The influence of impulsivity and the Dark Triad on self-reported aggressive driving behaviours.

The present study tested the role of Dark Triad traits (DT; narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) as potential contributors to self-reported aggressive driving alongside driving anger, general aggression, impulsiveness, and attributions of malign driving intent. Members of the general community (N = 168) completed an online survey battery measuring these characteristics, and a proxy measure of aggressive driving. Regression analyses revealed that psychopathy, a history of physical aggression towards others, and the "progress impeded" aspect of driving anger, accounted for 50.8% of the variance in self-reported aggressive driving behaviours. The remaining variables were not significant. A structural equation model found all measures fitted into a single model in which impulsivity and the DT predicted general aggression, general aggression fully mediated the effect of the DT on driving anger, and general aggression and progress impedance predicted self-reported aggressive driving (GFI = 0.925). These results indicate tendencies toward expressing aggression physically, frustration at goals being impeded, and a callous, impulsive nature can predispose an individual to aggressive driving behaviours. Implications of these findings and recommendations for research are discussed.

Volunteering With Sex Offenders: The Attitudes of Volunteers Toward Sex Offenders, Their Treatment, and Rehabilitation.

The general public has been shown to hold negative attitudes toward sexual offenders, sex offender treatment, and the rehabilitation of sexual offenders. It appears pertinent to the success of sex offender management strategies that utilise volunteers that selected volunteers do not share these attitudes. Here, volunteers for Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA), a community-based initiative supporting the reintegration of sex offenders, completed three validated psychometric measures assessing attitudes toward sex offenders in general and toward their treatment and rehabilitation. Responses were compared with a U.K. general public sample. The results showed that volunteers held more positive attitudes toward sex offenders, sex offender treatment, and sex offender rehabilitation than the U.K. general public sample. The significance of these findings is discussed alongside directions for future research.

The differences between sex offenders who victimise older women and sex offenders who offend against children.

OBJECTIVES: Within the literature on sex offending, much attention is paid to the distinction between those sex offenders who offend against adults and those who offend against children. In contrast, there is a paucity of research into sex offenders who offend specifically against elderly or older victims. METHOD: A detailed interview and psychometric tests were conducted with a sample of 28 sex offenders who had been convicted of a sexually motivated offence against an older female. These data were compared to a sample of 23 child sex offenders. RESULTS: Results indicate that amongst other significant differences between these sub-groups, men who offend against older women are generally younger, are more violent, and are more likely to use a weapon and cause injury and death compared to child sex offenders. The men who offended against children were more likely to think about and plan their offending, spend more time with the victim pre and post offence, admit sexual arousal during the offence, and admit to a sexual motivation for the offence. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that men who sexually offend against older women and men who sexually offend against children are distinct groups. Treatment and risk management strategies should take this into account. Further exploration of this sub-group of offenders is recommended to help inform treatment and risk management strategies for sex offenders who offend against older people.

Use of the Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised With Forensic Populations: A Psychometric Critique.

The Social Problem Solving Inventory-Revised (SPSI-R) is a popular psychometric tool used with multiple populations to assess individual problem solving ability. Problem solving deficits have been implicated within forensic literature, and therefore, assessment of these skills is essential to aid decision making and appraisal of treatment change in forensic populations. This review discusses the extent of the validity and reliability of the SPSI-R within forensic populations, and concludes that while the tool has some valid psychometric properties, further studies using larger forensic samples and being inclusive of more subgroups in forensic contexts are needed to provide reliable group comparison norms. Overall, users of the SPSI-R should be aware of the strengths and limitations of using this tool with a forensic population. Impression management is also a consideration when using the SPSI-R within forensic settings.

Psychometric Properties in Forensic Application of the Screening Version of the Psychopathy Checklist.

The Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL: SV) is a short form of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), an expert-rated assessment that measures psychopathic personality traits in research, clinical, and community settings. The PCL-R is an extensively relied upon tool in psycho-legal contexts. The screening version is also widely used; however, it has received far less empirical attention than the PCL-R. This review examines the psychometric properties of the PCL: SV, specifically in relation to forensic samples, and evaluates its comparability with the full PCL-R. Previously reported similarity in the reliability and validity of the PCL: SV as established for the PCL-R was supported through further testing in forensic samples. However, limitations in terms of available normative data are highlighted, and the review engages with wider debate concerning the measurement of psychopathy.

A Case Study Approach to Reducing the Risks of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE).

The risk of child sexual exploitation is a growing concern, both within community and child care settings. Within community services working with vulnerable young people, the risks of exploitation are pervasive and present a constant management problem for professionals. This makes the need for focused educational interventions within such settings all the more vital. This case study aims to describe the assessment, formulation, intervention, and outcomes of a young female considered to be at risk of sexual exploitation. It was hypothesised that, after completion of a psychoeducational group designed to enhance knowledge and skills around child sexual exploitation, positive outcomes would be seen in psychometric assessment, risk-taking behavior, and risk awareness. Results demonstrated no clinically significant change for measures of impulsivity, resourcefulness, or self-reported difficulties. A significant increase was seen for self-reported self-esteem, and all outcomes revealed a positive direction of change. Observational accounts of behavioral and attitudinal change produced more positive results, revealing an increase in prosocial behaviors and a reduction in risk-taking behaviors. Outcomes are discussed in relation to the individual's history and the residential care environment. Implications for future research and practice are outlined, and the study limitations are considered.

The SAPAS, Personality Traits, and Personality Disorder.

Many argue that current categorical personality disorder (PD) classification systems should be more dimensional and consider personality traits. The present study examined whether a brief PD screening tool, the Standardized Assessment of Personality: Abbreviated Scale (SAPAS) primarily screened for traits of low emotional stability, low extraversion, and low agreeableness, rather than PD per se. A general community sample (n = 237) completed the SAPAS, a personality trait measure, and the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE) screening questionnaire. Regressions showed that the SAPAS provided substantial incremental validity over personality trait scores in predicting total IPDE scores, indicating that the SAPAS captures variance unique to PD, rather than just extremes of general disposition. The SAPAS is an empirically valid rapid PD screen for nonclinical populations, correctly identifying 78% of individuals who screen positively for PD on the IPDE. However, the SAPAS was not effective for screening antisocial PD, limiting its utility in forensic settings.

The Use of the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-II With Forensic Populations: A Psychometric Critique.

The State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-II (STAXI-II) is a psychometric assessment that measures the experience, expression, and control of anger in research and clinical settings. Although the STAXI-II is extensively used and its psychometric properties supported, no psychometric critique has yet specifically assessed its utility with forensic populations. The aim of this critique was to explore the validity and reliability of the STAXI-II when used with forensic samples. It was found that the psychometric properties of the STAXI-II, when used with forensic populations, are satisfactory. However, gaps in research and issues that need to be addressed in practice have been highlighted. Although STAXI-II provides a comprehensive measure of anger, it does not capture all aspects of the construct. In addition, the tool does not contain an inherent validity scale, indicating the need to control for social desirability responding when administering the STAXI-II. Practical implications, limitations, and future research will be discussed.

Appraising the risk matrix 2000 static sex offender risk assessment tool.

This critical appraisal explores the reliability and validity of the Risk Matrix 2000 static sex offender risk assessment tool that is widely used in the United Kingdom. The Risk Matrix 2000 has to some extent been empirically validated for use with adult male sex offenders; however, this review highlights that further research into the validity of this static tool with sex offender subgroups or types is necessary in order to improve practical utility. The Risk Matrix 2000 relies on static risk predictors, thus it is limited in scope. This article argues that the addition of dynamic items that have been shown to be predictive of sexual recidivism would further enhance the tool. The paper argues that adding dynamic risk items would fit better with a rehabilitative approach to sex offender risk management and assessment. This would also provide a means by which to effectively plan sex offender treatment and evaluate individual offenders' progress in treatment; however, difficulties remain in identifying and assessing dynamic risk factors of sexual offending and so further research is required.

A systematic review on the effectiveness of sex offender risk assessment tools in predicting sexual recidivism of adult male sex offenders.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to systematically review the effectiveness of risk assessment tools in predicting sexual recidivism of adult male offenders. BACKGROUND: Sex offender risk assessment aids risk management within the criminal justice system. Some tools follow an actuarial approach and some adopt structured professional judgement. There has not been a systematic review evaluating and comparing the effectiveness of those tools and appraising the overall quality of the primary research. METHODS: Six electronic databases and reference lists of relevant meta-analyses were searched. Three experts were contacted to obtain relevant studies. Inclusion criteria were applied to the identified references and the included studies were quality assessed, using pre-defined criteria, prior to data extraction and synthesis. RESULTS: Electronic search yielded 4949 hits. Of these, 1419 duplicates, 1 meta-analysis and 3382 irrelevant hits were excluded. 14 publications identified from previous meta-analyses were included. 2 non-English language duplications of publications were excluded. 89 publications that did not meet inclusion criteria and 15 inaccessible publications were excluded. 11 studies that did not meet minimum threshold criteria and 1 study that re-analysed an already included sample were then excluded, leaving 43 publications containing 43 studies. CONCLUSIONS: All included tools demonstrated at least moderate predictive accuracy, with two reporting a large effect size (VRS-SO and SRA), although these two came under much less empirical scrutiny than the others and may have been the subject of developer bias in the research that is available. The VRS-SO was found to have the highest mean quality score, this again being limited by the number of studies and developer bias. The quality of the primary research is variable. More independent high quality research is needed, particularly on structured professional judgement incorporating dynamic risk factors.