Contemporary Risk Assessment Tools: Should We Use Them for Sexually Abusive Children Ages 4 to 12  Years?

AbstractEmpirical findings are reported on an age group of sexually abusive youth (4 –12 years) not commonly studied. Findings are from major studies employing the ecologically framedMEGA♪ risk assessment tool:MEGA♪Combined Samples Studies (N  = 3901 [1979–2017] (Miccio-FonsecaJournal of Child Sexual Abuse: Special Issue on Risk Assessment of Sexually Abusive Youth,2018a,Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma,2018b) andMEGA♪Combined Cross Validation Studies (N  = 2717). Samples consisted of male, female, and transgender-female, ages 4–19 with coarse sexual improprieties and/or sexually abusive youth, including youth with low intellectual functioning. Findings provided normative data, with cut-off scores according to age and gender, establishing four (cal ibrated) risk levels:Low, Moderate, High, andVery-High. The fourth risk level,Very-High Risk, setsMEGA♪ apart from other risk assessment tools by the ability to assess those few most seriously concerning and/or dangerous youth, whereas other risk tools (with three risk levels) do not make this differentiation.
Source: Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma - Category: Child Development Source Type: research