Assessing Dynamic Risk, Protective Factors, and Change with Sexual Offending Populations:
Implications for Dynamic Sexual Violence Risk Assessment and Management
Complete this workshop and earn 2.5 CE credit
This presentation offers a comprehensive review and synthesis of literature on treatment-induced changes in sexual offenses, with implications for dynamic assessment and management of sexual violence risk. It presents a rationale for the significance of dynamic approaches in assessing sexual violence risk, emphasizing the relevance of changes that are pertinent to risk and facilitated by credible agents of change (such as treatment, aging, or increased support).
The presentation briefly outlines models and methodologies for evaluating changes in sexual violence risk, followed by a detailed examination of research on treatment-induced changes across various domains of psychological functioning (e.g., sexual deviance, mental health, attitudes/cognitions).
Additionally, it explores the role and significance of protective factors in sexual violence risk assessment and management, considering their potential additive or incremental effects relative to risk factors, based on emerging data. Special attention is given to considerations regarding ethnocultural diversity in evaluating changes related to sexual violence.
Finally, the presentation reviews notable examples of dynamic measures of sexual offense risk and their demonstrated change properties, concluding with an illustration of methods for systematically integrating change information into risk assessments.
The Presenter
Ph.D., R.D. Psych
Mark E. Olver
Mark Olver is Professor and Registered Doctoral Psychologist in the Clinical Psychology Program at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, where he is involved in graduate and undergraduate research supervision, teaching, administration, clinical training, and applied forensic research. Prior to his academic appointment, Mark worked as a clinical psychologist in various capacities, including providing assessment, treatment, and consultation services for young offenders in the Saskatoon Health Region and for adult federal offenders in the Correctional Service of Canada. He has published over 170 journal articles and book chapters and his research interests include risk assessment and correctional treatment, justice involved youth, psychopathy, variations in human sexuality, and the evaluation of therapeutic change. He is the co-developer of the Violence Risk Scale-Sexual Offense version (VRS-SO) and the Violence Risk Scale-Youth Sexual Offense version (VRS-YSO) and he provides training and consultation services internationally in the assessment and treatment of high psychopathy, sexual, and violent offending populations.