NCJ Number
194872
Journal
Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment Volume: 14 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2002 Pages: 121-138
Date Published
2002
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study assessed the efficacy of using fixed and variable risk factors in determining the recidivism of male sexual offenders.
Abstract
The authors of this study reanalyzed data from a 1998 study that compared the validity of various risk assessment instruments in differentiating sexual offenders who re-offended from those who did re-offend. Participants in the original study were 95 male sexual offenders who were released from Federal correctional institutions in British Columbia between January 1, 1988 and December 31, 1992. Of these 95 participants, 42 were identified as nonrecidivists, 29 were violent recidivists, and 24 were sexual recidivists. The case history of each participant was rated on the Sexual Violence Risk–20 (SVR-20) instrument. The SVR-20 risk factors were coded as either fixed or variable. Hierarchical Cox regression analysis was conducted to evaluate the predictive validity of accounting for fixed offense history, fixed psychosocial, and variable psychosocial risk markers. The findings indicated that the use of individual fixed psychosocial factors significantly contributed to the predictions made concerning the likelihood of recidivism. Similarly, variable risk factors also seemed to be relevant to predictions of recidivism risk, especially pertaining to the risk of sexual violence. Thus, the results indicate that the use of both fixed and variable factors contribute to the assessment of risk of recidivism among sexual offenders. References