Understanding Variations Among Individuals With Child Sexual Exploitation Material Offences: A Cumulative Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Understanding the characteristics of individuals involved in child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) offences is crucial for policy, treatment, and case prioritization. This study examined the extent to which 238 men adjudicated for CSEM-exclusive offences (sexual history is limited to CSEM offences; Mage = 41.9, SD = 13.2) differ from 94 men with mixed offences (both CSEM and contact sexual offences; Mage = 43.4, SD = 13.9; median assessment year = 2009). We conducted a cumulative meta-analysis by integrating our findings with the latest meta-analysis on CSEM characteristics (i.e., Babchishin et al., 2015). Of the 10 characteristics examined, four showed significant deviation from the meta-analytical averages. Mixed offending individuals showed higher levels of prior offences (dweighted = .44, 95% CI [.34, .53], QΔ = 18.35, p < .001), emotional identification with children (dweighted = .28, 95% CI [.15, .40], QΔ = 18.35, p < .001), and empathy deficits (dweighted = .26, 95% CI [.13, .38], QΔ = 29.05, p < .001) compared to CSEM-exclusive individuals, with differences increasing when incorporating our new sample. Conversely, the difference in prior violent offences decreased (dweighted = .78, 95% CI [.64, .92], QΔ = 9.06, p = .028), with mixed individuals showing a greater reduction than the CSEM-exclusive group. No differences were noted for age, education, victim access, prior sexual offences, impulsivity, and substance use. This study highlights the distinct risk profiles of mixed versus CSEM-exclusive groups, underscoring the need for differentiated management approaches.