Assessing paedophilic sexual preferences in child sexual offenders using eye-tracking methods: an exploratory meta-analysis

Due to reliability issues associated with self-reported sexual interest in children among individuals with paedophilia convicted of child sexual offences (PCSO), more innovative assessment methods have been studied for years. One such method involves eye-tracking techniques, which can provide insights into (automatic) attentional processes that may reflect underlying deviant sexual preferences. The current exploratory meta-analysis aimed to evaluate whether eye-tracking measurements are associated with paedophilic sexual preferences by examining group-level differences between diagnosed individuals and comparison groups. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, up to January 18, 2026. Ten relevant publications were found. Due to data overlap, only five studies were included, yielding 12 effect sizes. No significant group differences were found for viewing time. However, PCSOs fixated faster on child stimuli compared to individuals convicted of adult sex offences, offenders, and individuals without clinical signs of paedophilia. Additionally, the results provided evidence that PCSOs preferred viewing child stimuli over adult stimuli. It is concluded that, although the results should be interpreted with caution, there is some evidence that eye-tracking techniques can be useful for distinguishing differences in paedophilic sexual preferences. However, more empirical research is needed to determine the value of eye-tracking techniques for clinical practice.