Validating the Utility of the Wilson Sex Fantasy Questionnaire With Men Who Have Sexually Offended Against Children.

Ross M Bartels,David Thornton,Robert J B Lehmann

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00206

Ross M Bartels, David Thornton + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00206

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Abstract

The Wilson Sex Fantasy Questionnaire (WSFQ) assesses the use of 40 specific sexual fantasies, which are grouped into four overarching themes (Intimate, Exploratory, Impersonal, and Sadomasochistic). It also includes two items that reflect characteristics associated with children. Since sexual fantasies are a key factor in sex offender treatment, the present study tested the validity of the WSFQ for use with men who have sexually offended against children (SOC). Differential validity was assessed by comparing 54 SOC, 22 community males with a sexual interest in children (C-SI), and 79 community males with no sexual interest in children (C-NSI) on each WSFQ subscale and child-related item. Results showed that SOCs scored lower on each subscale than both community groups. On the two child-related items, the SOCs and C-SIs scored higher than C-NSIs. For the “Sex with someone much younger than yourself” item, younger SOCs had greater scores than younger C-NSIs, while older C-NSIs had greater scores than older SOCs. Construct validity was assessed using the SOC sample by examining relationships between WSFQ variables and 1) the self-reported use of deviant sexual fantasies assessed via the Thoughts and Fantasies Questionnaire and 2) offending behavior derived from crime scene data. The WSFQ Intimacy subscale was unrelated to any deviant sexual fantasies, while the other subscales were most strongly associated with sadistic fantasies. The child-related WSFQ items were most strongly associated with sexual fantasies about prepubescent children. Very few relationships were observed between the WSFQ variables and crime scene behaviors. The implications of the results are discussed, along with the study’s limitations and suggestions for future research.

Highlights

Sexual fantasizing refers to the deliberate act of mentally envisioning a sexual scenario involving a target and/or behavior [1]
While causality cannot be inferred from these findings given their correlational nature, sexual fantasizing is arguably an important factor to consider in the assessment and treatment of individuals who have sexually offended against children (SOCs)
While this is counter to our hypothesis derived from Baumgartner et al.’s [19] findings, it is understandable that community males with no interest in children would report higher scores on this normative subscale

Summary

Introduction

Sexual fantasizing refers to the deliberate act of mentally envisioning a sexual scenario involving a target (e.g., a person) and/or behavior (e.g., dominating) [1]. The first refers to heightening an individual’s risk or propensity to sexually offend That is, for those with a sexual interest in children, sexual fantasizing may psychologically and physiologically energize an individual (i.e., increase their sense of “wanting”), preparing them for engagement in sexually appetitive behavior [8, 9]. While causality cannot be inferred from these findings given their correlational nature, sexual fantasizing is arguably an important factor to consider in the assessment and treatment of individuals who have sexually offended against children (SOCs). It is important for clinicians and researchers to have a reliable and valid tool for assessing sexual fantasy use

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