The Forensic Relevance of Paedophilia in the Assessment of Child Molesters

Abstract

Diagnostic criteria for paedophilia (or paedophilic disorder) have repeatedly been reported not to meet the requirements of reliability and validity. This seriously diminishes the putative relevance of the diagnosis given by some diagnosticians and decision‐makers. Other clinicians, on the other hand, may virtually ignore paedophilia as a risk‐relevant disorder, or may simply qualify the diagnosis based solely on the fact that a person has committed sexual offences against minors. Not only have the diagnostic criteria been criticized for lacking a logical conception, but the forensic relevance of the diagnosis has also been seriously questioned. Studies investigating the discriminant and predictive validity of the diagnosis of paedophilia have produced ambiguous results. In this chapter, the most current research is reviewed, focusing on clinical, psychometric, physiological, and latency‐based methods for defining paedophilia. Findings are presented with a special emphasis on their relevance for risk assessment and risk management.