Racial differences in static and dynamic sexual risk assessment instruments: Static-99R and Violence Risk Scale-Sexual Offender.

Abstract

Individuals who commit sexual offenses are evaluated for reoffense risk using assessments of dynamic and static personal characteristics. Two of the most frequently used sexual risk assessments are the revised version of Static-99 (Static-99R) and Violence Risk Scale-Sexual Offender Version (VRS-SO), which have been largely developed and validated in non-Hispanic White samples. Using diverse, above-average risk U.S. samples, this study sought to (a) investigate racial differences in scoring on the Static-99R and the VRS-SO and (b) replicate the factor structure of the VRS-SO from Olver et al. (2007). A total of 1,104 assessment scores were collected from the Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center and the New York State Office of Mental Health. All assessments were scored by trained forensic psychology evaluators at these institutions. Results showed racial differences in Static-99R and VRS-SO assessments. Specifically, non-Hispanic White patients were more likely to have higher scores in constructs related to sexual deviancy, while non-Hispanic Black patients were more likely to have higher scores in constructs related to general criminality. We did not replicate the original factor structure of Olver et al. and found the factor structures of VRS-SO items differ systematically across the two racial groups.