An Exploration of Risk Factors for Further Police Contact Among Females Known for Online Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses

Abstract

Despite increases in online child sexual exploitation (OCSE) internationally, no study has examined risk factors for re‐offending among females who perpetrate OCSE, resulting in limited knowledge regarding the idiosyncratic needs of this cohort. This study explored factors predictive of further police contact among 116 females known to police for OCSE offenses in Victoria, Australia. Four binary regressions were run for each of Any, Violent, and Non‐Violent re‐offending, with one regression each focusing on characteristics related to offending history, index offending, co‐offending, and victimization. Predicted probabilities from each model were then input as predictors into a final binary regression for each recidivism type. Offending history emerged as the most robust predictor across re‐offending types, even when controlling for other domains. Victimization and index offending also predicted Non‐Violent re‐offending, while co‐offending was not predictive across any analysis. These preliminary findings have implications for the unique management needs of females who perpetrate OCSE.