Victim–Offender Relationship, Modus Operandi, and Offense Outcomes in Child Molestation: Evidence From China

Child molestation varies substantially in how abuse is carried out, yet less is known about how this variation relates to the victim-offender relationship (VOR). Using 2,776 first-trial criminal sentencing documents from China between 2014 and 2020, this study examines associations among VOR, modus operandi (MO), offense outcomes, and offense configurations. Analyses combined regression, mediation, and cluster analysis. Three findings emerged. First, closer relationships were associated with less violence and fewer MO types. Second, closer relationships were associated with longer duration and higher frequency of abuse, and these associations were partially mediated through selected MO pathways. Violence was associated with physical harm and shorter duration, deception with shorter and less frequent abuse, and inducement with longer duration and greater frequency. Third, four offense configurations were identified: Low M.O., Violence, Deception, and Chronicity. The clearest VOR contrast involved the concentration of Chronicity in family and other known-relationship cases and its near absence among stranger cases. The findings support a relational framework in which VOR is associated with offense strategy, outcomes, and configuration membership, underscoring the importance of relationship-sensitive prevention and intervention.