Childhood Trauma and Sexual Violence Perpetration in Adolescence: Mediating Effect of Temperament

Catarina Braz Ferreira, Jennifer Pitrez, Sofia Silva, Patrícia Figueiredo, Eduarda Ramião and Ricardo Barroso ()
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Catarina Braz Ferreira: School of Human and Social Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Jennifer Pitrez: School of Human and Social Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Sofia Silva: School of Human and Social Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Patrícia Figueiredo: HEI-Lab: Digital Human-Environment Interaction Labs, Lusófona University, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal
Eduarda Ramião: Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
Ricardo Barroso: School of Human and Social Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal

Social Sciences, 2024, vol. 13, issue 12, 1-10

Abstract: Child maltreatment is a worldwide issue with serious consequences throughout life. Maltreated children tend to be at greater risk of developing aggressive and antisocial behaviours (e.g., violent behaviour in adulthood). The present study aims to analyse how temperament mediates the relationship between childhood trauma and sexual violence perpetration in adolescence. The present cross-sectional study was conducted with 252 Portuguese adolescent students between ages 11 and 20 years ( n = 126 boys), of whom 126 self-identified as perpetrators of sexual violence. Overall, the results show that temperament mediated the relationship between emotional abuse and the perpetration of sexual violence. Limitations and implications for future studies were discussed. This study will be crucial for the development of intervention programs on violence and will help to explore these practices in intimate relationships. A better understanding of violence through the identification of variables of interest will allow a better understanding of this phenomenon, deepening the relational dynamics between the different genders.

Keywords: childhood trauma; sexual abuse; adolescents; perpetrators (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:13:y:2024:i:12:p:670-:d:1542086

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