RT Article
T1 An examination of the prevalence and characteristics of UK community males who hold a sexual interest in children using the revised interest in child molestation scale
JF Psychology, crime & law
VO 27
IS 10
SP 988
OP 1009
A1 O’Connor, Alisha
A2 Gannon, Theresa A.
LA English
YR 2021
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1776231287
AB Research suggests that a significant proportion of community males hold a sexual interest in children. However, sexual interest in children is not synonymous with offending. We explore rates of community male interest in child sexual abuse (CSA) using the Interest in Child Molestation Scale-Revised (ICMS-R). We also examine the ICMS-R’s susceptibility to socially desirable responding and assess how interest in CSA relates to sexual interest in pre-pubescent children. Results indicate that up to 40% of participants reported some interest in CSA. Findings suggest that the ICMS-R does not appear to be influenced by socially desirable responding, and that sexual interest in pre-pubescent children is a significant predictor of ICMS-R scores. In study two, we explore the characteristics associated with a sexual interest in children and behavioral proclivity to offend. Men reporting at least some sexual arousal to ICMS-R scenarios had greater endorsement of beliefs supporting CSA and experienced more fantasies and/or behaviors involving CSA than men reporting no arousal. Participants reporting arousal alongside behavioral proclivity to offend held more CSA supportive beliefs, were more likely to use sex as a coping strategy, and experienced more fantasies and/or behaviors involving CSA than those reporting arousal with no behavioral proclivity to offend.
K1 Child Sexual Abuse
K1 Characteristics
K1 Male
K1 Community
K1 Sexual interest in children
DO 10.1080/1068316X.2021.1876049