RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Sexually Violent Predators: The Risky Enterprise of Risk Assessment
JF Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online
JO J Am Acad Psychiatry Law
FD American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
SP 523
OP 528
VO 33
IS 4
A1 Rogers, Richard
A1 Jackson, Rebecca L.
YR 2005
UL http://jaapl.org/content/33/4/523.abstract
AB Forensic experts are increasingly asked to consult in sexually violent predator (SVP) determinations. The substantive criteria for SVP standards vary substantially across jurisdictions, but typically include complex judgments regarding volitional impairment and predictive statements focused specifically on sexual violence. A common but questionable practice is the retrofitting of generic risk-assessment measures to address SVP criteria. The marked deficiencies of these measures in addressing the relevant questions, coupled with their methodological limitations, are noted. SVP determinations demand rigorous evaluations of relevant factors that are buttressed by empirically validated methods.