The maintenance of the behaviour has been linked to the etiology of sex offending, the maintenance factors include sexual deviance, general antisociality, impulsivity and self regulation deficits (Hanson & Morton-Bourgon., 2005; Thakker & Ward., 2012)- these maintenance factors are linked to the descriptions of clinical symtomatology according to the ITSO. However the ITSO doesn't explain the mechanisms that are involved in this maintenance behaviour so its harder to know how to target them in treatments (Szumski, Bartels, Beech & Fisher., 2018)