Family of Origin Structure and Intra/Extrafamilial Childhood Sexual Victimization of Male and Female Offenders

This study examines the relationship between family-of-origin structure and intrafamilial and extrafamilial sexual abuse experienced by male and female offenders when they themselves were children. A Kantor and Lehr-based family structure index is used to create a typology of closed, open, and random families-of-origin for offenders. Abuse source is operationalized as the relative proportion of intrafamilial abuse to the combined intra- and extra-familial sexual abuse experienced by the offenders. Results indicate that even though female offenders report higher rates of extrafamilial abuse overall than male offenders, rates of intrafamilial abuse for both male and female offenders are higher and rates of extrafamilial abuse lower for closed families-of-origin than for open/random families-of-origin. Implications for treatment providers are presented.