Peer-reviewed article
Toward a new tool for risk-assessment: recidivism of child sexual abuse materials in men under voluntary treatment.
Pellowski JS, Bergner-Köther R, Schmidt S, Peschka L, Hock M et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This peer-reviewed study examines risk assessment tools for men who voluntarily seek treatment for using child sexual abuse material, rather than those mandated by courts. The research tested existing assessment instruments on 131 men from German treatment centres to identify variables that could predict re-use of such material. The study found that one tool (CASIC) was more predictive than others, and identified specific factors that might be useful in developing a new assessment instrument for this population.
Key points
- Existing risk assessment tools are only validated for convicted offenders, not for people seeking voluntary treatment
- CASIC was the only instrument that significantly predicted self-reported recidivism of CSAM use
- STATIC-C and CPORT without CASIC showed no significant predictive relationship
- Identified variables for future tool development include: not having children, previous undetected use, never being married, long-term interest in child pornography, and clinical diagnosis of sexual interest in children
Limitations
This study focuses on predicting recidivism among adults in treatment and does not address the welfare, protection, or well-being outcomes for children. The findings are specific to a voluntary treatment-seeking population in Germany and may not generalise to other contexts.
Abstract
Introduction Currently, risk assessment instruments are only valid for people who have already been convicted of a criminal offense. These tools are not applicable in the case of people who present themselves in a therapeutic context and with concerns about reusing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), but without court order. This raises the question of how professionals can appropriately assess the risk of recidivism for this group of people. Following an exploratory approach, this study aims to identify key variables for the future development of a risk assessment instrument specifically designed for CSAM users in nonmandated, prevention-oriented settings. Methods The study examined 131 male persons from two sites of the Do Not Offend (DNO) network (German translation: Kein Täter werden), who had used CSAM in their history. The instruments STATIC-C and CPORT/CASIC were applied exclusively based on the Information provided by the participants at the time of admission and in part retrospectively. The evaluation period was examined with regard to the self-reported CSAM recidivism. Results Only the CASIC was able to predict the criterion, while there was no significant relationship with the STATIC-C and the CPORT without the CASIC. Using the external criterion-related strategy of scale construction, the items No children (not having children of one's own) and Previous undetected use of CSAM as well as the CASIC items Never married, Interest in child pornography spanned two or more years and Possessed child pornography videos and the CPORT item Admission or diagnosis of sexual interest in children (clinical diagnosis) were identified as promising for future scale construction. Discussion The results are discussed with regard to their clinical significance and the validity of a new instrument.