Citation

Hirschtritt ME, Tucker D, Binder RL. J. Am. Acad. Psychiatry Law 2019; 47(2): 155-164.

Affiliation

Dr. Hirschtritt is Forensic Psychiatry Fellow, Dr. Tucker is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, and Dr. Binder is Professor and Director, Psychiatry and the Law Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, Publisher American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law)

DOI

10.29158/JAAPL.003830-19

PMID

30988020

Abstract

Over the past two decades in the United States, a dramatic increase in access to the Internet has facilitated an increase in the production, viewing, and distribution of child pornography. In this context, forensic mental health professionals may be called on to estimate the risk of future violence, especially of contact sexual offenses, among individuals charged with online sexual offenses. We summarize demographic and clinical characteristics that differentiate online from contact and "mixed" offenders (those who commit both online and contact offenses), offending histories of these three groups, and the current state of knowledge regarding risk of progression from online-only to contact offending. Multiple studies suggest that online, contact, and mixed offenders demonstrate distinct profiles, and wide variations exist in the offense histories of online-offending groups. Longitudinal studies of individuals charged with online offenses are few in number and are mostly limited to detection of formal charges. Nevertheless, available studies suggest that most individuals who are charged with online offenses and who do not have histories of contact offenses are unlikely to engage in future contact offenses. Within the limitations of the current literature, we suggest guidance for the evaluation and treatment of online offenders.

© 2019 American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.

Language: en