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Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been found to be associated with delinquent behaviour, including sexual offending. However, not everyone who commits sexual offences has experienced childhood adversity, and many people who have had adverse childhood experiences do not commit sexual offences. The primary goal of this study is to gain a better understanding of the relationship between ACEs (or lack thereof) and sexual offending against children, as well as possible protective factors that may help explain why some people with ACEs does not engage in criminal activities as an adult. The study involves being interviewed by a research coordinator for approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
Age range
18 to 60 years
Gender
Male
Individuals are eligible if they
- Speak and understand English;
- Have at least a Grade 10 education;
- Fall into one of the following groups:
- Never committed any type of criminal offence and reports having ACEs
- Charged with hands-on sex offence against a child and reports having ACEs
- Charged with child pornography offence and reports having ACEs
- Charged with hands-on sex offence against a child and reports not having ACEs
- Charged with child pornography offence and reports not having ACEs
ACEs are defined as recurring childhood experiences that a person perceives as being considerably harmful to them and which they found distressing (either now or at the time).
Individuals are not eligible if they
- Are taking special education classes for intellectual disabilities;
- Have a physical or mental condition hindering participation in a qualitative interview
Location
The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research, affiliated with the University of Ottawa
1145 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON
Recruitment via
- Self-Referral (by participant)
- Internal Referral (by ROMHC staff)
Principal Investigator
Dave Holmes, PhD
Contact
Thanh Ly
+1 (613) 722-6521 ext. 6182
thanh.ly@theroyal.ca
*This study is currently recruiting participants