Prevalence of Adult Sexual Interest in Children Among the General Population

• In Event: Child Sexual Abuse: Prevalence, Patterns, and Penalties

Abstract

The current study seeks to estimate the prevalence of adults’ sexual interest in children, observe associated demographic characteristics, and find any aggregate differences between those sexually interested in prepubescent versus postpubescent children. Attraction, fantasy, masturbation, proclivity to offend, and actual offending behavior against children were used as indicators of sexual interest in children. Respondents were randomly assigned to a treatment group (child age: under 11 years old or 11-15 years old). The administered questionnaire included a double-list experiment to circumvent social desirability bias associated with sensitive items, and direct-ask items. A standard difference-in-means test was used to determine the prevalence of sexual interest in children (Aronow et al., 2015).

Author

• Taylor Oathout, SUNY Albany