IATSO Programme 2025

All presentations in the main hall (except for SAARNA) will be live-streamed (Dark Red Boxes). 

All presentations on Thursday will be recorded (Brown Boxes).

All the other presentations will neither be live-streamed nor recorded (Grey Boxes).

Pre-Conference Workshops take place on August 27^th in the morning. On-site participants can book them with an extra fee of 30 Euros. They will not be live-streamed and will not appear in the video gallery. 

Snacks will be served throughout the conference for on-site participants. 

Welcome to our next IATSO Conference in Poznań, Poland! 

August 26^th to August 29^th, 2025

Successes and failures in preventing sexual violence – Empirical findings, new concepts, and intercultural perspectives

On behalf of the Scientific and Local Organizing Committees, we would like to invite you to the 18^th conference of the International Association for the Treatment of Sexual Offenders (IATSO) in Poznań. The conference takes place from August 26^th to August 29^th, 2025 at the Adam Mickiewicz University (UAM).

This time, we would like to highlight that the assessment, treatment and research about individuals who have committed sexual offenses are highly impacted by various context variables. One layer of the context is public policy. Our actions are often criticized by policy makers or the general public and they may be under heavy pressure. Public policies related to sexual violence require our participation but they are also evaluated by research efforts. Other layers of the context include cultural differences, knowledge gathered in various academic fields (such as psychology, law, medicine or general sexology) and requirements of the organizations within which we operate (eg. prison service or university). 

Taking these and other layers of the context into consideration, it becomes visible how complex the task of preventing sexual violence is. However, we believe that facing this complexity is a way to undersand our successes and failures and make our work more effective. 

We welcome you to four exciting days in Poznań!  

Filip Szumski, Chair of the Local Organizing Committee

Natalia Andrzejczyk, Local Organizing Committee

Dominika Bartoszak, Local Organizing Committee

Sabrina Eberhaut, Conference Organizing Committee

Sonja Etzler, Conference Organizing Committee

Martin Rettenberger, IATSO president elect 

Reinhard Eher, IATSO president

Conference Information  

IATSO 2025 will be a hybrid conference which can be attended on-siteor virtually. However, in contrast to our previous conferences, only the sessions of the main hall - this includes every keynote - will be live-streamed. The sessions of the main hall and some - but not all - of the other parallel sessions will also be recorded and stored in our video gallery. They will be accessible for 3 months (until December 1st, 2025) to all registered participants of the 18th IATSO conference 2025. IATSO does not provide any option for downloading and distributing them. 

On August 26^th, there will be the Prevent and Protect Through Support (2PS) Project Knowledge Transfer Workshop. The workshop is included in the on-site conference ticket. Please find more information about the 2PS workshop by clicking HERE!

On August 27^th, there will be our pre-conference workshops. Pre-conference workshops are also for on-site participants only. However, we need to charge a small additional fee (30 Euros) for attending a pre-conference workshop. 

This means that only on-site participants have the full conference ticket. In addition to their access to the conference site, they also have access to the virtual conference and the recorded videos. For virtual participants, the conference starts at 1:00 PM on August 27^th with the opening ceremony. 

Presenters need to attend the conference on-site in order to give their presentations. Except for the keynotes, all presenters have to register for the conference and pay the conference fee for on-site participation.  

The address of the conference site is: St Szamarzewskiego 89, 60-568 Poznań

Please clicke HERE to download the Conference Information Map!  

Conference Registration   

You can register for ON-SITE participation by clicking here!

You can register for VIRTUAL participation by clicking here!

Abstract Submission  

To submit an ABSTRACT, click here!

Keynote Speakers

PLENARY SESSIONS:

• Thore Langfeldt (Norway): The history and current state of our understanding of pedophilia 

• Anthony R. Beech (UK): How can an understanding of neuropsychology help in the assessment and treatment of individuals who have committed sexual offences? 

• Michał Lew - Starowicz (Poland): Hypersexuality and sexual offending

• Filip Szumski (Poland): Sex offenders registration, public notification, and civil commitment. Implementation in Poland

• Furaha-Joy Sekai Saungweme (Zimbabwe): The Economic Impact of Sexual Violence in Civil Conflict: Lessons from the DRC v Uganda ICJ Judgment 

• Kelly M. Babchishin (Canada): Working through the puzzle: Understanding dyadic and family roles in incest across different relationship types

• Maria Aparcero Suero (USA): Cultural considerations in sex offender risk assessment and treatment

• Sonja Etzler & Julia Sauter (Germany):  Psychoanalysis in the Treatment of Sexual Offenders - An Outdated Concept or an Underestimated Potential?

• Theresa A. Gannon (UK): Treatment for men who have sexually offended: Tips for success

• Elizabeth Letourneau (USA): Failed policies: US sex offenders registration, public notification, and civil commitment

• Michael Miner(USA): Research with adolescents who have engaged in harmful sexual behavior: What we've learned and implications for treatment and prevention

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS (for on-site attendants only) : 

• Thore Langfeldt (Norway): Strategies for treatment of sex offenses against children with relationship therapy 

• Furaha-Joy Sekai Saungweme & Megan Cistulli (Zimbabwe & USA): Sexual violence in civil conflict: An overview of Africa's response

• Kelly M. Babchishin (Canada): From risk to rehabilitation: Best practices for supervising and treating individuals involved in child sexual exploitation materials 

• Michael Miner(USA): Changing the paradigm? Exploring implications of recent findings on treatment and assessment of adolescent males

• Filip Szumski (Poland): Wysokie czy bardzo wysokie ryzyko recydywy? Możliwości oceny ryzyka recydywy sprawców na potrzeby Ustawy z 22.11.2013 (Engl.: High or very high recidivism risk? The possibilities of recidivism risk assessment under the Polish SVP law (the Act of 22 November 2013)) -> This workshop will be in Polish!

Hotel Suggestions

This is a list of hotels that are close to the conference site. IATSO is NOT in charge of the quality of the hotels. 

Free Presentations

Crossing the line: A critical systematic review of escalation crossover offending in online child sexual exploitation

Naushaan Ahmad^, Sally F. Kelty^, Phillip S. Kavanagh, & Thomas Tran

Predictors of use of violence-related pornography types among young man: Implications for Internet sexual offending

Natalia Andrzejczyk, Dominika Bartoszak, Mercedes Sakrajda, & Filip Szumski

Therapists’ countertransference toward sex offenders’ denial and minimization of their actions

Anat Arbel^, & Yael Idisis^,

The effectiveness of the New Zealand Register in reducing recidivism 

Mackenzie Auld, Nichola Tyler, Caleb Lloyd, Louise Dixon, & Margaret-Anne Laws

The prevalence of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among children and adolescents with harmful sexual behavior: Evidence from Denmark

Susanne Bengtson, Maj Hansen, Troels Græsholt-Knudsen, Mette Lausten, Mimi Strange, Frederik Gildberg^, Annamaria Giraldi, & Elizabeth Letourneau

Treatment of individuals at risk of sexual offending: The Scandinavian approach

Susanne Bengtson, Johanna Lätth, Christine Friedstad, Ellids Kristensen, & Sara Jahnke

Psychotherapy matters: A 10-year follow-up on sexual recidivism in released offenders

Caroline Benouamer, Julien Lagneaux, & Thierry Pham

More than the sum of its parts: The prediction of sexual aggression by aggressive sexual fantasies and their interactions with further pertinent risk factors

Joseph Bernhard Birke, & Rebecca Bondü

Successes and challenges in clinical work with families of sex offenders: Toward an effective prevention model

Wayne Bodkin, & Mathieu Lacambre

Associations of aggressive sexual fantasies with sexual coercion in women

Rebecca Bondü, & Louisa Stöwe

Psychotherapists’ willingness to treat paraphilic disorders: Barriers and implications for targeted interventions

Lara-Sophie Busch, & Julia Sauter 

Breaking barriers with VERANDA: Anonymized online therapy for stigmatized populations

Paula Busch, Hannes Gieseler, Maija Poikela, Luke Flanagan, Jana Scheibig, Nikolai Lenski, Nadine Warnstädt, & Klaus M. Beier

Risk factors associated with sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism (SECTT) perpetration

Mallory Coish, & Skye Stephens

Examining risk and prevalence of child sexual exploitation material use in an Australasian community sample

Jacinta Cording, & Vanessa Bennie

Examining the effect of message framing and demographic traits on public support for a child sexual abuse prevention program

Myles Davidson, Skye Stephens, Ainslie Heasman, Cory Gerritsen, & Ian V. McPhail

Crossing the line: Factors associated with escalating pornography use

Melissa S. de Roos, & Elza Veldhuizen Ochodničanová

An international e-Delphi study on the design and evaluation of self-help programmes for the prevention of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) offences

Erifili Efthymiadou, Stuart Allardyce, Donald Findlater^, & Sarah Wefers

Designing self-help programmes for the prevention of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) offences: Focus-groups and interviews with individuals who have used CSAM

Erifili Efthymiadou, Sarah Wefers, Elizabeth Bitzan, & Odran Doherty

The relationship between compulsive sexual behaviour and paedophilic preference in an incarcerated sample of individuals convicted of sexual offences: Implications for treatment

Robert Epstein, & Judith Abulafia

Digital shadows and real-world harms: Forensic and victim identification perspectives from a UK police force

Mille Fjelldal, & Mengyan Liu

What every clinician should know: Sexual abuser etiology and treatment for non-experts

Haley Fox^,

Silent struggles, real support: A chat-based path to change CSAM use 

Hannes Gieseler, Carlos G. Ferrero, Esperanza L. Gómez Durán, & Klaus M.Beier

Understanding the gaps in prevention efforts against youth sexual offending: The need for community capability building

Shamala Gopalakrishnan, & Eunice Ghee Wu Gan

Emotional congruence with children, victim empathy, and pedophilia diagnosis: Exploring differences among offender subtypes 

Cláudia Gouveia, Olga Cunha, Sónia Caridade, Mónica Lopes, Miguel Resende, & Michael C. Seto

An assessment of characteristics in Canadian criminal cases involving non-consensual intimate image distribution

Melissa Handford

Many people on sex offender registries are very low risk for sexual recidivism

R. Karl Hanson^, German Marquez Alcala, & James J. Prescott

The predictive validity of age and recidivism risk tools for men with intellectual disability and a history of sexual offending: A meta-analysis

R. Karl Hanson, Benjamin Reid, Kelsey May, & Kelly M. Babchishin

Does treatment promote CSAI abstinence? Treatment effects in a clinical sample of individuals with pedophilic and hebephilic sexual preference disorder

Zeev Hille, Klaus M. Beier, & Laura F. Kuhle

Calling Parafilik: A qualitative analysis of call topics on anonymous helpline for individuals with paraphilic sexual interests

Lucie Kalenská, Adam Schreier, Klára Kozíková, Kateřina Miketová, Kateřina Potyszová, & Kateřina Klapilová

Paraphilic preferences and sexual violence in the Czech population: Findings from a national survey-based study

Lucie Krejčová, Klára Bártová, Lucie Kalenská, & Kateřina Klapilová

Jail-mail – far apart, but close at heart: Women’s individual dispositions and their willingness to correspond with incarcerated men 

Ulrike Krueger, Qendresa Sadrija, & Julia Sauter

Altered decision-making strategies in child sexual offenders: New perspectives for the prevention of sexual violence

Mathieu Lacambre, Wayne Bodkin, Thibaut Mura, & Philippe Courtet

Conducting a randomized controlled trial in a prison setting: Mission impossible or feasible reality?

Johanna Lätth, Louise Starfelt Sutton, Timothy J. Luke, Katarina Görts Öberg, Niklas Långström, &Christoffer Rahm

Psychiatric profiles and offense-related risk factors in Darknet child sexual abuse material users

Johanna Lätth, Malin Joleby, Allison McMahan, Timothy J. Luke, Christoffer Rahm

Exploring the connection between online child pornography offenders and zoophilia in France: Preliminary findings from a multidisciplinary research program (Axis B)

Cédric Le Bodic, Crystal Tomaszewski, & Barbara Smaniotto

Online child pornography offenders in France: Preliminary findings from a multidisciplinary research program (Axis A)

Cédric Le Bodic, Tristan Renard, John Dewonck, Ylan Lasserre, Maggie Leclerc, Crystal Tomaszewski, & Barbara Smaniotto

Public perceptions of voyeurism in the UK 

Victoria P. M. Lister, & Arvin Kejiou

Sibling Sexual Behaviour-Abuse research and evaluation framework

Kieran McCartan, & Amy Adams

Understanding current practices in the prevention of child sexual abuse: Findings from two scoping reviews 

Kieran McCartan 

Sexual interests of men with different child sexual offences as assessed by direct and indirect measures: Do users of child sexual abuse material differ?

Lilli Meißner, Stefan Domany, Finn Rathgeber, Alexander Schmidt, Rainer Banse, & Reinhard Eher

Sexistential grief: Integrating sexual health and existential meaning-making in clinical practice for individuals struggling with criminal sexual urges

Hanna Möllås 

The economic returns of early psychotherapeutic intervention for individuals with paraphilia: Evidence from Czechia

Marek Navrátil, Matěj Kučera, Lucie Krejčová, Lenka Martinec Nováková, & Kateřina Klapilová

An exploration of the rationale and impact of the Inform Plus and Engage Plus programmes for those who have engaged in online sexual offending

Ida Oeverland, & Amy Gibbs-Grady

A new identity: Enhancing life skills and work readiness for those with a sexual offending history

Rachel Ogden, & Emma Tarpey

Rape myths pose a significant risk to the impartiality of jury decision making 

Matylda Pankiewicz

“Not quite prepared?” Mental health professionals and paraphilic clients in the Czech Republic 

Kateřina Potyszová, Lucie Krejčová, Marek Navrátil, Lenka Martinec Nováková, & Kateřina Klapilová

Bi-directional links between hostile masculinity, aggressive sexual fantasies, and sexual aggression: Evidence from a three-wave longitudinal study

Viktoria Rohr, & Rebecca Bondü

Documentation of treatment measures in specialist forensic outpatient clinics: A contribution to quality assurance

Nico Ruhara, Silvia Kube, Miriam Kolter, & Rainer Banse

The psychometric properties of the Child Pornography Risk Tool (CPORT) in different subgroups of individuals convicted of offenses related to child sexual exploitation material (CSEM)

Alexander Seiser, Reinhard Eher, L. Maaike Helmus, Daniel Turner, & Martin Rettenberger

Unveiling a hidden reality: Exploring exposure to pornography amongst learners in Johannesburg, South Africa

Shaheda Omar, & Sheri Errington

Examining proclivity for group sexual offending: The impact of group processes and sociocultural context 

Kristina Shatokhina, & Leigh Harkins

Understanding online child pornography offenders in France: Preliminary findings from a multidisciplinary research program (Axis B)

Barbara Smaniotto, Crystal Tomaszewski, & Cédric Le Bodic

Changes in cognitive distortions and early maladaptive schemas after INSIGHT intervention: Preliminary results from a pilot study with individuals who perpetrated child sexual abuse

Marta Sousa, Cláudia Gouveia, Olga Cunha, Rui Abrunhosa Gonçalves, & Andreia de Castro Rodrigues

Typology and treatment of underage sex offenders with a particular focus on sexual assault among siblings

Dorothea Stiefel

Help-seeking behavior of young CSAM offenders: Research and experiences of the Dutch Stop it Now helpline 

Kelly van den Heuvel, & Madeleine van der Bruggen

The Protech project: AI and technology as allies in the prevention of child sexual abuse material

Larissa Van Puyvelde, Minne De Boeck, Deanna Davy, & Samantha Lundrigan

Strengthening assessment with the Structured Assessment of PROtective Factors Against Sexual Offending (SAPROF-SO): Data blitz and clinical updates

Gwenda M. Willis, David Thornton, & Sharon M. Kelley

More than animal attraction: A qualitative exploration of zoophilic experiences and orientations

Alexandra M. Zidenberg, Payton McPhee, & Mark Olver 

Challenges in addressing cognitive distortions in psychotherapy for child sexual offenders

Monika Zielona-Jenek

Keynote Speakers at the 18th IATSO conference

We are happy to announce that these excellent professionals will be speaking at our conference in Poznań, Poland:

PLENARY SESSIONS:

• Thore Langfeldt (Norway): The history and current state of our understanding of pedophilia (Abstract & Bio Sketch) 

• Anthony R. Beech (UK): How can an understanding of neuropsychology help in the assessment and treatment of individuals who have committed sexual offences? (Abstract & Bio Sketch)  

• Michał Lew - Starowicz (Poland): Hypersexuality and sexual offending (Abstract & Bio Sketch) 

• Filip Szumski (Poland): Sex offenders registration, public notification, and civil commitment. Implementation in Poland (Abstract & Bio Sketch) 

• Furaha-Joy Sekai Saungweme (Zimbabwe): The Economic Impact of Sexual Violence in Civil Conflict: Lessons from the DRC v Uganda ICJ Judgment (Abstract & Bio Sketch) 

• Kelly M. Babchishin (Canada): Working through the puzzle: Understanding dyadic and family roles in incest across different relationship types  (Abstract & Bio Sketch) 

• Maria Aparcero Suero (USA): Cultural considerations in sex offender risk assessment and treatment (Abstract & Bio Sketch) 

• Sonja Etzler & Julia Sauter (Germany): Psychoanalysis in the Treatment of Sexual Offenders - An Outdated Concept or an Underestimated Potential? (Abstract & Bio Sketch) 

• Theresa A. Gannon (UK): Treatment for men who have sexually offended: Tips for success (Abstract & Bio Sketch) 

• Elizabeth Letourneau (USA): Failed policies: US sex offenders registration, public notification, and civil commitment (Abstract & Bio Sketch)  

• Michael H. Miner(USA): Research with adolescents who have engaged in harmful sexual behavior: What we've learned and implications for treatment and prevention (Abstract & Bio Sketch) 

PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS (for on-site attendants only) : 

• Thore Langfeldt (Norway): Strategies for treatment of sex offenses against children with relationship therapy (Abstract & Bio Sketch) 

• Furaha-Joy Sekai Saungweme & Megan Cistulli (Zimbabwe & USA): Sexual violence in civil conflict: An overview of Africa's response (Abstract & Bio Sketch) 

• Kelly M. Babchishin (Canada) & Maaike L. Helmus (Canada): From risk to rehabilitation: Best practices for supervising and treating individuals involved in child sexual exploitation materials (Abstract & Bio Sketch)  

• Michael H. Miner(USA): Changing the paradigm? Exploring implications of recent findings on treatment and assessment of adolescent males (Abstract & Bio Sketch) 

• Filip Szumski (Poland): Wysokie czy bardzo wysokie ryzyko recydywy? Możliwości oceny ryzyka recydywy sprawców na potrzeby Ustawy z 22.11.2013 (Engl.: High or very high recidivism risk? The possibilities of recidivism risk assessment under the Polish SVP law (the Act of 22 November 2013)) -> This workshop will be in Polish! (Abstract & Bio Sketch)