For Whom Is Sexual Abuse Related to Compulsive Sexual Behaviors? Timing of Abuse and Sociodemographic Characteristics as Potential Moderators Across 42 Countries

Sexual abuse, which includes child (CSA), adolescent, and adult unwanted sexual experiences (AASA), is related to compulsive sexual behaviors (CSB). However, we know little about who reports a stronger association between sexual abuse and CSB. We examined whether the association between sexual abuse and CSB varied across age-related sexual abuse categories, participants’ age, genders, sexual orientations, relationship status, and countries of residence across 42 countries. We used data from the International Sex Survey among 82,233 adults (M_age = 32.39; cisgender women: 55.8%) who completed online self-report measures. Results showed that even if all age-related categories of sexual abuse (i.e., CSA, AASA, and CSA + AASA) were significantly related to higher CSB with small effect sizes, CSA + AASA was more strongly related, followed by CSA, and then AASA. All forms of sexual abuse were more strongly related to CSB in younger participants, in cisgender men, and in single participants. Although CSA was related to higher CSB similarly across all sexual orientations, AASA and CSA + AASA were more strongly related to CSB among gay or lesbian, asexual, and queer or pansexual participants than among those reporting being heterosexual, homo- or heteroflexible, and another sexual orientation. Finally, the associations between sexual abuse and CSB were different across countries, with a complex pattern of findings. This large-scale, cross-cultural study supports the association between sexual abuse and CSB, providing a much-needed comprehensive depiction of the demographics linked to a stronger sexual abuse-CSB association.