Seewald, Katharina
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Effectiveness of a risk–need–responsivity-based treatment program for violent and sexual offenders : Results of a retrospective, quasi-experimental study
Purpose
Relapse prevention is an important goal in correctional settings. Although there is strong evidence for the effectiveness of certain treatment programs for juvenile offenders, those for adults lack such evidence. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a risk–need–responsivity (RNR)-based intervention.
Methods
A quasi-experimental, observational study design and cox regression analysis were used to compare treated violent and sexual offenders (n = 171) with untreated offenders (n = 241).
Results
Both groups were observed for an average of 7.9 years. Recidivism rates of treated offenders (11.7%, n = 20) were similar to those of control offenders (15.8%, n = 38; p = .25). When controlling for confounding variables, the hazard of recidivism in the treatment group was 5.2% lower than that in the control group. Subdividing the treatment group resulted in lower hazard ratios for offenders still in therapy when released and offenders cancelling therapy. However, none of the group differences was statistically significant.
Conclusion
Our results show that control and RNR-based treatment groups had comparable recidivism rates with a trend towards a positive treatment effect, especially for people in outpatient treatment. However, criminal history, age at the start of follow-up, and actuarial risk of recidivism were significantly associated with recidivism. Future research needs to apply elaborate methodological approaches to detect robust treatment effects and consider different criteria of treatment effectiveness. Furthermore, the influence of prison climate, motivational factors, intervention quality, and factors supporting the success of outpatient treatment should be considered in future studies of larger offender samples.
Enquête internationale sur les pratiques d’évaluation du risque de violence : présentation des données belges
Psychopathologie von Amokläufern : ein systematischer Vergleich der Täterprofile von Erwachsenen-Amok, Schul-Amok und Selbstmordattentaten
Der Begriff des Amoks wird für unterschiedliche Formen von zielgerichteter Gewalt verwendet, die sich gegen mehrere Personen richtet. Schul-Amok, Arbeitsplatz-Amok und terroristische Selbstmordattentate beschreiben spezifische Formen des Amoks. Wenngleich Amoktaten vergleichbar seltene Ereignisse darstellen, sind, nicht zuletzt aufgrund der medialen Verbreitung, die gesellschaftlichen Auswirkungen hoch. Dementsprechend hat die Früherkennung von potenziellen Amoktätern und die Verhinderung entsprechender Delikte eine große gesellschaftspolitische Relevanz. Unter Gesichtspunkten der Prävention kommt der Frage nach psychiatrischen Auffälligkeiten der Täter eine besondere Bedeutung zu. Vorliegende Übersichtsarbeit stellt eine systematische Aufarbeitung empirischer Befunde über die Psychopathologie von Amoktätern dar.
Assessing the risk of intimate partner violence : expert evaluations versus the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment
In the forensic field, a reliable and valid assessment of domestic perpetrators who pose a high risk of reassaulting an intimate partner is needed to implement effective risk management strategies. The purpose of the present study was to examine the accuracy of two violence risk assessment methods in identifying high-risk perpetrators of IPV, comparing forensic experts with psychology students. For a cohort (n = 30) of domestic violent cases that required an expert evaluation in the Canton of Zurich in Switzerland, violence risk was assessed by certified forensic psychiatrists using unstructured clinical judgment (UCJ) and by undergraduate and graduate research assistants scoring the actuarial Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA) instrument. After a mean follow-up period of 8.0 years, the base rate of violent recidivism was 20.0%. Students were significantly more accurate than clinical experts in assessing long-term violent recidivism (AUC = 0.78 vs. 0.44). Raters without extensive clinical training could differentiate those spouses who carried on assaulting their intimate partner from those who desisted from violent behavior. Potential explanations are clinical assessment biases and the mediating effect of interventions. Further research should address the lack of use of mechanical instruments in clinical forensic practice.
International Perspectives on the Practical Application of Violence Risk Assessment : A Global Survey of 44 Countries
Mental health professionals are routinely called upon to assess the risk of violence presented by their patients. Prior surveys of risk assessment methods have been largely circumscribed to individual countries and have not compared the practices of different professional disciplines. Therefore, a Web-based survey was developed to examine methods of violence risk assessment across six continents, and to compare the perceived utility of these methods by psychologists, psychiatrists, and nurses. The survey was translated into nine languages and distributed to members of 59 national and international organizations. Surveys were completed by 2135 respondents from 44 countries. Respondents in all six continents reported using instruments to assess, manage, and monitor violence risk, with over half of risk assessments in the past 12 months conducted using such an instrument. Respondents in Asia and South America reported conducting fewer structured assessments, and psychologists reported using instruments more than psychiatrists or nurses. Feedback regarding outcomes was not common: respondents who conducted structured risk assessments reported receiving feedback on accuracy in under 40% of cases, and those who used instruments to develop management plans reported feedback on whether plans were implemented in under 50% of cases. When information on the latter was obtained, risk management plans were not implemented in over a third of cases. Results suggest that violence risk assessment is a global phenomenon, as is the use of instruments to assist in this task. Improved feedback following risk assessments and the development of risk management plans could improve the efficacy of health services.