Examining psychologically meaningful risk factors for detected sexual offending in a community sample of individuals with and without sexual interest in children

Abstract

ABSTRACT Psychologically meaningful risk factors are central to understanding why certain individuals commit sexual violence and to the provision of effective clinical service. The present study examined whether risk factors and other clinically relevant factors distinguished those with sexual interest in children who have (n = 39) and have not sexually offended (n = 172), and a community control group (n = 65). Participants completed several established measures of risk factors (e.g. hypersexuality), answered questions about the nature of their sexual interest, and reported their history of adverse childhood experiences. The overarching finding was that individuals with sexual interest in children had elevations in various risk factors in comparison to community controls. Although there were fewer significant differences between those with sexual interest in children with and without an offending history, effect sizes across many of these analyses were moderate to large. Several clinically relevant factors distinguished all three groups. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT There is some evidence that psychologically meaningful risk factors and other clinically relevant factors (e.g. adverse childhood experiences) identified in the wider literature on sexual offending distinguish those with sexual interest in children who have offended, have not offended and a community control group. These findings underscore the importance of identifying the presence of these specific factors via a comprehensive assessment, which would be important to consider in treatment.