Do Sexually Abused Children Become Abusers

Many people believe that children, especially boys, will abuse children sexually if they have been sexually abused themselves. This is untrue. Few children who have been sexually abused become abusers. In fact, many people who were not sexually abused sexually abuse others. Children who were abused and do not abuse have protective factors in their lives that help them to cope with being sexually abused. This article presents life stories that illustrate these points. The article is a chapter from the book Shame, Blame, and Child Sexual Abuse: From Harsh Realities to Hope which is available on Kindle.