Recruitment Issues in Research with People Who are Attracted to Children: A Systematic Review

There has been an increase in research using online forums for individuals who are attracted to children. This research is beneficial because it allows the study of individuals attracted to children recruited from the community, in contrast to individuals recruited from clinical or forensic samples. The aim of the present review was to explore who researchers are recruiting from online forums and how they are recruiting these participants. We conducted a systematic review of 71 studies with participants recruited from online forums for people attracted to children. We considered sample homogeneity, evidence of data and sample overlap, and the use of community-based research principles that aid in participant recruitment and retention. The majority of participants were White men, between the ages of 18 and 35, living in North America or Europe. Forty percent of publications had some data overlap. Virtuous Pedophiles and B4U-ACT were the two most common forums for recruitment. Just over one-third of publications mentioned community-based research principles. Our results suggest a high degree of homogeneity across online samples of individuals attracted to children, with most participants being recruited from two forums. Results from publications recruiting narrowly are less generalizable and may give an inaccurate impression of replication. Conducting research with participants recruited from the community is important, but researchers should diversify recruitment methods, ask about previous study participation, and employ community-based research principles to increase participation.