Myth 3: Pedophiles and ephebophiles were sexually abused as children.

Facts:

• No studies of pedophiles or ephebophiles outside of the criminal justice system have been conducted to examine this assumption.
• Even among sex offenders against minors, only a minority experienced childhood sexual contact with an adult.
• Most minors who experience sex with adults do not grow up to have sex with minors.¹¹

Researchers write:

Randall J. Garland and Michael J. Dougher, Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico:

The available evidence indicates that...sexual contact with an adult during childhood or adolescence is neither a necessary nor a sufficient cause of adult sexual interest in children or adolescents...The abused/abuser hypothesis--the belief that sexual behavior between adults and children or adolescents causes those children and adolescents, as adults, to become sexually involved with other children and adolescents--is inadequate and incorrect...the so-called "abused/abuser hypothesis" is simplistic and misleading.¹²

• For more information, see the section on this site about theories of the causes of adult attraction to minors.