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Using the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol–Revised to Assess Psychopathy: A Preliminary Investigation

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Abstract

Assessment of sexual and nonsexual recidivism risk is important for juveniles who have offended sexually (JSOs). It is unclear whether clinicians who assess risk for both types of recidivism should use a JSO-specific measure alone or in combination with an assessment of other potential risk factors, such as psychopathy. Using a sample of 72 JSOs, this study examined the reliability and validity of a scale (Scale P) intended to assess psychopathic traits comprised of seven items from the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol–Revised (J-SOAP-II). Scale P demonstrated adequate internal consistency and was significantly correlated with the Hare Psychopathy Checklist–Youth Version (PCL:YV). In addition, Scale P significantly predicted nonsexual and sexual recidivism as well as the PCL:YV and was a significantly stronger predictor of nonsexual recidivism than several of the preexisting J-SOAP-II scales. These preliminary findings suggest that Scale P may enhance the clinical utility of the J-SOAP-II.

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... The current study shows that when combining data from 238 independent samples, about 1 out of 10 individuals becomes a sexual recidivist within the parameters typically characterizing sexual recidivism research (e.g., prison sample, official police data, a follow-up period between 3 and 8 years). This pooled weighted sexual recidivism rate, because it is an aggregate measure, does not allow for more specific risk-based estimations for particular perpetrator subgroups, such as for women (Vandiver et al., 2019), adolescents (e.g., Lussier, Corrado and McCuish, 2016;Wijetunga et al., 2018), individuals with a serious mental disorder (e.g., Cuddeback et al., 2019) or those characterized by intellectual disabilities (Fedoroff et al., 2016). This pooled weighted recidivism rate should be seen as a baseline measure serving a reasonable comparison point upon which additional factors can be considered for more precise estimations under more specific circumstances. ...
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Objectives: There is empirical evidence that sexual recidivism rates have been dropping for several decades, but it remains unclear whether this drop is an artifact of changing research methodologies over the years. The current study, therefore, examines whether the sexual recidivism drop is robust while accounting for various methodological factors. Method: The study is based on a systematic review and a quantitative meta-analysis of 468 empirical studies published between 1940 and 2019 that reported sexual recidivism rates. A total of 626 estimations (n = 388,994) of sexual recidivism were retrieved for the study period and of those, 238 were independent observations (n = 196,651). A series of sensitivity analyses were conducted using a meta-regression approach. Results: A series of meta-regression analyses show that, even after accounting for various methodological factors (e.g., study settings, follow-up length, recidivism criteria), there has been a sexual recidivism rate drop of about 45–60% since the 1970s. Conclusions: The study findings confirm the presence of a sexual recidivism drop while recognizing that sexual recidivism rates are sensitive to methodological details.
... The current study shows that when combining data from 238 independent samples, about 1 out of 10 individuals becomes a sexual recidivist within the parameters typically characterizing sexual recidivism research (e.g., prison sample, official police data, a follow-up period between 3 and 8 years). This pooled weighted sexual recidivism rate, because it is an aggregate measure, does not allow for more specific risk-based estimations for particular perpetrator subgroups, such as for women (Vandiver et al., 2019), adolescents (e.g., Lussier, Corrado and McCuish, 2016;Wijetunga et al., 2018), individuals with a serious mental disorder (e.g., Cuddeback et al., 2019) or those characterized by intellectual disabilities (Fedoroff et al., 2016). This pooled weighted recidivism rate should be seen as a baseline measure serving a reasonable comparison point upon which additional factors can be considered for more precise estimations under more specific circumstances. ...
... In het Nederlandstalige gebied lijkt op dit moment de J-SOAP-D (gevalideerde Nederlandstalige vertaling van Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol II; Prentky & Righthand, 2003) deze risicofactoren het beste te voorspellen (Viljoen, Mordell, & Beneteau, 2012;Wijetunga et al., 2018). De J-SOAP-II-D probeert enerzijds te differentiëren tussen dadertypologie (seksuele recidivist versus delinquente generalist), maar brengt ook een aantal criminogene factoren, dynamische en statische risicofactoren, in kaart op basis van 28 items die de onderzoeker aan hand van een interview, het juridische dossier en alle mogelijk informatiebronnen dient te scoren om de relevante factoren zo goed mogelijk in kaart te brengen. ...
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Tijdschrift voor Seksuologie
Chapter
Psychopathy has been so consistently associated with numerous forms of violent antisocial behavior that it sometimes characterized as the unified theory of crime. Here we explicate empirical linkages between psychopathy and the most severe forms of crime including various manifestations of homicide offending (e.g., sexual homicide, serial murder, and mass murder, among others), sexual violence, kidnapping, and other forms of predatory criminal behavior. Drawing on our more than four decades of practitioner, researcher, and clinical experiences with the most severe types of offenders, we offer insights to refine, extend, and challenge the academic study of psychopathy.
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The development of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R; R. D. Hare, 2003) has fueled intense clinical interest in the construct of psychopathy. Unfortunately, a side effect of this interest has been conceptual confusion and, in particular, the conflating of measures with constructs. Indeed, the field is in danger of equating the PCL-R with the theoretical construct of psychopathy. A key point in the debate is whether criminal behavior is a central component, or mere downstream correlate, of psychopathy. In this article, the authors present conceptual directions for resolving this debate. First, factor analysis of PCL-R items in a theoretical vacuum cannot reveal the essence of psychopathy. Second, a myth about the PCL-R and its relation to violence must be examined to avoid the view that psychopathy is merely a violent variant of antisocial personality disorder. Third, a formal, iterative process between theory development and empirical validation must be adopted. Fundamentally, constructs and measures must be recognized as separate entities, and neither reified. Applying such principles to the current state of the field, the authors believe the evidence favors viewing criminal behavior as a correlate, not a component, of psychopathy.
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This study surveyed 199 forensic clinicians about the practices that they use in assessing violence risk in juvenile and adult offenders. Results indicated that the use of risk assessment and psychopathy tools was common. Although clinicians reported more routine use of psychopathy measures in adult risk assessments compared with juvenile risks assessments, 79% of clinicians reported using psychopathy measures at least once in a while in juvenile risk assessments. Extremely few clinicians, however, believe that juveniles should be labeled or referred to as psychopaths. Juvenile risk reports were more likely than adult reports to routinely discuss treatment and protective factors, and provide recommendations to reevaluate risk. The implications of these findings are discussed.
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Court and mental health workers are frequently asked to determine which juvenile sex offenders (JSOs) are most likely to reoffend. One instrument commonly used to guide decision making with JSOs is the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol-II (J-SOAP-II). However, research utilizing this instrument has often generated contradictory results, perhaps related to the types of samples studied. The current study sought to compare the predictive accuracy of the J-SOAP-II across two samples of JSOs (a medium-security correctional setting versus an unlocked residential sex offender treatment program). Although the overall predictive accuracy for identifying post-release arrests for sexual offenses (i.e., sexual recidivism) was modest (AUC = .64) and not statistically significant, differences emerged with regard to the accuracy of some individual scales and subscales. Similarly, while no significant differences in predictive accuracy were observed between the two study sites, a number of interesting findings were observed. These findings highlight the need to consider risk assessment measures in light of the setting in which they are used in order to maximize predictive accuracy and optimize treatment and dispositional decision making.
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This article describes the development and initial validation of the Juvenile Sexual Offense Recidivism Risk Assessment Tool-II (JSORRAT-II). Potential predictor variables were extracted from case file information for an exhaustive sample of 636 juveniles in Utah who sexually offended between 1990 and 1992. Simultaneous and hierarchical logistic regression analyses were used to identify the group of variables that was most predictive of subsequent juvenile sexual recidivism. A simple categorical scoring system was applied to these variables without meaningful loss of accuracy in the development sample for any sexual (area under the curve [AUC] = .89) and sexually violent (AUC = .89) juvenile recidivism. The JSORRAT-II was cross-validated on an exhaustive sample of 566 juveniles who had sexually offended in Utah in 1996 and 1997. Reliability of scoring the tool across five coders was quite high (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = .96). Relative to the development sample, however, there was considerable shrinkage in the indices of predictive accuracy for any sexual (AUC = .65) and sexually violent (AUC = .65) juvenile recidivism. The reduced level of accuracy was not explained by severity of the index sexual offense, time at risk, or missing data. Capitalization on chance and other explanations for the possible reduction in predictive accuracy are explored, and potential uses and limitations of the tool are discussed.
Article
Clinicians are often asked to assess the likelihood that an adolescent who has committed a sexual offense will reoffend. However, there is limited research on the predictive validity of available assessment tools. To help address this gap, this study examined the ability of the Estimate of Risk of Adolescent Sexual Offense Recidivism (ERASOR), the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI), the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV), and the Static-99 to predict reoffending in a sample of 193 adolescents. Youth were followed for an average of 7.24 years after discharge from a residential sex offender treatment program. Although none of the instruments significantly predicted detected cases of sexual reoffending, ERASOR’s structured professional judgments nearly reached significance (p = .069). Both the YLS/CMI and the PCL:YV predicted nonsexual violence, any violence, and any offending; however, the YLS/CMI demonstrated incremental validity over the PCL:YV. Although the Static-99 has considerable support with adult sex offenders, it did not predict sexual or general reoffending in the present sample of adolescents.
Article
The present study explored the predictive validity of two measures designed to assess risk for sexual recidivism in adolescent sexual offenders (ASO), the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol—II and the Estimate of Risk of Adolescent Sexual Offense Recidivism, in the context of an antisociality-based typology of adolescent sexual offenders. The authors distinguished between adolescent sexual offenders with a history of general offending (delinquent ASO) and adolescent sexual offenders without a history of general offending (sex offense—only ASO). They found differential predictive accuracy of risk measures according to offender type: Both instruments predicted sexual recidivism in the sex offense—only ASO group (large effect sizes), whereas in the delinquent ASO group, the measures did not predict sexual recidivism beyond chance levels. Risk assessment in the context of an antisociality-based sex offender typology is discussed.
Article
The general personality and social psychology underlying the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model of rehabilitation recognizes the importance of the personal, interpersonal, and relatively automatic sources of control over human behaviour as well as the power of cognitive-social-learning approaches to interpersonal influence in many social settings. In terms of both prediction and intervention, the RNR model has impressive but limited research support and is widely implemented, albeit with mixed support in routine correctional practice. This article suggests that RNR and the psychology that underlies it may also assist justice agencies and the courts through crime-prevention jurisprudence (CPJ). Always in the context of ethical, legal, just, and otherwise normative interventions, the first task is to help keep low-risk cases low risk and not interfere with existing strengths. The second task is to identify moderate and higher-risk cases and arrange crime-prevention activities consistent with ethical, legal, and just applications of the principles of RNR. Not the least of the benefits is the provision of an evidence-based set of crime-prevention practices as well as a language system that will facilitate inter-agency and intra-agency communication both within and outside of the justice, court, and correctional systems.
Article
The current investigation is a meta-analysis of the predictive accuracy of three well-known forensic instruments used to appraise risk with young offenders: youth adaptations of the Level of Service Inventory and Psychopathy Checklist and the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk for Youth. Through several avenues, 49 potentially suitable published and unpublished studies (across 44 samples representing 8,746 youth) were identified and evaluated for inclusion. Predictive accuracy for general, nonviolent, violent, and sexual recidivism was examined for the three sets of measures. Mean weighted correlations for each of the three measures were significant in the prediction of general, nonviolent, and violent recidivism, with no single instrument demonstrating superior prediction. Separate analyses of specific young offender groups further supported the predictive accuracy of youth adaptations of the Level of Service Inventory among male, female, Aboriginal, and non-Aboriginal youth. Implications regarding the utility of young offender risk measures for enhancing clinical service provision with youth clientele are discussed.
Article
This study examined the relation between psychopathic features and treatment progress in a group of 86 delinquent boys. On admission to a specialized intensive treatment program, Psychopathic Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV) scores were computed and subsequently compared with treatment progress. Treatment progress was measured using a series of daily behavior rating scales and with a measure of institutional misconducts that required security intervention. The results found significant improvement in behavioral and security measures with treatment. PCL:YV scores did not interact with treatment progress. Regression analysis showed that initial, but not final, behavioral and security levels were predicted by PCL:YVscores. The final scores were predicted only by the duration of treatment. Furthermore, violent recidivism during a 4-year follow-up was predicted by final behavioral scores but not initial PCL:YV scores.
Article
Despite recent advances in risk assessment procedures, relatively little research has targeted validation of procedures with sexually offending minority youth. The current study used retrospective coding of the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol—II (J-SOAP-II; Prentky & Righthand, 2003) with a group of 60 male youth of mostly Latino and African American ethnicity. Correlational and receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses were used to test the J-SOAP-II's relationship with and accuracy in predicting general reoffense, sexual reoffense, and treatment compliance. The J-SOAP-II total score was significantly correlated with all three of these outcome variables, and ROC analyses demonstrated a high degree of accuracy in predicting general (area under the curve [AUC] = .76) and sexual reoffending (AUC = .78). There was mixed support for the J-SOAP-II individual subscales, with Dynamic subscales consistently outperforming Static subscales. The implications of this research for juvenile sex-offender risk assessments are discussed.
Article
The impact of changes in psychopathy characteristics on institutional behavior was assessed in 127 incarcerated delinquent males who were treated in a specialized intensive treatment program. Participants were administered the self-report version of the Antisocial Processes Screening Device (APSD) on admission to the program and every 90 days through treatment. Changes in all APSD scales predicted improvement in institutional behavior and treatment involvement. For the 77 youth who had at least three administrations, repeated-measures analysis of variance showed significant changes in APSD total, Callous/Unemotional, Narcissism, and Impulsivity scores. For 127 youth who had at least two administrations and daily behavioral ratings, changes in each scale predicted improved institutional behavior and treatment compliance.
Article
The declaration that the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL-R) is the “unparalleled” measure of offender risk prediction is challenged. It is argued that such an assertion reflects an ethnocentric view of research in the area and has led to unsubstantiated claims based on incomplete attempts at knowledge cumulation. In fact, another more comprehensive risk measure, the Level of Service Inventory–Revised, notably surpasses the PCL-R in predicting general (&phgr; = .37 vs. .23) and violent recidivism, albeit only modestly so in the case of the latter (&phgr; = .26 vs. .21). In addition, other problematic issues regarding the PCL-R are outlined. Finally, it is suggested that a more useful role for psychopathy in offender risk assessment may be in terms of the responsivity dimension in case management. Finally, the authors suggest further research directions that will aid in knowledge cumulation regarding the general utility of offender risk measures.
Article
Risk assessments of adolescents who have committed sexual offenses are often used to guide court decisions about dispositions. Beyond their use in legal decision making, risk assessments can also be helpful in treatment planning. In this article, we describe how risk assessments may be used to plan level of care, develop an individualized treatment plan, and evaluate treatment progress for juveniles who have committed a sexual offense. We include a brief overview of research on juvenile risk assessments, provide a clinical case example to demonstrate the process of integrating risk assessments into treatment planning, and conclude with practice recommendations for forensic mental health practitioners.
Article
The analysis of censored failure times is considered. It is assumed that on each individual are available values of one or more explanatory variables. The hazard function (age-specific failure rate) is taken to be a function of the explanatory variables and unknown regression coefficients multiplied by an arbitrary and unknown function of time. A conditional likelihood is obtained, leading to inferences about the unknown regression coefficients. Some generalizations are outlined. LIFEtables are one of the oldest statistical techniques and are extensively used by medical statisticians and by actuaries. Yet relatively little has been written about their more formal statistical theory. Kaplan and Meier (1958) gave a comprehensive review of earlier work and many new results. Chiang in a series of papers has, in particular, explored the connection with birth-death processes; see, for example, Chiang (1968). The present paper is largely concerned with the extension of the results of Kaplan and Meier to the comparison of life tables and more generally to the incorporation of regression-like arguments into life-table analysis. The arguments are asymptotic but are relevant to situations where the sampling fluctuations are large enough to be of practical importance. In other words, the applications are more likely to be in industrial reliability studies and in medical statistics than in actuarial science. The procedures proposed are, especially for the two-sample problem, closely related to procedures for combining contingency tables; see Mantel and Haenzel (1959), Mantel (1963) and, especially for the application to life tables, Mantel (1966). There is also a strong connection with a paper read recently to the Society by R. and J. Peto (1972). We consider a population of individuals; for each individual we observe either the time to "failure" or the time to ccloss" or censoring. That is, for the censored individuals we know only that the time to failure is greater than the censoring time. Denote by T a random variable representing failure time; it may be discrete or continuous. Let F(t) be the survivor function, %(t) = pr (T2 t)
Article
The analysis of censored failure times is considered. It is assumed that on each individual are available values of one or more explanatory variables. The hazard function (age‐specific failure rate) is taken to be a function of the explanatory variables and unknown regression coefficients multiplied by an arbitrary and unknown function of time. A conditional likelihood is obtained, leading to inferences about the unknown regression coefficients. Some generalizations are outlined.
Article
Several authors have emphasized the need for empirically derived instruments for reoffending risk assessment among young sex offenders (YSOs). The authors screened the literature on sex offenders for clinically or empirically motivated variables related to criminal recidivism, identifying 22 putative risk factors. All Swedish YSOs (aged 15-20) subjected to court-ordered forensic psychiatric investigations from 1988 through 1995 and available for follow-up (n = 46) were included (mean time at risk = 5 years). Base rates for sexual and general recidivism were 20% and 65%, respectively. Previous criminality, early onset conduct disorder, psychopathy, and use of death threats and weapons at index sex crime proved predictive of general but not sexual recidivism. Factors indicative of sexual deviance (early onset sexually abusive behavior, male victim choice, more than one victim) and poor social skills were associated with elevated risk for sexual reoffending. However, replication in independent samples is needed to corroborate these preliminary findings.
Article
The authors bring the "person" back into criminology by focusing on understanding individual differences in criminal conduct and recognizing the importance of personal, interpersonal, and community factors. What results is a truly interdisciplinary general personality and social psychology of criminal behavior that is open to a wide variety of factors that relate to individual differences - a perspective with both theoretical and practical significance in North America and Great Britain.The book is now organized into four parts: (1) The Theoretical Context and Knowledge Base to the Psychology of Criminal Conduct, (2) The Major Risk/Need Factors of Criminal Conduct, (3) Applications, and (4) Summary and Conclusions. Chapters include helpful Resource Notes that explain important concepts. A selection of technical notes, separated from the general text, allows the advanced student to explore complex research without distracting readers from the main points. Resource notes throughout explain important concepts. Technical notes at the back of the book allow the advanced student to explore complex research without distracting readers from the main points. An acronym index is also provided.
Article
Despite debates surrounding juvenile psychopathy, we do not know how frequently psychopathy evidence is presented in adolescent court cases or how this information is used. To address this gap, we reviewed 111 American and Canadian adolescent offender cases, which included 143 separate evaluations involving psychopathy. Results suggest that psychopathy evidence has been introduced in a sizable number of cases and is becoming increasingly common. While judges generally did not refer to psychopathy evidence in making ultimate legal decisions, psychopathy evidence appeared influential in some cases. In addition, consistent with concerns voiced by scholars, evidence of psychopathy was frequently used to infer that a youth would be difficult or impossible to treat. Conversely, the absence of psychopathy was occasionally interpreted as a sign of amenability and used to support more lenient sanctions. Whereas some cases appeared to attend to key issues that have been discussed in the research literature, such as the need for caution in applying psychopathy labels to youth and the importance of developmentally appropriate assessment strategies, other cases did not. The implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
This study investigated differences in recidivism risk factors and traits associated with psychopathy among 3 subtypes of male adolescent sexual offenders (N = 156): offenders against children, offenders against peers or adults, and mixed type offenders. Variables were also examined for their association with sexual and nonsexual recidivism. Based upon both juvenile and adult recidivism data, 6.4% of the sample reoffended sexually and 30.1% reoffended nonsexually. Retrospective risk assessments were completed using the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol-II (JSOAP-II) and the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV). Comparisons of the 3 groups were conducted using analyses of variance (ANOVAs) and chi-square analyses. Associations between risk scales and recidivism were measured using logistic and Cox regression models. Results suggested significant differences among the three offender types on multiple scales of the JSOAP-II and PCL:YV, with mixed type offenders consistently producing higher risk scores. The Impulsive/Antisocial Behavior scale of the JSOAP-II was a significant predictor of both sexual and nonsexual recidivism. The Interpersonal factor of the PCL:YV was a significant predictor of sexual recidivism, while the Affective and Antisocial factors of the PCL:YV were significant predictors of nonsexual recidivism. Results supported previous research indicating that most adolescents who sexually offend do not continue offending into adulthood. Suggested implications of the research included improving the quality of treatment by targeting specific risk factors for intervention, and better utilizing risk management resources in the community, while preserving the most restrictive treatment options for the highest risk offenders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
Interest in the construct of psychopathy as it applies to children and adolescents has become an area of considerable research interest in the past 5–10 years, in part due to the clinical utility of psychopathy as a predictor of violence among adult offenders. Despite interest in “juvenile psychopathy” in general and its relationship to violence in particular, relatively few studies specifically have examined whether operationalizations of this construct among children and adolescents predict various forms of aggression. This article critically reviews this literature, as well as controversies regarding the assessment of adult psychopathic “traits” among juveniles. Existing evidence indicates a moderate association between measures of psychopathy and various forms of aggression, suggesting that this construct may be relevant for purposes of short-term risk appraisal and management among juveniles. However, due to the enormous developmental changes that occur during adolescence and the absence of longitudinal research on the stability of this construct (and its association with violence), we conclude that reliance on psychopathy measures to make decisions regarding long-term placements for juveniles is contraindicated at this time. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Article
Meta-analytic techniques were used to determine which predictor domains and actuarial assessment instruments were the best predictors of adult offender recidivism. One hundred and thirty-one studies produced 1,141 correlations with recidivism. The strongest predictor domains were criminogenic needs, criminal history/history of antisocial behavior, social achievement, age/gender/race, and family factors. Less robust predictors included intellectual functioning, personal distress factors, and socioeconomic status in the family of origin. Dynamic predictor domains performed at least as well as the static domains. The LSI-R was identified as the most useful actuarial measure. Recommendations for developing sound assessment practices in corrections are provided.
Article
A meta-analysis was conducted to analyze recidivism rates and assess the role of antisociality and sexual deviancy in sexual reoffending in juvenile sex offenders. The importance of these constructs is discussed with regard to current theory and in light of methodological and conceptual limitations of previous studies.
Article
A meta-analysis of k = 53 studies containing 60 non-overlapping samples and 10,073 participants was conducted to investigate whether psychopathy was associated with delinquency and (violent) recidivism in juveniles. The results showed that psychopathy was moderately associated with delinquency, general recidivism, and violent recidivism. Moderator effects revealed that various study and participant characteristics influenced the strength of the association between psychopathy, delinquency, and (violent) recidivism. It was concluded that screening for the (early) detection of psychopathy is important, as delinquent behavior and recidivism can be predicted from psychopathy as early as the transition from middle childhood to adolescence.