Comparison of Characteristics Associated With Online, Contact, and Mixed Offenders
| Characteristic | Contact vs. Online Offenders | Mixed vs. Online Offenders | Mixed vs. Contact Offenders |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet access variables | |||
| Age | C > O | NSD | NSD |
| Income | NSD | NSD | — |
| Manual labor | C > O | NSD | — |
| Formal education | C < O | NSD | M > C |
| Racial minority | C > O | NSD | M < C |
| Internet preoccupation | C < O | — | — |
| Antisocial traits | |||
| Any prior offenses | C > O | M > O | NSD |
| Prior violent offenses | C > O | M > O | NSD |
| General empathy deficits | NSD | NSD | M > C |
| Callousness | C < O | — | NSD |
| Hostility | C > O | NSD | — |
| Problems with supervision | C > O | — | — |
| Low self-regulation | NSD | NSD | NSD |
| Impulsivity | — | NSD | NSD |
| Substance abuse | C > O | M > O | — |
| Unemployed | C > O | M > O | NSD |
| Sexual-offending variables | |||
| Prior sexual offenses | C > O | M > O | NSD |
| Static risk scale | NSD | — | — |
| Other risk scale | NSD | — | — |
| Any paraphilia | NSD | M > O | M > C |
| Cognitive distortions | C > O | NSD | M > C |
| Victim empathy deficits | NSD | — | — |
| Emotional identification with children | NSD | NSD | NSD |
| Minimization of behavior | NSD | — | — |
| Access to children | C > O | M > O | NSD |
| Has own children | C > O | NSD | NSD |
| Relationship and sex life variables | |||
| Single | NSD | NSD | NSD |
| Never married | NSD | NSD | — |
| Never lived with a partner | NSD | NSD | — |
| Homosexual or bisexual | NSD | M > O | M > C |
| Intimacy deficits | NSD | NSD | NSD |
| Problems with sex life | NSD | — | — |
| Detached relationship style | C > O | NSD | — |
| Low sexual regulation | C < O | M > O | — |
| Sexual preoccupation | C < O | — | — |
| Low-commitment sex | NSD | M > O | — |
| Psychological variables | |||
| Severe mental illness | C > O | — | — |
| Personality disorder | NSD | — | — |
| Anxiety | NSD | — | — |
| Depression | NSD | NSD | — |
| General social deficits | NSD | NSD | NSD |
| Low self-esteem | NSD | — | NSD |
| Poor coping skills | NSD | NSD | NSD |
| Low assertiveness | C < O | — | — |
| Social desirability | C > O | NSD | — |
| Impression management | NSD | NSD | M < C |
| Childhood variables | |||
| Childhood sexual abuse | C > O | M > O | NSD |
| Childhood physical abuse | C > O | M > O | — |
| Family abuse in childhood | NSD | M > O | — |
| Family disruption | C > O | NSD | NSD |
| Conduct issues in childhood | C > O | M > O | NSD |
| Juvenile delinquency | C > O | — | NSD |
| Acting out in childhood | C > O | NSD | — |
| Emotional difficulties in childhood | NSD | — | — |
Note: adapted from Babchishin et al.14 Differences were considered significant if mixed-effect models comparing groups were significant at p < .05 after removing outliers.
—, there were not sufficient studies to make a valid comparison; C, contact offenders; O, online offenders; M, mixed offenders; NSD, no significant difference.