Sex Offender Re-Offense Risk Assessment Videotape Training Program

Reviews and Testimonials

Media Review written by Judith Becker, Ph.D. published in the Journal of Sex Education and Therapy, Vol. 25, No. 4, 2000

Dr. Becker is a professor of psychology at the University of Arizona. She has conducted clinical research with sex offenders for the past 25 years. She serves on the Board of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and is the editor of the journal, Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment.

Sex offender re-offense risk assessment videotape series consists of a 12-hour videotape-training program and a manual, which consists of copies of over 800 slides that have been used by the presenters in their video training. The manual also contains non-encrypted sex offender re-offense assessment instruments, and related readings. This is an outstanding video program that provides the most up-to-date information and research on sex offender risk assessment by the leading experts in the field. The manual contains three case descriptions of sexual offenders which a number of the presenters score using the actuarial instruments.

The field of sex offender re-offense risk assessment has undergone the following developmental sequence. Initially, individuals were using clinical judgment in an attempt to predict risk of re-offending. A number of individuals then moved from clinical judgment to using lists of risk factors, and more recently there has been the development of numerous risk assessment scales, actuarial instruments that have been used to assist the clinician in attempting to ascertain the level of risk if an offender presents with certain characteristics.

This videotape series is highly recommended for any clinician who is involved in attempting to evaluate risk of re-offense in a sex offender population. It is also recommended for members of the legal system, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges, as a very comprehensive and thorough review of research to date on actuarial risk assessment measures.

This is a rapidly growing field, and new data is emerging rather rapidly. A number of the presenters have indicated that as research in the area continues, more likely than not there will be revisions made to these instruments. A particularly crucial aspect of risk assessment involves the identification of dynamic risk factors, given that the present actuarial instruments are developed based on static risk factors.

The first videotape is a presentation by R. Karl Hanson. Dr. Hanson in 1998 published an article entitled Predicting Relapse: A Meta-analysis of Sex Offender Recidivism Studies. This was a most important study in that it provided information on studies involving a sample of over 23,000 sex offenders. Dr. Hanson then describes the use of the Rapid Risk Assessment for Sex Offender Recidivism (RRASOR) and the Static-99 and a more recent risk assessment instrument that targets dynamic prediction entitled The Sex Offender Need Assessment Rating (SONAR). Information is provided on risk levels for the Static -99. Dr. Hanson then rates the three case studies utilizing the actuarial assessment instruments.

The second videotape in the series is a presentation by Thomas Grisso, Ph.D. on Ethical Issues in Sex Offender Re-Offense Risk Assessment. Dr. Grisso raises two questions at the beginning of his presentation, and then answers these questions during the presentation. The first question is, "Do actuarial methods meet ethical requirements in legal cases?" and the second is, "What type of testimony is warranted?" This is an excellent training tape addressing most important issues in the field. Dr. Grisso in this tape makes the point that just because a practice is legal does not necessarily mean that it is ethical. He advises individuals using these instruments to understand the relative laws and how the court may interpret testimony. He also briefly addresses the issues of the controversies regarding civil commitment laws. As Dr. Grisso points out, in utilizing these instruments, what we know is a level of risk, not that a specific individual will definitely re-offend. He recommends the use of a multi-method approach.

Videotape number two also includes a presentation by Douglas Epperson, Ph.D. on the Minnesota Sex Offender Tool-Revised (MnSOST-R). This actuarial assessment tool has been utilized with individuals who have engaged in extra-familial sexual offenders. Reliability and validity statistics are presented on this 16-item scale. Dr. Epperson, in his presentation, also scores the case vignettes.

Tape number three is a presentation by Robert Prentky, Ph.D. on a Juvenile Sex Offender Protocol (J-SOAP). This is the first empirically derived actuarial assessment tool for juvenile sex offenders. It is a 26-item assessment tool that consists of both static and dynamic risk factors. The sample used to construct the scale were 96 juvenile sex offenders who ranged in age from 9 to 20 with an overage age of 14.2 years. The sample was predominantly from the inner city of Philadelphia and of low socioeconomic status. Dr. Prentky found item reliabilities were good to excellent on this scale. He found an extremely low base rate for sexual recidivism of 4%. He knows however that this may be due to the fact that on average, follow-up was for a 12-month period. Dr. Prentky notes two special problems encountered when dealing with juvenile sex offenders. The first is the low base rate, and the second is the difficulty in differentiating between age-appropriate and age-inappropriate sexual preferences for juvenile offenders.

David Thornton, Ph.D., on tape four addresses structured risk assessment as well as sex offender risk assessment using dynamic factors and risk assessment with non-convicted sex offenders. Dr. Thornton covers static assessment, initial deviance assessment, program assessment, and acute risk factors in this presentation. In addressing research that he or his colleagues have conducted on dynamic risk factors, there are four areas to be addressed. The first is sexual interest, the second deviant attitudes, the third socio-affective, and the fourth self-management. Dr. Thornton presents the results of some recent studies having been conducted in Great Britain on dynamic risk factors.

Of critical importance to clinicians is how to assess progress when sex offenders are entered into treatment programs. Dr. Thornton addresses this in his presentation and again presents data on studies that have been conducted assessing progress or lack thereof in treatment.

Dr. Thornton, in his presentation, rates two of the cases that are presented in the manual, and was unable to rate the third because enough information was not provided given the particular scale that he was using. This is a very interesting presentation given that the recidivism data to date has been based on individuals who have been arrested for sex offenses. He addresses in his presentation risk assessment for individuals who have not been arrested, but individuals who have expressed concern.

Dr. Thornton also discusses the issue of convictions vs. offenses. Available data indicate that individuals may commit anywhere from 2.5 to 3 offenses that they are then convicted for when information is available from other official sources.

Tape number five includes a presentation by Dennis M. Doren, Ph.D., and Robert Hare, Ph.D. Dr. Doren discusses conducting the risk assessment evaluation and report writing, as well as testifying in court. He gives extremely helpful hints to the practitioner in t4erms of the preparation of the report, and do's and don'ts regarding court testimony. Dr. Hare gives a very stimulating presentation on the topic of psychopathy as a sex offender risk predictor. Given that at least two of the actuarial assessments in use include scores from they Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), this is a very important and elucidating topic and presentation. Dr. Hare makes the point that if an individual is a sexual deviant and also scores high on psychopathy, that they are particularly lethal. He also discusses research findings in attempting to gain understanding of what the etiologies of the psychopathy might be. Vernon Quinsey, Ph.D., presents on the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG) and Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide (SORAG) that he and his colleagues have developed. Dr. Quinsey scores the three case vignettes using these instruments. He also in his presentation discusses the implications of actuarial assessment for sexual predator legislation.

The final tape in this series is a presentation by Dr. Doren in which he compares the risk assessment instruments followed by a panel discussion by all of the presenters.

This is a very exciting time for those professionals involved in working with sexual offenders. Rapid advances have been made in assessing risk, and resear4ch continues to be ongoing. The presenters make the point that our knowledge base is gaining rapidly, and as research findings continue to emerge, we will be better informed as to being able to identify those sex offenders most at risk of recidivating. Research will also assist in informing us as to what the targets of treatment intervention should be. It truly appears that the challenging area for us is being able to develop interventions for those particularly high-risk offenders and those individuals who score high on psychopathy. This videotape series is well worth the cost and is a "must" for any professional who is involved in the assessment of the sex offender. Given how quickly information is being accumulated, hopefully an updated videotape series will be available within a two-year period, providing research advances over that time period.

This series has numerous strengths, and it is difficult to identify any weaknesses. If the series is to be updated as new knowledge becomes available, it is recommended that more time be allotted for questions from audience members to the experts presenting their work.

Order Sex Offender Re-Offense Risk Assessment Videotape Training Program

Back to top