Behavioral Patterns of Child Sexual Abuse and Their Relationships with Personality Characteristics

This paper replicates the three types of patterns of child sexual abuse of Canter, Hughes and Kirby [1] based on frequency and co-occurrence of different patterns of abusive behaviors. In a sample of 206 Spanish men convicted of child sexual abuse, three abusive patterns are obtained: Intimacy, Aggressive and Criminal-Opportunist pattern. A mixed group Aggressive- Opportunist is also found. These groups differ significantly in some personality characteristics.