Predictive Ability of the Sexual Child Molestation Risk Assessment (SChiMRA+)

In the field of child sexual abuse prevention, there is a need for risk assessment tools that are time-sensitive and can predict an individual’s risk of acting on sexual urges, whether this is watching child sexual abuse material (CSAM), interacting socially with a child for sexual purposes, or committing sexual abuse. We evaluated the predictive ability of the Sexual Child Molestation Risk Assessment (SChiMRA+), a self-report scale that assesses current motivation to act on sexual urges toward children (Part A) and captures past-week sexual behaviors toward children (Part B). Longitudinal data from two clinical trials aiming to reduce sexual behaviors toward children were analyzed; Priotab (testosterone-lowering medication; n = 52 men with pedophilic disorder; pseudonymized) and Prevent It (internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy; n = 160 active CSAM users; anonymous). A ROC analysis identified an optimal cutoff of 4.5 on Part A for indicating a clinically significant heightened risk for sexually abusive acts (same week: specificity 63.7%, sensitivity 83.7%, AUC = .802; next week: specificity 53.1%, sensitivity 83.0%, AUC = .727). These results indicate that SChiMRA+ part A can be used to identify increased risk for future offending behavior as well as probable ongoing CSAM use among self-identified help-seekers.