What is the probability that a molested child will grow up to be gay or bisexual?

Question

I have a lot of bisexual friends who revealed that they were molested when they were young, and they grew up to be like what they are now. i just wanne know if there is a psychologic theory about this.

Answer 1

I can't speak for women. I do not believe it has anything to do with male homosexuality however.

Anectodally, I knew I was gay by the time I was 8 -- even though I didn't know the name for it. I'd had a boyfriend and been having sex for two years when I was forcibly raped by an adult straight male (and the father of three please note) in my mid teens. If I hadn't been precocious and had had a guilt complex, I would have had an experience I could "blame" my homosexuality on. The reality is, I am gay, I was gay -- the rape was incidental -- and because I was precocious and had a b/f and we were having sex, there was never a question of that.

Factually speaking research indicates that one out of four females is sexually abused prior to reaching AoC in some way by an adult and usually by a family member. Research is less frequently done on males, and I frankly think when you look at males you can only look at forcible rape, I think males can consent much earlier than they are permitted to legally -- I sure could and so could every one of my friends - gay or straight; but, using the statistic on women -- are one out of four women gay or bi? Doesn't appear to be correllating there.

There is a propoganda machine on the Religious Right that tries to blame homosexuality on a number of things: abuse, drugs, and broken homes being foremost. (See Wayne Besen; Anything But Straight; Harrington Park Press)

Well given that abuse of some type (physical, emotional or sexual) occurs to a very large number of teens (I know and knew few who didn't take some form of one of them), given that over 50% of children live in single parent households now, and given that drugs are very prevalent in all segments of society --- this simply gives the extremists a carte blanche to always find something to blame homosexuality on.

The reality is that homosexuality exists in nearly all animal species (see Dr. Bruce Bagemihl; Biological Exuberance; St. Martin's Press) and has always existed in human culture -- with or without a defining community -- usually just folded in as a part of the total society (among the Greeks, the Romans, many American Indian tribes, and some other primitives -- among most societies in the pre-Muslim middle east and parts of the far east).

Homosexuality simply is. The search for "reasons" that allow one to either demonize or claim to be able to cure homosexuality has gone on in every homophobic society that ever existed, and is part and parcel of a desire, for some to wipe out the group, and for others to escape it. The American Religious Right is just the latest group to join a cascade of groups over the millennia that were afraid of homosexuals because they were different (and because deep inside some of the leaders really like bois -- and hate themselves for it.).

So there are several more likely possibilities with your bisexual friends than that the molestation caused the sexuality. One is that the molestation was incidental. One is that the molestation allowed them to more honestly look at their own desires and while incidental helped them admit to themselves that they liked same sex relationships. The last (and I hesitate to mention this) is that one was molested, or said he was -- and the experience "spread." There's been quite a lot of work done on how that type of thing works -- but basically it is the same way a story spreads, except with molestation stories, it is always the self that was molested. It makes legitimate psychological work in the field hellacious.

Don't know if that helps, but I hope so.

Regards,

Reyn
[e-mail]

Answer 2

I was raped by 7 teenagers as a child and I am bisexual and for years I blamed the assault on me as a 9 year old for making me the way I am, but that is a myth. It was a lie that was easy to believe and gave me an excuse to use to shelter my hope that I could one day be completely straight. It was only when I accepted the fact that I am this way because God made me this way that I was able to forgive the guys that did this to me and put the pain of that experience behind me. I am now happier than I ever have been in my life and that happiness came from the acceptance that the rape had nothing to do with my being bisexual. I am married with three kids and I am not pursuing a relationship with a man. But since accepting myself as a bisexual my sex life with my wife is a lot more fulfilling. And although I still desire men and always will I am still happier now than I was when I was blaming my orientation on the rape.
So really the possibility that being molested made me this way is nil.

Answer 3

no I don't think so, it depends on the molestation, if it was savage or gentle, if it was gentle the the child may have liked the attention it brought with it and may want to experience that again, of course if it was brutal and the child may have hated it and seek revenge on anybody because of the "why me syndrome". Also it depends on who did it to the child, how old they were at the time, what treatment they received, when they received the treatment in relationship to the time of the molestation. Some will walk away and treat it as a part of life's experience, others may cry inside for the rest of their life. And it's not a matter of "get over it" it's much deeper than that because we as the intelligent species have made it that way. it begs the question " who puts the most pressure on our children, adults of course.

Answer 4

I am personally weary of this unfounded social mythology. Being molested, even repeatedly, while tragic, has nothing to do with being gay. These are two separate issues. In any case, there are far more instances of heterosexuals molesting children. If a child who was molested repeatedly by a heterosexual grows up to be heterosexual, do we ask if the molestation was the cause of his or her heterosexuality? I hope you hear how ridiculous that sounds. It sounds equally ridiculous in reverse. Think about it. Besides, there is so much research out there on how one "becomes" gay, most of it indicating that sexual preference begins at birth or at a very early age. Please stop spreading this dangerous social myth.

Answer 5

I've researched this a bit myself. If the data exists, I can't find it. There are quite a few research studies that seem to indicate that children who are victims of sexual abuse are several times more likely to identify themselves as homosexual or bisexual when they become adults. Unfortunately, all of the studies I've seen to this effect are either very limited in sample size, use biased sampling (selecting subjects only from prisons, treatment facilities, youth groups for troubled teens, etc.), or are outright biased, treating homosexuality itself as a mental disorder I haven't seen any research that tends to refute this claim, but that doesn't really support the claim. A lack of evidence against something is not evidence for it.

I agree with you on casual observation. The incidence of sexual abuse in childhood is higher amongst my homosexual and bisexual friends than it is amongst my heterosexual friends. Does this mean that homosexuals are more likely to have been victims, or does it mean that homosexuals are more likely to report victimization? Perhaps it has nothing to do with sexual identity formation; homosexual children could be generally more attractive to child abusers. Maybe my group of friends are just an anomolous group, and there's no higher incidence at all. I don't know, but I'd really like to see some legitimate research, one way or another.

The first link below is published by Fathers for Life, an admittedly conservative group dedicated to promoting strong fathers. Although the group itself may be biased against homosexuality, the report does not seem to skew the numbers. (I could be wrong about this. I'm not a statistician.)

The second report was published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine and shows a correlation between child sexual victimization and high risk sexual behavior amongst homosexual men. The sample size is rather small (327 men).

Answer 6

I really believe not. Being molested as a child certainly leaves a child with psycological scars and he will need intensive councilling. This is however a to complex situation to resolve in one answer.

The problem usually arises because of the ambivalent feelings the molestation causes. The child can not understand why the "nice" feeling (sex is usually enjoyable) is wrong.

The handling of the situation by parents/adults can also cause problems as they usually (and understandably) want revenge on the perpatrator, but forget that the child is the one that needs the support and help.

Please feel free to contact me in private for more information.

Answer 7

I think the only connection is that some one who was molested will question themselves more. Also if they are in counseling, they are more honest with themselves. It depends what way you look it all. Many people believe there are more LGBT now then there ever was. People are less afraid of coming out and admitting to people and themselves about it. The same with sex crimes. It used to be the victim's fault no matter what happened.

Answer 8

Not really. A person who has been molested is more likely to be an alcoholic, a drug addict, a suicide, a prison inmate, a spouse- or child-batterer, a rage-killer, or a serial killer of some kind. Having your body and safety invaded by an alien presence when it is totally out of your capacity to comprehend it really messes you up for the rest of your life!

Answer 9

I'm bi and was molested. I also have a large number of straight friends and some family members who were molested. Seems to me to be only a minor factor if it's a factor at all.

Answer 10

I have a lot of straight friends who revealed that they were molested when they were young...

I'm starting to wonder if child molestation causes heterosexuality.