The transmission hypothesis seems to be very popular, especially among journalists, and that's why widely distributed. Unfortunately, only in a very simplified form and as a proven fact:
The reason for pedophilia is sexual abuse in the childhood.
This has nothing to do with reality, and also nothing with the scientific results about this theory. At first, there is only a correllation, that means a higher probability of being incarcerated as a "child molester" if there have been sexual relations as a child. According to retrospektive studies, 5-57% of the delinquents have been sexually abused as children ( Groth 1979, Condy 1987, Langevin & Lang 1985, Langevin 1985, Gebhard 1965, Freund 1990). Thus, the majority of "abused" children is not delinquent, and the majority of delinquents was not abused. Following Garland 1990, this research may be criticized for a lot of methodological problems. What causes the correlation remains unclear.
Briggs & Hawkins 1996 have made a comparison of men incarcerated for "child abuse", mostly "sexually abused" in their childhood, and non-incarcerated comparison subjects who who have been "sexually abused" too. They summarize: "The prisoners were more accepting of their abuse in the sense of not understanding or accepting that it was aberrant behavior but rather thinking that it was a commonplace, inevitable, and consequently a normal part of childhood. Liking some aspect of the initial abuse also differentiated prisoners from the nonoffenders. [] Prisoners did not use the fact of their own abuse as an excuse for their own offenses. Abuse by a female was more common in the prisoner group. It is possible to see what constitutes sexual abuse to an outsider being construed positively by some victims, especially where the sexual acts occur in a context that includes affection and attention."
Translating this from Orwellian speach into human language, they have received affection and attention in their childhood, and given this affection and attention to children of the next generation, and have been incarcerated for this.
Nonetheless it seems unlikely that sexual childhood experiences have a direct causal influence on sexual orientation. It seems reasonable to explain it in the following way:
Thus, there is no base for the hypothesis that sexual abuse during childhood causes pedophilia.
It seems, there are also some other, hidden reasons why this theory has such a high popularity.
First, it is a very simple theory. In our TV culture such a simple thesis has great advantages.
Second, this theory may be used in the fight against pedophilia. If the reason for pedophilia is genetic, hormonal or something else we don't have any influence, the fight against pedophilia becomes meaningless. If the pedophilia itself is the reason for further pedophilia, there will be a hope to win the fight, and, on the other hand, if we don't fight pedophilia, it will increase.