A particularly controversial issue in research studies is the role of fathers and stepfathers in the sexual abuse of children. These studies show that child sexual abuse is more prevalent in families with a lower social status and that sexual crimes against children are generally committed by young men who are known to the child and who are often close family members. A research study conducted in Poland included three groups of men: offenders convicted of a sex crime involving a minor, offenders sentenced for maltreating families or dependents, and men who had not committed any of the preceding offenses. The research focused on the relation between victim and offender. Findings revealed that men convicted of the sexual abuse of children were usually solitary, previously punished, and more often classified as mentally disturbed than perpetrators of other aggressive crimes in the domain of interpersonal bonds. Victims were usually girls between 13 and 15 years of age. Contact with the victim was usually one-time and made under the influence of alcohol. The author concludes from sociological research that the sexual abuse of children occurs most frequently within the family and that two-thirds of offenders are persons known to the child. The need to develop effective ways of protecting children is stressed. 9 references, 13 footnotes, and 3 tables