Screening Tests for Pedophilia

Abstract

Child molesters frequently position themselves in organizations so as to easily access children. Interviews for applicants of such positions, psychological tests, home visits to applicants' residences, criminal record checks for prior convictions, and letters of reference have all been used in an attempt to identify applicants with proclivities toward pedophilia, but none of these methodologies have been validated. The standard methods for reporting the effectiveness of screening tests are reviewed with special emphasis on the sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency of such testing, within the context of the prevalence of various diseases being screened for. Volumetric and circumferential phallometry have relatively high efficiencies, but their intrusiveness, cost, and the length of the assessment process preclude their use as a screening methodology for pedophiles within organizations. The efficiency of a new, less intrusive, screening methodology, the Abel Screen, compares favorably with phallometry in identifying those at risk for involvement with prepubescent and pubescent boys. The risk of applicants accessing boys in institutional settings could be significantly reduced by using the Abel Screen in such settings.