Abstract
The purpose of this study was to provide empirical backing for the use of the Screening Scale for Pedophilic Interest (SSPI) by determining whether or not the SSPI has concurrent criterion-related validity with the Abel Assessment of Sexual Interests-2 (AASI-2). Archival data from private forensic practices yielded a sample of 202 males, aged 18 or older, who had been charged with a sexual offense against a minor child. A Pearson product-moment correlation was run to determine the relationship between total SSPI score and visual reaction time (VRT) data. Results indicated a positive correlation between scores on the two measures. Furthermore, a stepwise multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine which of the four items on the SSPI predicted the criterion VRT and of those, which was the strongest predictor. The regression yielded a single model in which having multiple child victims was the single predictor of VRT. The remaining three SSPI variables (having a male child victim, having a prepubescent child victim, and having an extra-familial child victim) were not significant predictors of the criterion. Although only the first hypothesis was fully supported, SSPI can still have a place in the clinical realm as a triage tool. A small sample size and a low number of high scores on the SSPI may have contributed to the lack of support for the second and third hypotheses. Additional research that examines whether or not there are additional static variables that may increase the efficacy of the SSPI to determine pedophilic sexual interest is warranted. There is also potential for use of the SSPI with juvenile offenders that warrants future research.