Risk of Sexual Abuse of Children (ROSAC)
The ROSAC is a structured professional guide for helping mental health, corrections, and child protection services professionals assess the risk a known adult male sexual abuser poses to a specific child and under what circumstances, if any, the abuser might safely be allowed contact with the child. It comprises 30 items, each coded on a 3-point scale.
Typical situations in which the ROSAC may be helpful are:
- A supervision officer must determine whether to grant a probationer's or parole's request to live in a home with children. The individual was previously convicted of committing a sexual offense.
- A child protective services (CPS) agency is investigating a report that a sexual abuser is now living with a family with children, and the agency must determine the risk of sexual harm to the child and develop an intervention plan.
- A mental health professional, CPS agency, probation department, and victim advocate are collaborating to determine whether to reunite a family where the father sexually abused one of his children.
The ROSAC Manual includes a step-by-step method for helping professionals make these important risk of sexual abuse decisions. The manual consists of worksheets for documenting the decision-making process. Individuals and organizations that purchase the ROSAC Manual may reprint these worksheets at no cost.
Training Options
- For in-person or live webinar ROSAC training, contact Bob directly at robertmcgrath@robertmcgrath.us.
- For on-demand ROSAC training, go to the Safer Society Foundation.
ROSAC Manual
McGrath, R. J., Allin, H. M., & Cumming, G. F. (2015). Risk of Sexual Abuse of Children (ROSAC): Structured professional guidelines for assessing the risk a sexual abuser poses to a child and making child contact decisions. Brandon, VT: Safer Society Press. Available from Safer Society Press.
ROSAC Coding and Worksheets
Copies of the ROSAC Coding Sheet and Data Collection Worksheets may be viewed here:
Recent ROSAC Training Sponsors
- Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Probation and Pretrial Services
- Arizona Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abuses
- Arkansas Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers
- Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers
- Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Sexual Behaviors Clinic, Toronto, Canada
- Family Services, Inc., Poughkeepsie, New York
- Global Institute for Forensic Research
- Idaho Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers
- Illinois Sex Offender Management Board
- Iowa Department of Corrections
- Kanasa Department of Corrections
- Massachusetts Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers
- Michigan Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers
- Midwest Child Sexual Abuse Conference
- National Children's Advocacy Center Conference
- National Sexual Assault Conference
- North Dakota STAND and U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services
- Oregon Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers
- New York Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers
- New York State Child Abuse Prevention Conference
- Safer Society Foundation
- Vermont Department for Children and Families
- Vermont Developmental Disabilities Services Division
Workshop Description
Making Child Contact Decisions Using the ROSAC
Mental health, corrections, and child protective services professionals are frequently asked to assess the risk a known adult male sexual abuser poses to a specific child and under what circumstances, if any, the abuser might safely have contact with the child. The Risk of Sexual Abuse of Children (ROSAC) is a structured professional judgment tool developed for this purpose. The ROSAC includes 30 items rated on a 3-point scale, grouped into three domains: (1) the abuser, (2) the potentially at-risk child, and (3) the primary caregiver. This workshop will review the ROSAC’s theoretical and research foundations and use case studies to assist participants in understanding how to score and use the instrument for making risk determinations and developing safety plans.
