6 129 NETWORK-BASED MODEL OF RISK OF SEXUAL REOFFENDING 6.1 INTRODUCTION It is of both scientific and social importance to increase our understanding of the processes by which psychological and behavioral variables contribute to the risk of sexual reoffending. An improved understanding of the development and nature of this risk, which can be defined as the probability of future sexual offending by men convicted of a sexual offense, will, ultimately, contribute to increased effectiveness of treatments, risk management plans, and prevention initiatives aimed to assist men with a history of sexual offenses to desist future crimes (Gannon et al., 2019; Ward & Beech, 2015). For example, a better understanding of the nature and determinants of the risk of sexual reoffending, may help treatment providers and program managers better identify and prioritize treatment targets. In addition, increased knowledge of the concept of sexual reoffending could contribute to the development of new risk assessment instruments or help improve existing ones (van den Berg et al., 2022). Based on the findings of several meta-analyses and two large-scale recidivism prediction studies (Hanson et al., 2007; Hanson & Bussière, 1998; Hanson & MortonBourgon, 2004; 2005; Helmus et al., 2013; Knight &Thornton, 2007), Thornton (2002, 2013) introduced the structured risk assessment need framework (SRA; see Table 1.1 in Chapter 1). The SRA framework contains the following four domains of psychological and behavioral features associated with sexual reoffending: sexual interests, distorted attitudes, relational style, and self-management. These four domains are divided into subdomains. For example, the domain of sexual interests is further partitioned into sexual preoccupation and offense-related sexual interests. The most widely used dynamic risk assessment instruments for adult males with a history of sexual offenses all contain factors from at least three of the four domains of the SRA Need Framework (van den Berg et al., 2018; van den Berg et al., 2020). According to Thornton (2016), the Propensities Model represent the most wellknown conceptual approach to comprehend psychological and behavioral variables directly related to sexual reoffending. However, this model provides a limited theoretical account of the development and nature of the risk of sexual reoffending (Thornton, 2016; Prentky et al., 2015). To further our understanding of the risk of sexual reoffending and to stimulate theoretical discussion and scientific research on this topic, we present a networkbased model of risk of sexual reoffending (NBM-RSR) and elaborate on this model by presenting several empirically testable propositions. The NBM-RSR is inspired by the network approach to psychopathology (Borsboom, 2017; Borsboom et al., 2019; Borsboom et al., 2021; Robinaugh et al., 2019). Following this approach, mental disorders can be understood from a self-sustaining network of symptoms of psychopathology that are causally interrelated through a range of biological, psychological, and social mechanisms (Borsboom, 2017; Borsboom et al., 2021). As an example, from this
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