A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Criminological Characteristics and Personality Traits in Sexual Offenders Against Children: Study in Spain and the United Kingdom

The aims of this study were to examine the existence of possible differences in criminological characteristics and normal personality traits for child molesters from two different cultures (Spain and the United Kingdom). We used the NEO-Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) to assess personality, whereas criminological characteristics comprised prior convictions, the relation of the offender top the victim, the age range of victims and the victim's gender. Comparisons revealed differences in personality but not for any criminological characteristics. These findings suggest that Openness, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness differ between child molesters from different countries, whereas the nature of the offences is compatible. Finally, this study is one of the first to compare male child molesters between different countries.