A violent early childhood may cause adolescent boys, who were sexually abused, to abuse other children, according to a study by David Skuse of the Institute of Child Health and researchers from Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital and the University of Southampton.
Many paedophiles were victims of sexual abuse. Evidence suggests that they first become active in their youth. But a preliminary study of 25 adolescent boys found that other factors, especially violence, during early development may also be important and doctors should take this into account when treating sexually abused boys.