The Discriminatory Power of Correlates of Admission of Sexual Interest in Children (CASIC) in a Sample of Individuals Convicted of Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM) Offenses

Abstract

The Correlates of Admission of Sexual Interest in Children (CASIC) is a six-item proxy measure of sexual interest in children in individuals involved with child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) based on behavioral characteristics. Originally developed to replace the sexual interest item of the Child Pornography Offender Risk Tool (CPORT) when information is missing, some evidence suggests that the CASIC may also be useful for broader risk assessment purposes. This study examined the ability of the CASIC to identify CSEM recidivism among individuals with a history of CSEM offenses. In a sample of 126 individuals incarcerated for CSEM offenses and released from the Austrian prison system between 2002 and 2019, the CASIC total score was associated with CSEM recidivism (Harrell’s C = .75, 95% CI [.63, .87]). This association remained consistent in a subsample with fixed 5-year follow-up periods (n = 103, AUC = .77, 95% CI [.64, .89]). Our findings highlight the ability of the CASIC to reliably assess sexual interest in children as a risk factor for CSEM offending, which may support risk management and treatment planning.