Mothers as perpetrators and bystanders of child sexual abuse

Abstract

Background: In research and literature, little attention has been paid to the role of women, especially mothers, in child sexual abuse.

Objective: In order to estimate prevalences on mothers as perpetrators and bystanders, data was collected in a German nationwide representative survey.

Participants and setting: A total of 2,531 participants (53.3 % female, 14-94 years) were selected by a random route procedure and questioned with a paper-pencil-questionnaire.

Methods: The survey included the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire as well as questions on the perpetrator-victim relationship, bystanders and the awareness within society on the topic of female-perpetrated child sexual abuse. Prevalences were calculated.

Results: The prevalence of child sexual abuse (6.6 %) as well as the proportion of female perpetrators (6.6 %) determined in the current survey were low compared to the findings of previous studies. Within the group of female perpetrators, biological mothers accounted for a larger share than biological fathers in the group of male perpetrators. Among the bystanders, the biological mother was named most frequently (24.6 %).

Conclusion: The general population underestimates the involvement of biological mothers in child sexual abuse. The results confirm that female perpetrators account for a rather small but substantial proportion of the perpetrators of child sexual abuse. Furthermore, the results indicate that mothers play a role in sexual abuse - either as perpetrators or as bystanders - that has been underestimated so far. It is therefore necessary to sensitize professionals and the public to the topic of female perpetrators and especially to the role of mothers in child sexual abuse.

Keywords: Bystander; Child sexual abuse; Female-perpetrated child sexual abuse; Maternal child sexual abuse; Prevalences.