THE DIFFERENTIATION OF INTRAFAMILIAL AND EXTRAFAMILIAL HETEROSEXUAL CHILD MOLESTERS

It is unclear whether intrafamilial and extrafamilial child molesters differ in their sexual interest toward children and adults. Some autho rs have reported that both intrafamilial and extrafamilial offenders s how sexual interest in children; others have found that intrafamilial offenders evidence little interest in children The authors compared th e phallometrically measured sexual interests of 19 intrafamilial heter osexual child molesters, 20 extrafamilial heterosexual child molesters , and Ig heterosexual nonoffender men recruited from the community. St imuli consisted of 27 audiotapes describing either consensual sex with an adult partner, sexual contacts with a child using different degree s of force and violence, nonsexual aggression against a child and neut ral interactions. Nonoffenders showed a clear preference for adult sti muli; intrafamilial and extrafamilial child molesters did not discrimi nate between the adult and child categories and showed very similar ar ousal patterns.