What proportion of abusers were victims as children, roughly?

What proportion of abusers were victims as children, roughly?

• A. 1/2
• B. 1/3
• C. 1/4
• D. 2/3

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is that there is a notable, but not majority, link between being abused as a child and later becoming an abuser. Research commonly finds that roughly one third of abusers report having been abused in childhood. This shows a real association—past victimization can increase risk—but it also makes clear that most abusers were not abuse victims themselves, and most people who were abused as children do not go on to abuse others. So, if you think of 100 abusers, about 33 would have been abused as children, while about 67 were not. The other options would imply much higher or lower proportions than what research typically shows.

The key idea here is that there is a notable, but not majority, link between being abused as a child and later becoming an abuser. Research commonly finds that roughly one third of abusers report having been abused in childhood. This shows a real association—past victimization can increase risk—but it also makes clear that most abusers were not abuse victims themselves, and most people who were abused as children do not go on to abuse others. So, if you think of 100 abusers, about 33 would have been abused as children, while about 67 were not. The other options would imply much higher or lower proportions than what research typically shows.