{"title":"The Nature of Trauma Informed Care in the Treatment of Men Convicted of a Sexual Offence With Trauma History.","authors":"Sarah Senker, Anne Eason, Kieran McCartan","doi":"10.5964/sotrap.13991","DOIUrl":"10.5964/sotrap.13991","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Individuals who have committed sexual offences are more likely to have experienced trauma or childhood adversity than the general population (Kahn et al., 2021). Further, individuals who were convicted of a sexual offence perceive a strong connection between their own victimisation and their sexual offending (Grady et al., 2022). This initial scoping work, funded by the University of the West of England in the United Kingdom, involved in-depth qualitative interviews with 20 professionals and a roundtable including academics, policy makers and front-line practitioners from His Majesty's Prison and Probation Service, NHS and third sector organisations. All participants had a history of working with individuals with a sexual conviction and a history of trauma or had been involved in academia in this area. The work identified an inconsistent use of the term 'trauma informed' across the sector and a gap in trauma informed care (TIC) for individuals with a 'dual status' as both a perpetrator of sexual abuse and victim of trauma. This was especially prominent for adult men relative to females or young people with sexual convictions. Individuals with a 'dual status' are particularly disadvantaged in having their trauma acknowledged and addressed if they are male. The extent that true TIC can be implemented across the justice system is challenged by the necessities of managing risk. Further research is required to better understand the experiences of people with lived experience and to explore the impact of TIC on reintegration and reoffending.</p>","PeriodicalId":520406,"journal":{"name":"Sexual offending (Trier, Germany)","volume":"20 ","pages":"e13991"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12914593/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146230329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Women Who Sexually Abuse Children - Results From an Anonymous Online Survey Among a Non-Forensic Female Sample With Sexual Interest in Children.","authors":"Safiye Tozdan, Peer Briken, Johanna Schröder","doi":"10.5964/sotrap.14741","DOIUrl":"10.5964/sotrap.14741","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Knowledge is still rare regarding women who commit child sexual abuse (CSA), especially those who have a sexual interest in children. The present study aimed at assessing characteristics of CSA committed by women. We investigated self-report data from 23 German women from the general population who reported a sexual interest in children and previous acts of CSA. Results showed that participants were mostly well-educated with almost no reported childhood maltreatment. At first offence, participants were 25.22 years and children (65.2% female) were 5.30 years on average. 95.5% of participants were known or related to the child and all of them conducted at least one contact sexual offense. 87% stated they conducted the sexual acts for \"sexual satisfaction\"; 34.8% out of \"love\"; 30.4% for \"physical closeness\"; and 34.8% for \"emotional closeness\". The results indicate that participants conduct the offence voluntarily and were not coerced by anyone else to engage in CSA. Our results might indicate that women who commit CSA and have a sexual interest in children may constitute a specific subtype that differs in several ways from forensic samples of women committing CSA examined in the past.</p>","PeriodicalId":520406,"journal":{"name":"Sexual offending (Trier, Germany)","volume":"20 ","pages":"e14741"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12914601/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146230368","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniel Turner, Ross Bartels, Sarah Beggs Christofferson, Sonja Etzler, L Maaike Helmus, Julia Sauter, Martin Rettenberger
{"title":"Editorial: SOTRAP - A Journal on the Rise.","authors":"Daniel Turner, Ross Bartels, Sarah Beggs Christofferson, Sonja Etzler, L Maaike Helmus, Julia Sauter, Martin Rettenberger","doi":"10.5964/sotrap.18985","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5964/sotrap.18985","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":520406,"journal":{"name":"Sexual offending (Trier, Germany)","volume":"20 ","pages":"e18985"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12914596/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146230378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Assessing Pedophilic Sexual Interest: The Utility of Objective Correlates in Diagnostic Decisions.","authors":"Raquel Yeomans, Drew A Kingston","doi":"10.5964/sotrap.14917","DOIUrl":"10.5964/sotrap.14917","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pedophilic sexual interest is a risk factor for sexual recidivism and has particular relevance for a significant proportion of individuals who have sexually offended against a child. In this article, we review the predominant ways in which pedophilia is assessed, including both direct and indirect approaches. The limitations of these methods are highlighted and the utility of incorporating more objective indicators into a comprehensive evaluation is examined. Particular emphasis is placed on the inclusion of behavioral correlates into a comprehensive and multimodal assessment approach. Implications for the assessment of individuals convicted of sexual offending and who present with pedophilic sexual interest are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":520406,"journal":{"name":"Sexual offending (Trier, Germany)","volume":"20 ","pages":"e14917"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12914597/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146230219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Vulnerability Typology: Developing a Biopsychosocial-Sexual Understanding of Men With Sexual Interests in Children.","authors":"Hannah Stewart, Mary Ann Campbell","doi":"10.5964/sotrap.13925","DOIUrl":"10.5964/sotrap.13925","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The goal of the current study was to better understand biopsychosocial factors related to men with sexual interests in children (MSICs) who have no criminal history of sexual offending to clarify heterogeneity and potential targets for preventative intervention for persons who are at risk of sexual offending. Using online recruitment methods, self-report data on biopsychosocial-sexual factors was collected from community men reporting paraphilic and atypical sexual interests, including men with sexual interests in children (<i>n</i> = 609; <i>M</i> <sub>age</sub> = 29.7 years) and a comparison group with other paraphilias (<i>n</i> = 224; <i>M</i> <sub>age</sub> = 35.3 years). Data were used to develop a biopsychosocial-sexual typology of community men with pedohebephilic interests with no reported offence history. Latent cluster analysis identified three groups differentiated by relative endorsement of biopsychosocial vulnerability characteristics. Comparisons between profiles indicated a generally unimpaired profile (i.e., Low Vulnerability) relative to a group with intermediate vulnerabilities (i.e., Moderate Vulnerability) and a group with significant impairment across most assessed constructs (i.e., High Vulnerability). Results inform areas of need for secondary prevention among community MSICs with no historical justice system contact related to their sexual interests in children. Consistent with Risk-Need-Responsivity Model, this research suggests that intensity and dosage of preventative intervention for MSICs should match level of vulnerability.</p>","PeriodicalId":520406,"journal":{"name":"Sexual offending (Trier, Germany)","volume":"20 ","pages":"e13925"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12914602/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146230393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Valerie Arenzon, Ashley Curtis, Hannah de Almeida, Crystal Evanoff
{"title":"Overlap in Erotic Age Preferences: Support for the Chronophilia Theory in a Community Self-Report Sample of Males.","authors":"Valerie Arenzon, Ashley Curtis, Hannah de Almeida, Crystal Evanoff","doi":"10.5964/sotrap.13135","DOIUrl":"10.5964/sotrap.13135","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Seto (2017) proposes sexual orientation not only varies as a function of gender, but also as a function of age. Few studies have examined the conceptualization of sexual age orientation. The current study evaluates the polymorphism of sexual interest in children (i.e., simultaneous attraction to multiple age categories), the exclusivity of sexual interest (i.e., attraction to children only or children <i>and</i> adults), and gender preference (i.e., preference for males or females) in the general population. Data were obtained through adult males (<i>N</i> = 170) using online self-reports (overlapping sample from Mundy & Cioe, 2019). Findings revealed that most individuals reporting sexual attraction to multiple age categories had a higher degree of preference for one age group over others. When looking at sexual interest in children among teleiophilic individuals, the concordance indices were higher between adjacent age groups compared to distant age groups. Specifically, among individuals who reported teleiophilic sexual interest, 36% were also reporting hebephilic sexual interest (adjacent category), while 17.7% reported pedophilic sexual interest (non-adjacent category). Finally, there was a significant positive correlation between pedophilic interest and hebephilic interest (τ<sub>b</sub> = .602, <i>p</i> < .001). Together, results provide support for the chronophilia theory. Concordance indices in future studies may inform differences between exclusive and nonexclusive interest in children and aid the development of informed risk assessment tools and destigmatized prevention programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":520406,"journal":{"name":"Sexual offending (Trier, Germany)","volume":"20 ","pages":"e13135"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12914595/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146230357","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michael C Seto, Kailey Roche, Jenny Coleman, Donald Findlater, Elizabeth J Letourneau
{"title":"Self-Help Seeking for People Concerned About Their Thoughts and Behaviors Regarding Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic.","authors":"Michael C Seto, Kailey Roche, Jenny Coleman, Donald Findlater, Elizabeth J Letourneau","doi":"10.5964/sotrap.14301","DOIUrl":"10.5964/sotrap.14301","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Concerns about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on child sexual exploitation and abuse have been expressed by police and child protection organizations. However, there are limited data about how the pandemic may have caused changes in the help-seeking behavior of people who have concerns about their thoughts and behaviors regarding children. In this study, we examine helpline and webpage metrics from two organizations - Stop It Now! USA and Lucy Faithfull Foundation's Stop It Now! UK and Ireland - providing resources about child sexual exploitation and abuse prevention, including self-help pages for people concerned about their sexual thoughts or behaviors involving children. Pages for self-help seekers were compared to pages for parents/caregivers and general audiences. Based on descriptive data, there was mixed evidence of an increased demand for self-help, with an increase in helpline inquiries and an increase in views for some but not all self-help pages. Webpage trends for self-help pages were not matched by similar trends for parent/caregiver or general information pages, suggesting the increase in demand was specific to self-help seeking. However, ANOVAs of both US and UK and Ireland webpage data did not result in a significant interaction effect between category (self-help, parent, or general) and time. While there were significant increases in self-help related helpline calls in the USA across time, all three types of helpline calls increased in the UK and Ireland. The implications of these data for self-help resources and perpetration prevention are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":520406,"journal":{"name":"Sexual offending (Trier, Germany)","volume":"20 ","pages":"e14301"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12914599/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146230373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Saad Iqbal, Alexandra M Zidenberg, Michelle Schwier
{"title":"Behavioral and Psychological Predictors of Multiple-Perpetrator Rape Proclivity: A Community Sample Study of Men.","authors":"Saad Iqbal, Alexandra M Zidenberg, Michelle Schwier","doi":"10.5964/sotrap.13697","DOIUrl":"10.5964/sotrap.13697","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Most of the sexual violence research focuses on incidents involving a single offender, yet one-fourth to one-third of rapes involved multiple offenders (Horvath & Kelly, 2009). The present study aimed to build upon the multiple-perpetrator rape (MPR) literature by investigating potential correlates associated with a proclivity for MPR and reconfirming prior findings. Community men completed a series of questionnaires that included the Multiple-Perpetrator Rape Interest Scale, the UCLA Loneliness Scale: Short-Form, the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire: Short Form, the Sexual Fantasy Questionnaire, the Anger Rumination Scale, the Measure for Assessing Subtle Rape Myths, and the Self-Report Psychopathy-III: Short Form. The strongest relationship for M-PRIS was SFQ Sado-Masochistic (<i>r</i> = .79, <i>p</i> < .001). In a multiple linear regression, results showed a significant model, <i>F</i>(6, 108) = 28.6, <i>p</i> < .05, which explained 61.4% of the variance in a proclivity for MPR. Specifically, BPAQ Total, SFQ Total, and ARS Total were significant (<i>sr</i> <sup>2</sup> = .0543, 0.0499, 0.0488, respectively). One implication is for clinicians to target various types of aggression, deviant sexual fantasies, and anger rumination in therapy among those with an interest to commit MPR to potentially reduce the urge to commit the action. Educational and preventive initiatives aimed at addressing sexual violence behaviors may also gain insights into individuals prone to engaging in such behaviors, where these programs seek to diminish the likelihood of MPR occurrences.</p>","PeriodicalId":520406,"journal":{"name":"Sexual offending (Trier, Germany)","volume":"20 ","pages":"e13697"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12914594/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146230348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sarah Wefers, Alexandra Bailey, Nadia Rasooli, Donald Findlater, Lucy Allen
{"title":"Acceptability of a Self-Help Programme to Address the Use of Indecent Images of Children.","authors":"Sarah Wefers, Alexandra Bailey, Nadia Rasooli, Donald Findlater, Lucy Allen","doi":"10.5964/sotrap.11159","DOIUrl":"10.5964/sotrap.11159","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The use of indecent images of children (IIOC) is of continued concern and growing prevalence. A multi-agency approach to this online crime is necessary, as it cannot be eradicated by law enforcement alone. Previous research has examined the pathways to offending for this population, and prevention strategies that could be used to deter offending in the first instance, or to stop behaviour once it has begun. The current qualitative study aimed to explore acceptability of a prevention initiative; a self-help focussed service (a website and calls with a professional). Semi-structured interviews with eight individuals who had accessed IIOC and engaged in this self-help focussed service were conducted. Transcripts were analysed using qualitative framework approach, using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA) domains as deductive codes. All seven domains of the TFA were identified in the transcripts, indicating the applicability of the framework. Overall, participants reported mixed acceptability of and satisfaction with the self-help programme and calls with practitioners, but high perceived effectiveness in the service supporting them stop their illegal behaviours. The implications of the study are considered in line with improvements that could be made to this existing self-help prevention initiative.</p>","PeriodicalId":520406,"journal":{"name":"Sexual offending (Trier, Germany)","volume":"19 ","pages":"e11159"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11939127/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143723104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Madison Wesenberg, Dakota D Dickinson, Dana R Haugen, Katerina Rubachuk, Sandy Jung
{"title":"Examining Whether Risk Factors Influence Student Perceptions of Campus Sexual Violence.","authors":"Madison Wesenberg, Dakota D Dickinson, Dana R Haugen, Katerina Rubachuk, Sandy Jung","doi":"10.5964/sotrap.14513","DOIUrl":"10.5964/sotrap.14513","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The present study examined university students' perceptions of a campus sexual violence scenario, and specifically determined whether the presence of known risk factors for sexual perpetration would influence their views of an individual who caused harm. Two hundred and seventy-five student participants read a vignette that either included the present or absence of the following three risk factors: Frequent alcohol use, attitudes supportive of rape, and negative peer influence. The findings indicated that the risk factors did not have a significant relationship with students' risk perceptions, indicating that students' perceptions of risk may not be influenced by the presence of known risk factors. The results suggest that students may use intuition or other non-scientific approaches when assessing instances of interpersonal violence, at least in campus settings. Implications for students, post-secondary institutional safety, and prevention of campus sexual violence are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":520406,"journal":{"name":"Sexual offending (Trier, Germany)","volume":"19 ","pages":"e14513"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11939128/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143723105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}