JUVENILE SEX OFFENDER ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL J-SOAP II WJCIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE THURSDAY, SEPT STEVENS POINT, WISCONSIN

GOALS OF WORKSHOP Increase awareness of use of assessment tools with juvenile who offend sexually. Describe components of the J-SOAP II Demonstrate how the tool may be used on a case example

Status of Risk Assessment with Juvenile Sex Offenders Risk Prediction- What does it mean? Assess youth characteristics, history and behavior based on factors shown in the literature to be related to sexual re-offending. Risk measures presence of potential problem Likelihood that problem will occur

WHAT WE KNOW Most studies: sexual recidivism base rates 5 – 14% Higher rates in some older, more aggressive, and residential samples Much higher rates of nonsexual offending True base rates are unknown

Adolescent Sex Offenders: Sexual vs. General Recidivism FU up to 6 years Recidivism % Sexual % General Criminal % (Langstrom & Grann, 2000)

Learning Problems Learning Problems Deviant Sexual Experience Deviant Sexual Experience Cognitive Distortions Cognitive Distortions Deviant Sexual Fantasies Deviant Sexual Fantasies “Recidivism” Social Skills Social Skills (Kenny, Keogh, & Seidler, 2001) Juvenile Sex offenders~ Ages:

Top 3 Factors for Adolescent Sexual Recidivism Number of prior charged sex offenses Number of victims Duration of sexual offending (Epperson, personal communication, 2005)

Risk Factors for Adolescent Sexual Recidivism (cont.) Strongest Support: – Sexual Drive/Preoccupation Previous sexual charges/convictions Deviant sexual interests (fantasies, pre-occupations, & behaviors) Stranger victims – Antisocial Behaviors (Hanson & Morton-Bourgon, 2004) (Worling & Langstrom, 2002) (Workling & Curwen, 2000) Schram, Milloy et al., 2001)

Deviant Sexual Interests “Adolescents who offend sexually and are sexually interested in pre- pubescent children or in sexual violence are at increased risk of committing subsequent sexual offenses.” (Worling & Langstrom, 2002)

JUVENILES WHO PERSISTED INTO ADULTHOOD Low social competence High rates of antisocial behavior High rates of impulsivity (Knight & Prentky, 1993)

“….the purpose of risk assessment is to speculate in an educated way about the violence that an individual might commit, and to identify what is required to stop such violence from occurring.” (Hart, 1999, p. 487)

Purpose of Risk Assessment Guide development for treatment plans Determine level of treatment intervention Determine level of supervision/security Inform ongoing risk management of juvenile sex offenders Use in conjunction with other tools Tools do not replace clinical judgments

ASSESSMENTS ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THE DATA THEY ARE BASED UPON

Status of Risk Assessments Continued No validated instruments currently exist Several tools are being used as guides while validation and testing studies are underway. J-SOAP II ERASOR 2 J-SORRAT II

ERASOR- Worling and Curwen Twenty five items grouped into five domains “Empirically guided checklist” Estimate the short-term risk of sexual re-offense for youth aged Being used in U.S., Canada, and other countries. J-SORRAT –Epperson et. al Test samples being drawn from Utah and Iowa Applies to juvenile males (no 18 year olds) Twelve items Risk Assessment Tool Continued

The Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol II J-SOAP II

J-SOAP Development Bases on clinical studies of juveniles who sexually offend Risk assessment/outcome studies of juveniles who sexually offend Risk assessment/outcome studies from the general juvenile delinquency literature Risk factor assessment/outcome studies of adults who offend sexually

J-SOAP II Empirically-informed assessment guide Used to identify risk & needs Non-sexual offending as well as sexual offending To assist with short-term risk assessment To assist with finding appropriate treatment and case planning

J-SOAP II Includes static and dynamic factors Males aged “Hands on” sexual offenses

J-SOAP II Scales Static / Historical Scales  Sexual Drive/Preoccupation Scale  Impulsive-Antisocial Behavior Scale Dynamic Scales  Intervention Scale  Community Stability Scale

Description of J-SOAP II (Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol) Tool consists of 28 items grouped into four domains or scales 1. Sexual Drive/Sexual Preoccupation 2. Impulse/Antisocial Behavior 3. Intervention 4. Community Stability/Adjustment Scale

J-SOAP II Static Items 1. Sexual Drive / Sexual Preoccupation Scale 1. Prior legally charged sex offenses 2. Number of sexual abuse victims 3. Male child victim 4. Duration of sexual offense history 5. Degree of planning in sexual offense(s) 6. Sexualized aggression 7. Sexual drive and preoccupation 8. Sexual victimization history

J-SOAP II Static Items 2. Impulsive / Antisocial Behavior Scale 9. Caregiver consistency 10. Pervasive anger 11. School behavior problems 12. History of conduct disorder before age Juvenile antisocial behavior [age 10-17] 14. Charged or arrested before age Multiple types of offenses 16. Physical assault history and/or exposure to family violence

J-SOAP II Dynamic Items 3. Intervention Scale 17. Accept responsibility for sexual offense(s) 18. Internal motivation for change 19. Understanding risk factors & applies risk management strategies 20. Empathy 21. Remorse and guilt 22. Cognitive distortions 23. Quality of peer relationships

J-SOAP II Dynamic Items 4. Community Stability / Adjustment Scale 24. Management of sexual urges and desires 25. Management of anger 26. Family stability 27. Stability in school 28. Evidence of support systems

Scoring  0 to 2 Format  0 Apparent absence of the item  1 Some information suggesting item’s presence  2 Clear presence of the item

J-SOAP – II SUMMARY FORM STATIC / HISTORICAL SCALES Sexual Drive/Preoccupation Scale Score: __ /16 = __ Add Items 1-8 (range: 0-16)] Impulsive-Antisocial Behavior Scale Score: __/16 = __ [Add Items 9-16 (range: 0-16)] DYNAMIC SCALES Intervention Scale Score: __/14 = __ [Add Items (range 0-14)] Community Stability Scale Score: __/10 = __ [Add Items 24 – 28 (range: 0-10)]

J-SOAP – II SUMMARY FORM STATIC SCALES – [Add items 1 – 16]___ /32 = ___ DYNAMIC SCALES – [Add items 17 – 28]___/24 = ___ Total J-SOAP II Score – [Add items 1-28]___/56 = ___

When is the J-SOAP II Scored? At intake as part of a comprehensive assessment Post treatment / pre-release from JCI, RCC etc Follow-up Treatment and supervision in community (every 90 days)

RE-ASSESSMENT  Teens  Risk status is likely to change, sometimes rapidly  Re-assess at least every six months  More frequently if risk- relevant changes occur

Who Can Score the J-SOAP II?  You!!!  Social Workers  Agents/County Aftercare Staff  Clinicians  Contract Treatment Providers

J-SOAP II STRENGTHS  J-SOAP-II is an empirically-informed guide  It facilitates systematic assessments of a uniform set of items that may reflect increased risk to reoffend with a sexual or nonsexual offense  J-SOAP-II may be particularly useful for informing and guiding treatment and risk management decisions

LIMITATIONS Additional studies with J-SOAP II are required Adequate predictive validity studies still are needed There are no “cut-off” scores Scores are not associated with probability levels of reoffending J-SOAP-II is not an actuarial scale

ASSESSMENT REMINDERS  Assessments are only as good as the data they are based upon  Control for “evaluator thinking errors”  Risk assessment is just one component of a comprehensive assessment  Evaluations have a life of their own  Advocate for timely reassessments

Case Study