Pathways to Child Sexual Offending: Applying Ward and Siegert’s Pathways Model on Offenders Convicted of Penetrative Offenses on Children

Although research supports Ward and Siegert’s Pathways Model to child sexual offending, few studies have empirically validated it. The current study aimed to explore the applicability of the Pathways Model on offenders convicted of penetrative offenses on children. All available sentencing remarks across a 10-year period in one jurisdiction of Australia were analyzed (58 offenders). A multi-methods approach was used. Regarding descriptives, most offenders were male, late thirties, single, employed, completed grade 10, had previous sexual convictions, an extrafamilial relationship with the victim, pleaded guilty, and received a custodial sentence. Most victims were female, with an average age of 11. While the deductive thematic analysis captured Ward and Siegert’s Pathways, sub-groups emerged within the emotional dysregulation pathway: impulsivity, sexualized coping, and mental health. These findings are valuable for researchers and practitioners, with implications for tailored treatment and prevention due to enhanced understanding on the motives for child sexual offending.