Sensitivity and Specificity of the Phallometric Test for Hebephilia.
BACKGROUND
The phallometric test has been examined most widely in the literature with regard to its ability to detect pedophilia; however, it has become of increasing interest to clinicians and researchers to ascertain to what extent the test accurately detects hebephilia: Whereas pedophilia refers to an adult's sexual interest in prepubescent children (age 10 or younger, on average), hebephilia refers to an adult's sexual interest in pubescent children (ages 11-14, on average).


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to estimate the accuracy of volumetric phallometry in distinguishing pedophilic men and hebephilic men from men who are teleiophilic (primarily sexually interested in adults, age 17 or older).


METHODS
A retrospective chart review was conducted on the cumulate database of a large phallometric laboratory and clinic to identify a group of 239 men who committed sexual offenses against extrafamilial adults age 17 or older and a group of 996 men who committed sexual offenses against extrafamilial children age 14 or younger, all of whom professed a greater sexual interest in adults over children.


METHODS
The sensitivity and specificity of the phallometric test is calculated for its accuracy in distinguishing sexual preferences for children spanning various age ranges.


RESULTS
Receiver operator characteristic curves were highly significant for each classification decision: Using its previously established cut-point of +0.25 standard deviation (SD) units, the phallometric test detected hebephilia with a sensitivity and specificity of 70.0% and 90.7%, detected pedophilia with 46.9% and 100%, and detected pedohebephilia with 75.3% and 90.7%. At a new cut-point of +0.0 SD units, the sensitivity and specificity of the test for pedophilia was 71.9% and 95.3%.


CONCLUSIONS
Volumetric phallometry significantly distinguishes teleiophilic sex offenders from each of pedophilic, hebephilic, and pedohebephilic sex offenders and can serve as a reliable diagnostic test of sexual age preference among men who deny sexual interest in children.
Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
James M
JM
Cantor
Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
Ian V
IV
McPhail
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010378:Pedophilia / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis; D010410:Penile Erection; D010991:Plethysmography; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012725:Sexual Behavior
Diagnostic Tests; Hebephilia; Paraphilia; Pedohebephilia; Pedophilia; Penile Plethysmography; Phallometry