Leam A. Craig

The Relationship of Statistical and Psychological Risk Markers to Sexual Reconviction in Child Molesters

This study examines the integration of statistical and psychological risk factors using psychometric markers of psychopathology and psychosexual characteristics from the Static-99 in 119 sexual offenders. Psychological risk markers are combined to approximate four deviancy domains: sexual interests, distorted attitudes, socio-affective functioning, and self-management. The sexual interests domain predicts sexual reconviction independent of Static-99. The four deviancy domains are used to calculate the Psychological Deviance Index, which was also found to predict sexual reconviction independent of Static-99. Organizing the Static-99 risk items into three subscales (sexual deviance, general criminality, and immaturity) reveals a distinct pattern of correlations within the psychological markers and risk domains. The Static-99 sexual deviance and general criminality subscales make modest predictions. Results support the use of integrating statistical and psychological markers within a risk domains framework in predicting sexual reconviction.

Cross-Validation of the Risk Matrix 2000 Sexual and Violent Scales

The predictive accuracy of the newly developed actuarial risk measures Risk Matrix 2000 Sexual/Violence (RMS, RMV) were cross validated and compared with two risk assessment measures (SVR-20 and Static-99) in a sample of sexual (n= 85) and nonsex violent (n= 46) offenders. The sexual offense reconviction rate for the sex offender group was 18% at 10 years follow-up, compared with 2% for the violent offenders. Survival analyses revealed the violent offenders were reconvicted at twice the rate compared to sexual offenders. The RMV significantly predicted violent recidivism in the sex and combined sex/violent offender groups. Although the RMS obtained marginal accuracy in predicting sexual reconviction in the sex offender group, none of the scales significantly predicted sexual reconviction. An item analysis revealed four factors not included in the risk scales that were significantly correlated with sexual and violent reconviction. Combining these factors with Static-99, RMV, and RMS increased the accuracy in predicting sexual reconviction.

Sexual recidivism: A review of static, dynamic and actuarial predictors

The need for accurate risk assessment of sexual offence recidivism has never been greater. It is widely accepted that actuarial risk instruments outperform clinical judgement and the literature has recently witnessed a surge of empirically derived actuarial measures. However, in spite of the increased levels of predictive accuracy, actuarial measures have been criticized as being unrepresentative, lacking specificity, and being heavily reliant on static risk factors without taking into account dynamic risk, psychological emotional states and treatment effects. Rather than offering a critique of the actuarial movement, this paper offers a summary of static and dynamic risk factors associated with sexual offence recidivism as identified from the literature. Implications of incorporating dynamic factors into risk assessments and actuarial measures are discussed.

Treatment And Sexual Offence Recidivism

Cognitive-behavioral treatment has emerged as the principle type of sex offender treatment targeting deviant arousal, increasing appropriate sexual desires, modifying distorted thinking, and improving interpersonal coping skills. However, treatment effectiveness in reducing sexual offence recidivism continues to be questioned. This is despite the fact that since 1995, five meta-analytical studies have claimed positive treatment effects in reducing sexual offence recidivism. However, many treatment studies have been criticized for weaknesses in their methodologies. In addition, methodological differences between studies make it difficult to determine treatment efficacy. This review found that since 1995, 19 treatment studies have been published, and a third of the 18 studies demonstrating positive treatment effects used sound methodological techniques. Additional treatment studies are needed that utilize sound methodological principles to establish the most effective way of reducing sexual reoffending.

The impact of training on attitudes towards sex offenders

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to measure attitudes towards sex offenders held by professionals and paraprofessionals and to evaluate an introductory training workshop aimed at increasing knowledge and improving attitudes to this client group. Eighty-five residential hostel workers and probation officers attended an intensive two-day training workshop and were asked to complete the Attitudes to Sexual Offenders (ATS: Hogue, 1993), Attitudes to Prisoners (ATP: Melvin, Gramling, & Gardner, 1985) and Working with Offenders Questionnaires (WOQ: see Hogue, 1995) before and after the training. Although none of the sample had previously received any formal training in working with sex offenders, all acted as supervisors of sex offenders in residential settings. The participants expressed significantly more favourable attitudes toward prisoners (non-sex offenders) compared with more negative attitudes toward sex offenders. Although there was little change in attitudes toward sex offenders post-training, there was a significant improvement in the participants’ confidence in working with sex offenders after attending the workshop. Eighty-six percent of the participants felt they had the skills to work effectively in treating sexual offenders. Female workers were more concerned for their safety and expressed more negative views towards sex offenders than male workers. Participants aged 35 years and older tended to express more positive attitudes regarding the rehabilitation of sexual offenders than did younger participants. Introductory training workshops for paraprofessionals are effective in improving awareness and confidence in working with sex offenders. Issues of staff selection and training are discussed.

Risk Scales And Factors Predictive Of Sexual Offence Recidivism

Accurate assessments of levels of risk posed by sexual offenders are in high demand as decisions concerning whether an offender should be released into the community can have severe consequences both for the offender and the public. This article reviews factors predictive of sexual offence recidivism and the 12 most widely used actuarial risk assessment instruments for sexual offenders. It was found that 10 out of the 12 actuarial and clinical measures available are better at distinguishing general recidivism than sexual offence reoffending. Ten assessments predominately use static risk factors, and 7 do not consider treatment effects. Hence, the validity of these instruments for use with sex offenders is in question. It is argued that the use of both static factors and variations of dynamic risk factors, using the actuarial approach, will predict those offenders who will reoffend and distinguish them from those who are not likely to reoffend. Evidence-based dynamic risk factors that are sensitive to sexual reoffending are identified.

Treating Sexual Offenders With Learning Disabilities in the Community A Critical Review

This study offers a critical review of a treatment group for sexual offenders with learning disabilities. The participants were diverted from criminal proceedings due to their level of cognitive functioning and attended a 7-month treatment program comprising of four main components: sex education, cognitive distortions, offending cycle, and relapse prevention. A number of psychometric assessments were administered immediately before and after intervention. Although no significant differences were found in attitudes toward sexual offending following treatment, the trend was for improvements in sex knowledge and honesty of sexual interest. Improvements in socialization skills (leisure time and interpersonal skills) were significant. No further incidents of sexual offending have been reported during a 12-month follow-up. A number of explanations for the nonsignificant improvement in attitudes are considered and recommendations for future treatment evaluation studies are made. The development of specific questionnaires and treatment programs for sexual offenders with learning disabilities is discussed.

Sexual offenders with learning disabilities: risk, recidivism and treatment

Abstract While the literature on the assessment, treatment and management of non-learning disabled sexual offenders is well established, it is only in recent years that researchers and clinicians have focused on sexual offenders with learning disabilities. In contrast to mainstream sex offender treatment programmes, there are few evaluated community-based treatment programmes for sexual offenders with learning disabilities, and of the small number of published studies that describe treatment programmes, most are based on small samples and few have been validated empirically. Sexual offenders with learning disabilities differ from their non-disabled counterparts in several important ways, having implications for management and treatment. Due to methodological differences between studies, the prevalence of sexual offending by men with learning disabilities is not clear. However, in some studies, the sexual recidivism rate of offenders with learning disabilities is 6.8 times and 3.5 times that of non-disabled sexual offenders at 2- and 4-years’ follow-up, respectively. Sexual offenders with learning disabilities are also at greater risk of re-offending in a shorter time period. There remains an urgent need for further research into the assessment of risk and whether components from mainstream treatment programmes can be adapted to meet the needs of learning disabled sexual offenders. Approaches to working with sexual offenders with learning disabilities and programme development are discussed.

What Works in Offender Rehabilitation: An Evidence-Based Approach to Assessment and Treatment

compendium of work related to offender assessment and treatment. Comprehensive in scope and written by the very best researchers and practitioners in the field, this book is set to become an essential guide for forensic professionals and a core text for those on teaching and training courses. In bringing this collection of excellent chapters together, the editors have done a great service to all of us who work with offenders to reduce crime.” Professor Mary McMurran, PhD, Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham

Limitations in actuarial risk assessment of sexual offenders: a methodological note

The assessment of risk of recidivism in sexual offenders is fundamental to clinical practice. It is widely accepted that, compared with actuarial measures of risk, unaided clinical judgment has generally been found to be of low reliability. Consequently, the literature has shown a surge in actuarial measures. However, a major difficulty in assessing risk in sex offenders is the low base rate, leading to an increased likelihood of making a false positive predictive error. To overcome this, risk assessment studies are increasingly using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC), which displays the relationship between level of risk and decision choice. This note summarises the methodological issues in measuring predictive accuracy in assessing risk of re‐offending in sexual offenders, and identifies from the literature both static and dynamic risk factors associated with sexual offence recidivism.