Problem 4: Risk assessment Flashcards
What are the four generations of offender risk assessment tools?
- First Generation (1G): Unstructured professional judgment.
- Second Generation (2G): Static, empirical risk instruments (e.g., Salient Factor Score).
- Third Generation (3G): Dynamic risk factors and criminogenic needs (e.g., LSI-R).
- Fourth Generation (4G): Comprehensive systems linking risk, needs, and strengths to case management (e.g., COMPAS, LS/CMI).
What is the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model?
- Risk Principle: Focus on high-risk individuals for intervention.
- Need Principle: Address criminogenic needs (dynamic risk factors) to reduce recidivism.
- Responsivity Principle: Tailor interventions to individual characteristics (e.g., learning styles, abilities).
What are the Big Four risk factors in criminal behavior?
- Antisocial attitudes
- Antisocial associates
- Behavior history
- Antisocial personality patterns
These form the core of the Central Eight criminogenic needs.
What theoretical model is most prominent in the Psychology of Criminal Conduct (PCC)?
Social learning theory and social cognition theory dominate.
Combines constructs like low self-control, antisocial cognition, and antisocial associates.
What are the empirical findings supporting the Risk Principle, Need principle and Responsivity principle?
Risk Principle
- Precision in risk assessment improves outcomes.
Need principle
- Targeting multiple criminogenic needs is essential.
Responsivity principle
- General responsivity improves outcomes, but tailored attention to staff skills, training, and management integrity increases correlations
What is the predictive validity of 1G vs. 2G assessments?
*1G (Unstructured clinical judgment): Weak predictive validity (r = .12).
2G (Actuarial tools): Improved validity (r = .42 for general recidivism; r = .39 for violent recidivism).
What distinguishes 3G and 4G risk assessment tools?
3G: Include dynamic factors and criminogenic needs (e.g., LSI-R).
4G: Add strengths assessments, reassessments, and link assessments to case planning and outcomes (e.g., LS/CMI).
What does the Correctional Program Assessment Inventory (CPAI2000) evaluate?
Measures adherence to RNR principles.
Identifies strengths and weaknesses in correctional programs.
Agencies using CPAI-aligned practices show higher recidivism reduction (r = .33 vs. r = .16 without adherence).
What are critiques of the RNR model?
- Overemphasis on risk and need, neglecting offender strengths.
- Potential bias in risk assessments due to socioeconomic or cultural factors.
- Need for more focus on well-being and specific responsivity strategies.
What is the General Personality Cognitive Social Learning (GPCSL) perspective?
The GPCSL perspective explains criminal behavior through a framework focusing on dynamic risk factors (e.g., attitudes, behaviors) and social learning processes. It underpins the Central Eight risk/need factors and informs the Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) model for effective offender assessment and treatment.
What is the difference between General Responsivity and Specific Responsivity?
General Responsivity: Use evidence-based methods like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to address behavior universally.
Specific Responsivity: Tailor interventions to individual traits (e.g., personality, culture, motivation) for maximum effectiveness.
What does the Need Principle focus on?
Treatment must prioritize criminogenic needs, which are dynamic factors linked to recidivism (e.g., procriminal attitudes, substance abuse). Addressing noncriminogenic needs is secondary but can improve engagement in treatment.
How does the Risk Principle affect treatment intensity?
High-risk offenders require intensive services to reduce recidivism.
Over-treating low-risk offenders can lead to negative effects and inefficient resource use.
Why is structured assessment important in the RNR model?
Structured assessments are more reliable and valid than unstructured professional judgment. They help accurately identify high-risk offenders and align treatment intensity with risk levels.
What is the strength principle in RNR?
Integrating offender strengths into assessments and treatment enhances engagement, motivation, and recidivism reduction.
What are the four types of predictions in a 2 × 2 risk assessment table?
- True Positive (TP): Correctly predicting recidivism.
- False Positive (FP): Incorrectly predicting recidivism.
- False Negative (FN): Failing to predict recidivism.
- True Negative (TN): Correctly predicting no recidivism.
What characterizes first-generation risk assessments?
Based on unstructured professional judgment and intuition.
Lacks standardization, relying on subjective criteria.
Key limitation: Low reliability and predictive accuracy due to informal and non-measurable criteria.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of second-generation risk assessments?
Strengths:
* Introduced actuarial tools using static, evidence-based factors like criminal history.
* Improved predictive accuracy (AUCs: .64–.76).
Weaknesses:
* Focused only on static factors, ignoring changeable ones.
* Lacked a theoretical foundation for explaining criminal behavior.
How did third-generation assessments improve on previous methods?
Added dynamic criminogenic needs (e.g., substance abuse, procriminal attitudes) to static factors.
Guided targeted interventions and treatment plans.
Tools like LSI-R demonstrated strong validity for predicting general and violent recidivism.
What distinguishes fourth-generation assessments from earlier tools?
Integrated risk/need assessment with structured case management.
Included criminogenic and non-criminogenic needs.
Focused on responsivity factors (e.g., cultural and personal traits).
Allowed real-time tracking of offender progress (e.g., LS/CMI).
What is the Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI)?
A fourth-generation assessment tool that:
* Combines risk/need assessment with structured case management.
* Tracks offender progress and integrates responsivity considerations.
* Addresses criminogenic and noncriminogenic needs.
What are Daly’s five pathways for female offending?
- Street Women: Survive abuse/life on streets through theft, drugs, or prostitution.
- Battered Women: Commit crime as a reaction to severe victimization.
- Drug-Connected: Drug-related offenses tied to intimate relationships.
- Harmed and Harming: Chronic offending linked to victimization.
- Other: Economic crimes like theft or embezzlement.
What are Gender-Informed (GI) factors, and how do they impact risk assessment?
GI factors include anger, victimization, parental stress, and self-esteem.
Mixed results: Improve prediction for specific groups but are not universally effective.
Debate exists about whether these factors are truly gender-specific.
