Where should we intervene?: Dynamic predictors of sexual assault recidivism

Reports on information concerning dynamic (changeable) risk factors that were collected through interviews with community supervision officers and file reviews of 208 sexual offense recidivists and 201 nonrecidivists. The recidivists were generally considered to have poor social supports, attitudes tolerant of sexual assault, antisocial lifestyles, poor self-management strategies, and difficulties cooperating with supervision. The overall mood of the recidivists and nonrecidivists was similar, but the recidivists showed increased anger and subjective distress just before reoffending. The dynamic risk factors reported by the officers continued to be strongly associated with recidivism, even after controlling for preexisting differences in static risk factors. The factors identified in the interview data were reflected (to a lesser extent) in the officers' contemporaneous case notes, which suggests that the interview findings cannot be completely attributed to retrospective recall bias. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2002 APA, all rights reserved)
Author: 
Hanson,R.Karl
Harris,Andrew J.R.
Notes: 
LA- English AN- 2000-13263-001
Reprint Status: 
IN FILE
Start Page: 
6
End Page: 
35
Journal/Periodical Name: 
Criminal Justice and Behavior
Volume: 
27
Issue: 
1
Abstract: 
The authors interviewed community supervision officers and reviewed the files on 208 sexual offense recidivists and 201 nonrecidivists, with an eye to collecting data on dynamic (changeable) risk factors. They found that the recidivists generally had poor social supports, attitudes tolerant of sexual assault, antisocial lifestyles, poor self-management strategies, and difficulties cooperating with supervision. The recidivists and nonrecidivists were similar in terms of overall mood, but the recidivists showed increased anger and subjective distress just before re-offending. Dynamic risk factors continued to be strongly associated with recidivism, even after controlling for preexisting differences in static risk factors. The factors identified in the interview data were reflected (to a lesser extent) in the officers' contemporaneous case notes, suggesting that the interview findings are not completely attributable to retrospective recall bias.
Topic Areas: 
Perpetration; risk
Reference Type: 
JOUR
Reference ID: 
155
Publication Date: 
2000/02