MAPPING THE PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHILD SEXUAL OFFENDER PROFILE: A SCOPE REVIEW

Abstract

The aim of this study was to map the personal characteristics of the profile of child sex offenders found in national and international scientific literature. A scoping review was carried out, following the manual of the Joanna Briggs Institute. The research included studies from 2014 to 2023, in any language, indexed in 4 databases, and identified 252 publications, of which 25 were analyzed. The results of the collected and analyzed data are divided into 3 major categories: (1) personal characteristics of the aggressor; (2) the act of abuse; (3) contexts of the aggressor. In this article we will only analyze the category related to the personal characteristics of the aggressor, leaving the others for other articles, given the extent of the findings. The results suggest that the aggressors share characteristics such as impulsivity and low self-esteem, influenced by biological, psychological and sociocultural factors. The study highlights gender-sensitive interventions and the need for more research, such as greater geographic diversity and focus on female aggressors. In the field of bioethics, interventions are proposed that involve community education, personalized intervention for aggressors and support for victims, with the aim of promoting social justice and preventing future abuse.