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The Latent Structure of Sexual Violence Risk

A Taxometric Analysis of Widely Used Sex Offender Actuarial Risk Measures

Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, gwalters{at}bop.gov

Raymond A. Knight

Brandeis University

David Thornton

Sand Ridge Secure Treatment Center University of Birmingham

Actuarial scores from widely used sex offender risk instruments (Minnesota Sex Offender Screening Tool—Revised, Risk Matrix 2000, Static—99, Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide, Sexual Violent Risk—20, and Structured Risk Assessment) as well as the Psychopathy Checklist—Revised were subjected to taxometric analysis in a sample of 503 sex offending males using the following three procedures: mean above minus below a cut, maximum eigenvalue, and latent mode factor analysis. Results showed consistent support for a dimensional interpretation of the latent structure of sexual violence risk and psychopathic sexuality. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed with respect to the etiology of sexual violence risk. Clinical implications are discussed with respect to future development of sex offender risk assessment procedures and cutoff scores.

Key Words: taxometric • latent structure • Risk Matrix 2000 • Static—99 • Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide • Sexual Violent Risk—20

Criminal Justice and Behavior, Vol. 36, No. 3, 290-306 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0093854808330341


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