victimised."

Trends and issues in crime and criminal justice, no. 440, June 2012.