Prior research has indicated that a history of childhood sexual abuse is a risk factor for becoming an adult sexual offender. The authors compared a sample of 137 sexual offenders who claimed to have a history of childhood sexual abuse with a sample of 141 sexual offenders with no such history. Results of covariance analysis revealed that a greater percentage of the sexual offenders with a history of childhood sexual abuse were exposed to dysfunctional family dynamics, had behavioral problems before the age of 18, and had a history of previous sex crimes. Results also indicated that these sexually abused offenders were more sexually precocious but considered themselves less sexually competent when compared to sexual offenders with no history of sexual abuse. However, despite these differences between the two groups, the authors discovered that behavioral problems and sexual development were more significantly influenced by exposure to dysfunctional family dynamics than by childhood sexual victimization. Finally, despite divergent backgrounds regarding childhood sexual abuse, the two groups of sexual offenders exhibited many similarities that appeared to play a greater role in their development than did a history of childhood sexual abuse. Future research should concentrate on uncovering these similarities in order to further understand the motivations of sexual offenders. Notes, references