Development of a risk assessment tool for Japanese sex offenders: The Japanese Static-99.

In Japan, sexual offending, especially paraphilic sexual offending, has become a major problem, and approximately 3000 people are arrested for frotteuristic and voyeuristic behavior each year. Considering the repetitive nature of such behaviors, determining the recidivism risk is imperative. Globally, Static-99 is one of the most widely used actuarial risk assessment tools to predict recidivism among sex offenders. However, sexual offending is largely influenced by social and cultural backgrounds, and whether risk factors identified in the West are applicable to other countries is unknown. Therefore, we developed a Japanese version of the Static-99 and examined its reliability and validity with 167 Japanese paraphilic sex offenders. The results showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.88) and predictive accuracy (area under the curve = 0.76). The results indicate that the Japanese Static-99 can be used with Japanese sex offenders. Moreover, risk factors identified in the Western context are applicable to Japanese sex offenders despite the different nature and manifestations of their offending.

Validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the kleptomania symptom assessment scale: A comparison between individuals with kleptomania and prisoners in Japan.

INTRODUCTION: In Japan, the rate of recidivism among thieves is high, some of which may be caused by kleptomania. The purpose of this study was to translate the Kleptomania Symptom Assessment Scale (K-SAS) into Japanese and validate its psychometric properties in a Japanese sample. A second purpose of the study was to evaluate the validity of K-SAS to discriminate between individuals with kleptomania and shoplifters not affected by the disorder. METHODS: The original K-SAS was translated by researchers. The back-translation of the scale into English was conducted by a professional translator who was fluent in both languages. The items on the Japanese version of K-SAS were deemed appropriate for the Japanese context after being reviewed by a forensic psychiatry specialist. The sample included 22 kleptomania patients, 26 shoplifters, and 47 healthy adults. We tested the scale properties and validity to discriminate between the three groups. RESULTS: The Japanese version of the K-SAS showed adequate reliability and validity. Individuals affected by kleptomania had significantly higher scores than shoplifters and healthy adults. Furthermore, the K-SAS score of kleptomania was not correlated with typical antisocial tendencies. Moreover, the K-SAS score for kleptomania was not correlated with psychometric scales related to obsessive-compulsive disorder and borderline personality disorder. CONCLUSIONS: The Japanese version of the K-SAS is a useful assessment tool for distinguishing between individuals with kleptomania and shoplifters not affected by the disorder in Japan.