BBM
I honestly don't believe that is true. Many pedophiles weren't abused as a child. Some even grew up in close knit middle income families. Joseph Duncan was one of the most prolific sadist pedophile and murderer yet the FBI found no evidence he had ever been abused as a child.
A small minority of pedophiles will have sexual abuse in their past history just like any other criminal that may have it in their background or those found in the general population. But sexual abuse does not make someone into a pedophile.
Imo, their wiring is wrong and they are attracted to children. This may be because they feel they have no control over their adult life and can control a small defenseless child. They often have poor relationships with adults..such as the dating scene. Also it is known that a some pedophiles didn't have a strong father figure while growing up and were raised by a single mother. A mother they may have a love/hate relationship with. This does not always apply because they can grow up with two parents in the home.
Here is one article about pedophiles.
Characteristics of Offenders Who Violate and Assault Children
According to the Survey of Inmates of State Correctional Facilities by the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, the following statistics have been recorded concerning the characteristics of offenders who violate and assault children.
* Those inmates who were convicted of committing violent acts against children were more like to have been white, a percentage of nearly 70%, than any other race.
* White inmates were nearly three times more likely to have victimized a child than black inmates.
* About one in every seven Hispanic convicts had been convicted for a crime against a child.
* Nearly two-thirds of convicted child molesters and/or offenders were or had been married.
* Child molesters and offenders were more likely to have grown up in a two parent home and were more likely to have been molested as a child.
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Approximately 22% of child offenders reported having been sexually abused as a child.
http://childprotection.lifetips.com/cat/63573/sex-offender-statistics/index.html