Table 1

Fulfillment of SVP Standards by Generic Risk-Assessment Measures

Sequential Steps in SVP DeterminationsRisk Measures
HCR-20SVR-20Static-99RRASORMnSost-RVRAGSORAGPCL-RPPG
Step 1
    Assess specific mental disorders?V. limitedV. limitedNoNoV. limitedV. limitedLimitedNoNo
    Assess specific personality disorders?LimitedV. limitedNoNoNoLimitedLimitedNoNo
    Assess specific mental abnormalities?V. limitedV. limitedNoNoNoV. limitedLimitedV. limitedV. limited
Step 2
    Assess volitional impairment?NoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo
Step 3
    Assess volitional impairment arising directly from the clinical condition?NoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo
Step 4
    Predict general sexual recidivism?NoMixedModerateModerateModerateLimitedLimitedLimitedLimited
    Predict violent sexual recidivism?NoPartially*V. limitedV. limitedModerateLimitedV. limitedV. limitedLimited
Step 5
    Establish link between volitional impairment and sexual recidivism?NoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo
Summary
    Number of steps minimally addressed111112211
  • V. limited, very limited coverage or validation; limited, limited coverage or validation; mixed, mixed or divergent results; moderate, some coverage or validation.

  • * While predicting sexual violence, the SVR-20 uses an overly broad classification that includes sex offenses that are not necessarily violent: obscene letters or phone calls, distribution of pornography, voyeurism, and theft of fetish objects.

  • Very limited coverage or validation offers so little data that it is not considered as even “minimal” in satisfying any individual step.