🔑 Key Definitions
Risk Assessment ⚠️: Process of evaluating likelihood of future violent/harmful behavior
Static Risk Factors 🔒: Historical factors that CANNOT change (gender, age at first offense, criminal history)
Dynamic Risk Factors 🔄: Changeable factors that can be targeted in treatment
🛠️ 4 Major Risk Assessment Tools
- HCR-20 - 20 items: Historical (10) + Clinical (5) + Risk Management (5). Widely used internationally.
- VRAG - Actuarial, 12 items, includes PCL-R, predicts violent recidivism
- Static-99 - For SEXUAL offenders, 10 static items, quick to score
- SAVRY - For ADOLESCENTS, 24 risk + 6 protective factors
🔒 7 Static Risk Factors
- 1. Gender (males higher)
- 2. Age at first offense (earlier = higher)
- 3. Criminal history
- 4. History of violence
- 5. Childhood abuse
- 6. Early separation from parents
- 7. Personality disorder (especially ASPD)
🔄 8 Dynamic Risk Factors
- 1. Substance abuse
- 2. Unemployment
- 3. Housing instability
- 4. Antisocial peers
- 5. Relationship problems
- 6. Anger/hostility
- 7. Criminal attitudes
- 8. Medication non-compliance
💡 Exam Tips
- HCR-20 = Historical-Clinical-Risk Management (10-5-5 items)
- Static-99 = SEXUAL offenders; SAVRY = ADOLESCENTS
- ACTUARIAL approach is generally MORE ACCURATE but cannot adjust for unique factors
- Structured Professional Judgment = best of both (actuarial + clinical)
- Limitations: Only PROBABILITIES, base rate problem, false positives/negatives
- Protective factors: Social support, stable employment, older age, treatment engagement