Does consideration of psychopathy and sexual deviance add to the predictive validity of the static-99R?

The Static-99 is the most commonly used actuarial risk assessment tool for the prediction of sexual recidivism. In addition, the use of psychopathy and sexual deviance has been common in assessing sexual offenders, based on research suggesting that these factors have predictive validity. It has also become common practice to modify risk assessments based on the Static-99/99R because of the presence of psychopathy and indicators of deviant sexual interests, although to date there has been no research validating this procedure.

The Static-99R: are there really differences between the normative groups?

A sample of 348 high-risk sexual offenders was divided into two groups based on the level of preselection (detained, n = 211, and nondetained, n = 137) and the groups were compared on a number of measures which were related to dynamic risk. The hypothesis was that the detained group would score as being higher need on these instruments than the nondetained group. This hypothesis was supported with the detained group reporting greater levels of hostility, cognitive distortions supportive of offending, sexual obsessions, and sexually deviant behaviours.

Comparison of measures of risk for recidivism in sexual offenders.

Data for both sexual and violent recidivism for the Static-99, Risk Matrix 2000 (RM 2000), Rapid Risk Assessment for Sex Offense Recidivism (RRASOR), and Static-2002 are reported for 419 released sexual offenders assessed at the Regional Treatment Centre Sexual Offender Treatment Program. Data are analyzed by offender type as well as the group as a whole. Overall, the Static-2002 performed best for both outcomes, although differences between measures were not significant.

Comparison of two risk assessment instruments for sexual offenders.

The current research examines the predictive validity of the Static-99 and the SORAG in predicting sexual and violent recidivism among a sample of 258 treated high-risk sexual offenders. While the SORAG was found to have moderate predictive accuracy for both sexual and violent recidivism over a 5-year follow-up period, the Static-99 was found to only predict sexual recidivism. As well, the actual recidivism rates in the current sample were compared to the published risk percentages for each of the instruments.

Alcohol and drug abuse among sexual and nonsexual offenders: relationship to intimacy deficits and coping strategy.

Three groups of subjects (N = 95) consisting or rapists, child molesters, and a comparison group of violent offenders were examined with reference to history of alcohol abuse, history of drug abuse, intimacy deficits, and emotionally based coping strategies. No differences were found between the two groups of sex offenders on any of the measures examined. Sex offenders were found to be significantly older than the comparison group.

Alcohol and drug abuse in sexual and nonsexual violent offenders.

According to a literature review by Marshall (1996), presently available data have not clarified the proportion of sexual offenders who would meet diagnostic criteria for addictive problems. Our own literature review failed to find published studies comparing sexual offenders to nonsexual violent offenders on standardized measures of substance abuse. Our study is a preliminary investigation of the differences between sexual offenders (rapists: n = 72; child molesters: n = 34) and nonsexual violent offenders (n = 24) on measures of alcohol and drug abuse.

Sexual arousal in rapists as measured by two stimulus sets.

Some uncertainty exists in the literature regarding the status of phallometric testing with rapists. Although Quinsey and colleagues (1981) argue that rapists can be distinguished from nonsexual offenders with appropriate phallometric tests, Marshall (in press) argues that the validity of such testing is not proved, and that findings supportive of the testing are a artifact of population differences (i.e.

The extreme regressive reaction of a psychopath.

Recent work on the phenomena associated with the concept of psychopathy has made more confident the clinician's identification of the syndrome, and enables a better examination of certain behaviors related to the diagnosis. One of these is an extreme form of regressive reaction often associated with adaptation to a new restrictive environment. In dynamic terms this can be seen as a primitive attempt to seize control of the maternal universe, perhaps re-enacting a successful strategy of the infant past.