Child Sexual Abuse Victimization Amongst Detained Adolescents and Incarcerated Young Adults: Findings from an Australian Population-Based Birth Cohort Study.

To guide prevention and intervention efforts, the prevalence and impact of child sexual abuse (CSA) victimization among detained and incarcerated populations requires further examination, particularly with consideration of multi-type maltreatment experiences and sex-based variations. This longitudinal population-based study explores these relationships in an Australian birth cohort comprising all individuals born in Queensland in 1983 and 1984 (n = 82,409; 48.68% female). Data include all notified and substantiated harm(s) from child protection services (0 to 17 years), and sentences to youth detention and/or adult incarceration between ages 10 and 30. Findings indicate greater prevalence of CSA amongst detained/incarcerated individuals compared to the general population but emphasize the impact of cooccurring maltreatment (particularly neglect) on the likelihood of custodial outcomes. Important sex-based differences were noted in the intersection of CSA victimization and detention/incarceration. Findings reinforce the need for trauma-informed practices when working with custodial populations, particularly females, and highlight opportunities for prevention of detention/incarceration in at-risk populations, in line with a broader public health approach to child protection.

UK and Australian University Students' Perceptions of the Nature of Sexual Assault and Intervening Behavior.

Sexual assault is a global problem, with the risk highest among university students. Bystander intervention preventing sexual assaults has primarily been researched using quantitative methods to understand what factors influence it. However, both sexual assault and bystander intervention are complex with many subtle and overlapping issues that, when analyzed qualitatively, can offer new insights. The current study aimed to explore and develop a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of students' perceptions of sexual assault and bystander intervention across two universities, one in the United Kingdom and one in Australia. Thirty-nine university students (19 in the United Kingdom; 20 in Australia) took part in one-to-one semistructured interviews. Using inductive thematic analysis, two overarching themes were identified: (a) navigating the complex dynamics of sexual assault; and (b) decisions to intervene or not to intervene. Findings suggest that the complexity and ambiguity around sexual assault can forestall bystander intervention. As such, increasing education, awareness, and discussions around sexual assault and bystander intervention is vital to increase awareness of the problem and mobilize action from bystanders to prevent sexual assault.

Assessing the Effectiveness of a Specialized, Field-Based Treatment Program for Youth Who Have Committed Sexual Offenses in an Australian Jurisdiction.

This study provides an evaluation of recidivism outcomes for a specialized, field-based treatment program for youth who perpetrate sexual offenses in an Australian jurisdiction. Using survival analyses, recidivism outcomes for the treatment group (n = 200), who were followed for an average of 5.07 years (SD = 3.13), were contrasted with a sample of sexually offending youth who were either referred but not accepted or not referred to the program (n = 295). Rates of sexual recidivism were low and not significantly different between the groups (9.5% for treated and 10.8% for untreated). Unadjusted Cox regression results indicated that the treated group were less likely to violently recidivate compared to the untreated group (HR = 1.41, 95% CI [1.01, 1.96]), but this effect became nonsignificant when controlling for offense history covariates (HR = 1.22, 95% CI [0.87, 1.72]). Both groups exhibited high rates of nonsexual offending during the follow-up period, and treatment factors including clinician-rated success, were found to be associated with a lower frequency of reoffending after treatment. Findings highlight important considerations for both practice and research. First, findings suggest the need for specialized programs to ensure factors associated with general recidivism are also addressed in treatment; second, findings reinforce potential utility for clinician-rated and structured assessments to inform treatment planning and outcomes. Finally, the findings raise the importance of appropriate comparison groups when designing evaluation studies, to accurately inform policy and practice.

Implications of sexual fantasy characteristics and memory intensity for harmful sexual behaviour.

BACKGROUND: Sexual fantasies and memories are aetiological considerations in the perpetration of sexual violence, but fantasy-memory-behaviour relationships may be influenced by various factors, including sexual fantasy and memory phenomenology, that are the properties of mental imagery. AIMS: To investigate differences in sexual fantasy phenomenology and sexual memory intensity in men who report a history of harmful sexual behaviour compared to those who do not. We also investigated whether the likelihood of reporting harmful sexual intent was related to sexual memory intensity, independently of age and harmful sexual behaviour history. METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey design was used, focusing on men aged ≥18 years who were recruited from the general population via social media. The survey prompted participants to envisage a favoured sexual fantasy, then obtained data on fantasy phenomenology, including vividness and sensations, and arousal level. In addition, information was requested about sexual memory intensity and harmful sexual behaviour history and intent. RESULTS: A total of 322 men completed the survey. Multiple Welch's t-tests showed that men self-reporting one or more harmful sexual behaviours, such as rape or child sexual abuse, gave significantly higher ratings of sexual fantasy phenomenology but not fantasy frequency or masturbation. They were also more likely to report higher sexual memory intensity. Although the significance of fantasy phenomenology varied between subgroups, binary logistic regression indicated that age, history of harmful sexual behaviour and sexual memory intensity were each independently associated with harmful sexual intent. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide new insights into the importance of fantasy phenomenology, demonstrating nuanced differences between those with and without a history of harmful sexual behaviour and illustrating that memory intensity is associated with harmful sexual behaviour intent. Further research into these differences in the context of assessment and intervention for sexual violence perpetration is warranted.

The Potential for Anti-Stigma Interventions to Change Public Attitudes Toward Minor-Attracted Persons: A Replication and Extension of Jara and Jeglic's Study.

From a public health perspective, ensuring access to, and uptake of, support services for people concerned about their sexual thoughts and behavior is essential to the prevention of child sexual abuse. However, public and fiscal support for these services can be adversely affected by negative preconceptions regarding minor-attracted persons (MAPs); negative stigma may also limit MAPs' engagement with such services. Using a randomized-control design, the present study replicated and extended a recent US study to test effects of different modes of educational messaging to reduce negative attitudes toward MAPs in Australia. Participants were recruited nationally via a Qualtrics XM online survey platform. The final sample (n = 178) were aged 18-84 (M = 47.57 years, SD = 17.34; 49% male). Participants completed the Attitudes Toward Minor Attracted Persons (ATMAP) scale prior to being randomly assigned to one of four conditions (written text [facts only]; written text [myth and facts]; info-video [myths and facts]; and control). Following intervention (or control) the ATMAP was readministered; those in experimental groups also completed a comprehension test. Mixed between-within subjects analysis of covariance revealed significant reductions in pre-post scores on the ATMAP scale, but no significant differences were found across intervention types, or the control. Scores indicated that older participants were less negative in their attitudes compared to younger participants, both before and after intervention. Findings suggest that educating the public may improve attitudes toward MAPs, but more knowledge is required on how to best disseminate messages to maximize impact.

Sexual Fantasies and Harmful Sexual Interests: Exploring Differences in Sexual Memory Intensity and Sexual Fantasy Characteristics.

The perpetration of harmful sexual behavior is a global concern, with deviant sexual fantasies identified as a prominent etiological risk factor. However, the concepts of state sexual fantasy characteristics (e.g., vividness and emotionality) and associated trait sexual memory intensity have received minimal investigation concerning harmful sexual interests, formulating the impetus for this research. Two online surveys were conducted in community populations. Study 1 (N = 414) aimed to validate the psychometric properties of a trait sexual memory intensity scale (SMIS) through principal components analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and evaluation of concurrent validity. Study 2 (N = 820) endeavored to explore associations between state sexual fantasy characteristics and cognitive-behavior variables (e.g., frequency of masturbation to a reported fantasy), and evaluate differences in fantasy characteristics and SMIS scores between participants with and without harmful sexual interests. Collectively, results supported the factor structure, concurrent validity, and internal consistency of the SMIS, while revealing significant associations between the SMIS, sexual fantasy characteristics, and several variables. Significant differences in sexual fantasy characteristics and SMIS scores were evident but variable among harmful sexual interests. Findings encourage the consideration and research of interventions focused on impairing mental imagery and memory in the management of harmful sexual interests.

The effects of bilateral stimulation using eye movements on sexual fantasies with follow-up.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Sexual fantasies represent a common aspect of human sexuality that can support sexual well-being but also contribute to psychopathology. The latter warrants intervention and bilateral stimulation with eye movements (EMs) may be a suitable intervention for impairing mental imagery of sexual fantasies. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of multiple rounds of EMs on sexual fantasies, gauge the effect over time with a one-week follow-up, and assess how impaired sexual imagery may influence behaviour and behavioural intention. METHODS: Twenty-eight participants (14 male, Mage = 44.10, SDage = 9.77) selected a favoured sexual fantasy and engaged in five repeated rounds of an EM task, either face-to-face or via telehealth. Baseline phenomenological characteristics of sexual fantasies were compared against repeated measures after each round of EMs and at one-week follow-up, as well as hypothetical behavioural intention and frequency of fantasy masturbation. RESULTS: All sexual fantasy characteristics (e.g., vividness, sensations, arousal, believability) diminished progressively between each round of EMs. These characteristics increased from round five to follow-up. However, they remained significantly reduced compared to baseline. Participants' hypothetical behavioural intention and frequency of masturbation associated with their sexual fantasies also reduced post-EM task. LIMITATIONS: Use of self-report measures; participants' mental imagery could not be measured directly; and no comparison groups were included. CONCLUSIONS: As an imagery impairing task, bilateral stimulation with EMs is effective for diminishing the phenomenological properties of sexual fantasies, extending upon extant literature. Collectively, the progressive research regarding EMs and sexual fantasies encourages replication in specific populations (e.g., individuals with problematic or harmful sexual fantasies).

Why Didn't They Intervene? Examining the Role of Guardianship in Preventing Institutional Child Sexual Abuse.

In recent years, the failings of institutions to safeguard children from sexual abuse have been brought to light through investigations and commissions of inquiries such as Australia's Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The role of adults as guardians, to protect children within these institutions, has been afforded particular scrutiny, highlighting past ineffective and harmful intervention and responses to abuse, and even inaction. Despite this attention, limited research to date has explored the barriers underpinning guardianship behavior in this setting. Enhanced understanding of the potential barriers to guardianship is key for informing improved guardianship behavior in the future. Using data from Australia's Royal Commission, this study applies Reynald's (2010) model of capable guardianship to investigate dimensions of guardianship in youth-serving institutional settings. Three discrete settings were examined: outside school hours care, schools, and sporting institutions. Results support the utility of Reynald's (2010) model for advancing knowledge about guardianship behavior in youth-serving institutions, providing valuable lessons for future policy directions, to enhance safeguarding practices.

Reliability and Predictive Validity of the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol-II in an Australian Context.

This study investigated the reliability and predictive validity of the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol-II (J-SOAP-II), in an Australian context, and for Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth. Participants were 123 (n = 91 non-Indigenous; n = 32 Indigenous) youth assessed using the J-SOAP-II and followed up over an average period of 4 years. The reliability of the J-SOAP-II was assessed using measures of internal consistency (Cronbach's alphas and inter-item correlations). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were conducted to assess the J-SOAP-II's validity in predicting sexual and non-sexual (violent and non-violent) recidivism. Overall, the J-SOAP-II demonstrated moderate to high levels of reliability and weak to moderate levels of validity for predicting sexual and non-sexual (violent and non-violent) recidivism for the whole sample. While the J-SOAP-II total score was significantly associated with non-sexual (violent and non-violent) recidivism for non-Indigenous youth, it was not significantly associated with any of the outcome variables for Indigenous youth. Across all analyses, the dynamic scales of the J-SOAP-II predicted recidivism with greater accuracy than the static scales. However, the static scales had greater accuracy in predicting the risk of sexual recidivism for Indigenous youth. While a reliable measure, these preliminary findings raise questions about the validity of the J-SOAP-II for predicting sexual recidivism for Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth in an Australian context, and warrant further investigation.

Comparing the onset of child sexual abuse perpetration from adolescence into adulthood: Are there unique risks, and what does this mean for prevention?

BACKGROUND: There are no known studies that have directly compared factors associated with the onset of child sexual abuse (CSA) perpetration during emerging adulthood, with CSA perpetration in other life-stages. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated common and distinct factors associated with the onset of CSA perpetration (i.e., age at first child sexual offense) across the life course to inform, and tailor, current prevention efforts. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The sample comprised 354 males, from custodial and community corrections, and sentenced for sexual offenses against children. METHODS: Using self-report and official data, the sample was stratified into three age groups: adolescence (n = 214; 10-17 years), emerging adulthood (n = 39; 18-25 years) and later adulthood (n = 101; 26+ years). Bivariate analyses were conducted to compare developmental and contextual factors associated with CSA perpetration. A multinomial logistic regression was then performed to examine distinct risk factors for CSA-onset in emerging adulthood, compared to the other onset age groups. RESULTS: Bivariate analyses identified similarities and differences among the groups. The multinomial regression identified several factors distinguishing the emerging-adulthood group from the adolescence and later-adulthood onset groups. The combined results point to some notable differences in the emerging-adulthood group, including the disproportionate number of offenses perpetrated against male children, strangers, and in public. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for existing prevention and rehabilitation strategies are discussed in light of these findings, especially the need for a developmental lens to prevention and intervention efforts. Research to further delineate risks unique to onset of CSA in emerging adulthood is also warranted.

Developmental and Sexual Offense Onset Characteristics of Australian Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Male Youth Who Sexually Offend.

The present study sought to address gaps in knowledge concerning Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth who commit sexual offenses. Developmental histories and onset sexual offense characteristics of Indigenous (n = 81) and non-Indigenous (n = 130) adjudicated male youth were compared. Results indicate that, in addition to problems affecting both groups, Indigenous youth in this sample were disproportionately exposed to systemic vulnerabilities (e.g., familial antisocial attitudes and incarceration, engagement with antisocial peers, poor school engagement and voluntary school dropout, low socioeconomic status) associated with onset of sexual offending. Differences in the circumstances and context surrounding the onset sexual offense (e.g., use of drugs/alcohol, relationship to person harmed, co-offending, age of person harmed, location, threats/force) were also found. When these analyses were stratified by age of person harmed, these differences were retained only for offenses against children below 16 years. Together, these findings highlight the need for more contextualized primary-, secondary-, and tertiary-level prevention efforts to reduce youth sexual offending in Australia and elsewhere.

Similarities and differences in adolescence-onset versus adulthood-onset sexual abuse incidents.

A sample of males who had first committed sexual offences against children in either adolescence (n=230; M=14.0 years, SD=1.5) or adulthood (n=280; M=34.4 years, SD=11.7) were compared on measures relating to the circumstances of their first known sexual abuse incident. Considerable diversity in the circumstances of these first incidents was observed for both groups. However, adulthood-onset sexual abuse most often occurred following a long-standing familial relationship with a female victim, and in a home setting. The first incident for adolescence-onset offenders also tended to occur in the context of a long-term relationship and against a female child in a home setting, but more commonly against a nonfamilial victim. Adulthood-onset offenders abused older children, were more likely to engage in penetrative sexual behaviors, and went on to abuse over a longer duration than adolescence-onset offenders. Adolescence-onset offences were more likely to be witnessed by a third party. Findings and their implications for prevention are considered from a situational crime prevention perspective.

Offenders' attachment and sexual abuse onset: a test of theoretical propositions.

Confidential self-report data obtained on 107 adult male child sexual abusers were analyzed to test theoretical propositions concerning the role of attachment problems in the onset of sexual offending. Offenders' parent-child attachment relationships were most frequently characterized by affectionless control, reflecting low parental care and high overprotection and control. Offenders reported significantly less secure attachment with their fathers than with their mothers. Overall, weak continuity from childhood attachment to trait (general) adult attachment was found, with insecure attachment more stable than secure attachment. Childhood attachment problems, particularly with fathers, were more clearly reflected in state adult attachment (i.e., in the month preceding sexual offending onset) than in trait adult attachment. Offenders who were in an adult intimate relationship prior to their onset sexual offense reported significant state increases in attachment avoidance, and their onset offenses were more likely to involve a female familial victim. Offenders who were not in a relationship prior to offending onset were younger, and their onset sexual offenses occurred in much more diverse circumstances. These findings provide tentative evidence that directly and indirectly implicates offenders' attachment problems specifically in the onset of their sexual abuse behavior. Implications for developmental prevention and early intervention, situational prevention, and offender treatment are discussed.