The construction and psychometric properties of the questionnaire for online sexual solicitation and interaction of minors with adults
Abstract
The objective of this study was to develop a questionnaire to assess the online sexual solicitation and interactions of minors with adults in order to document the extent of this problem. The questionnaire was constructed in four phases: (a) a review of the previous literature; (b) interviews with convicted online child-sex offenders; (c) a review of the questionnaire items by experts; and (d) a pilot study of the questionnaire administered to adolescents. The validation sample consisted of 2,731 minors (12-15 years old, 50.6% girls). Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-factor structure. The first factor, called "sexual solicitation," included items referring to sexual requests from an adult to a minor. The second factor, termed "sexualized interactions," included items indicating an adult groomed a minor with the purpose of committing a sexual offense. Of participants, 12.6% reported sexual solicitations, and 7.9% reported sexualized interactions. These findings open possible directions for research on the characteristics and consequences of online sexual solicitation and abusive interactions.
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The Online Sexual Solicitation and Interaction of Minors with Adults Questionnaire has shown good psychometric properties among adolescents, including content, factorial, and convergent validity.
“This scale has shown good psychometric properties among adolescents, including content, factorial, and convergent validity (Gámez-Guadix, De Santisteban, et al., 2018).”
From A Preventive Intervention to Reduce Risk of Online Grooming Among Adolescents (2022) · cites this paper as Gámez-Guadix, De Santisteban, et al., 2018
In fourteen studies, cybergrooming victimization was assessed through the Questionnaire for Online Sexual Solicitation and Interaction of Minors with Adults (QOSSIA).
“In fourteen studies, cybergrooming victimization was assessed through the Questionnaire for Online Sexual Solicitation and Interaction of Minors with Adults (QOSSIA; Gámez-Guadix et al., 2018a).”
From Cybergrooming Victimization Among Young People: A Systematic Review of Prevalence Rates, Risk Factors, and Outcomes (2025) · cites this paper as Gámez-Guadix et al., 2018a
The exchange of pornographic material is a component of most questionnaires for assessing cybergrooming victimization.
“Further, from a psychometric point of view, the exchange of pornographic material is a component of most questionnaires for assessing cybergrooming victimization, e.g., the Questionnaire for Online Sexual Solicitation and Interaction of Minors with Adults (Gámez-Guadix et al., 2018a).”
From Cybergrooming Victimization Among Young People: A Systematic Review of Prevalence Rates, Risk Factors, and Outcomes (2025) · cites this paper as Gámez-Guadix et al., 2018a
A positive correlation between the factor of chat platform usage and sexual solicitation and interaction was found.
“A positive correlation between the factor of chat platform usage and sexual solicitation and interaction was found (Gámez-Guadix et al., 2018a).”
From Cybergrooming Victimization Among Young People: A Systematic Review of Prevalence Rates, Risk Factors, and Outcomes (2025) · cites this paper as Gámez-Guadix et al., 2018a
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- Authors
- Gámez-Guadix, M., De Santisteban, P., & Alcazar, M. Á.
- Affiliations
- Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain
- Venue
- Sexual Abuse
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2017-08-18
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 975-991
- ISSN
- 1079-0632 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-286X
- OpenAlex
- W2750407810
- Cited by
- 58
- References
- 39
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 5.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Sexual Abuse (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (grant PSI2012-31550)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Information Systems › Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Keywords
- online sexual solicitation, child sexual abuse, grooming, questionnaire development, psychometric properties, adolescents
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Child, Child Abuse, Sexual, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Male, Pilot Projects, Psychometrics, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sexual Behavior, Internet
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