The present study addressed two issues using a sample of child and adolesce
nt victims and perpetrators of sexual abuse: (1) the extent of posttraumati
c stress disorder (PTSD) in the sample; and (2) the possible distinction be
tween perpetrators whose motivations were sexually impulsive, and those who
were controlling and abuse-reactive. Retrospective case material from 43 c
ases (21 victims only, and 22 perpetrators, of whom 16 were also victims) p
rovided the data. Post-traumatic symptomatology was not common. Only one ca
se of PTSD was found. Perpetrators could be distinguished by whether they h
ad suffered sexual abuse alone, sexual and physical abuse, or neither. The
proposed distinction between perpetrators received support. Sexual abuse di
rected at younger victims was associated with earlier experience of multipl
e forms of abuse. The present data does not support the view that post-trau
matic symptoms following victimization are a mediator of sexual abuse perpe
tration. It is argued that an elaboration of the Williams & New development
al model of perpetration better fits the data.