| It is popularly believed that children with sexual behavior problems grow up to become sex offenders. While this is sometimes the case, there is growing evidence that children with sexual behavior problems who receive adequate treatment are no more likely to commit both sexual and nonsexual crimes than are other youths in clinical populations. The evidence for this finding has largely been based on retrospective, cross-sectional, and treatment-outcome studies of clinical populations. According to self-control theory, self-control interacts with opportunity and results in crime. A major assumption of self-control theory is that self-control, or the ability to self-regulate, appears to establish itself between the ages of 8 and 10. Thereafter, it seems to be relatively stable throughout life. While there is some empirical support for the assumption of stability of self-control, few studies have been longitudinal and most studies have been cross-sectional, retrospective, or over a very short term. Part B of this dissertation examines the relationship between child sexual behavior problems and later development of delinquent or aggressive behavior in a nonclinical sample.;KEYWORDS: Sexual behavior, sexual behavior problems, delinquency, aggression, children, adolescents, sex, gender, gender identity, impulsivity, self-control theory. |
