Prevalence Rates of Adverse Childhood Experiences in a Sample of Minor-Attracted Persons

Sexual abuse prevention efforts need to focus on understanding the potential risk factors and treatment needs of minor-attracted persons (MAPs). The aim of this exploratory study was to describe the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) of male MAPs and compare these to rates of ACEs in the general male population (n = 7,970) and in groups of individuals who have been convicted of sexual offenses (ISOs, n = 679). The participants were a nonrandom, purposive sample of MAPs (n = 293; 116 men completed all questions) who participated in an online anonymous survey. The ACEs with the highest frequencies were verbal/emotional abuse (75%) and bullying by peers and siblings (78%), with around a quarter stating that these events occurred “very often” (20% and 29%, respectively). Also, a majority of the MAPs (52%) had an ACE score of 4 or more, and fewer than 10% had an ACE score of one. Compared to the general male population, they were more likely to have experienced almost every form of ACEs and were almost 40 times more likely to have experienced emotional abuse and more than 8 times more likely to have experienced emotional neglect. In contrast, there were fewer differences with the ISOs, but MAPs reported more child maltreatments (i.e., emotional abuse and emotional neglect) compared to the ISOs who, other than sexual abuse, had higher rates of family dysfunction (i.e., domestic violence and substance use in the home). Implications for prevention and intervention are discussed, including the need for a trauma-informed approach when working with MAPs.