Adult Risk Assessment Instruments 
 
The research-supported (static) instruments include:1 the Static-99R, Static-2002R, Minnesota Sex Offender Screening Tool-Revised (MnSOST-R), and Risk Matrix-2000 Sex. The Sexual Violence Risk-20 (SVR–20) is a research-supported risk assessment instrument that assesses both static and dynamic risk factors, as does the Risk for Sexual Violence Protocol (RSVP), and several assessment instruments are available for the assessment of dynamic risk, including the Stable 2007, Acute 2007, and Sex Offender Treatment Intervention and Progress Scale (SOTIPS), each of which are research-supported instruments. 
 
1 R. Karl Hanson and Kelly E. Morton-Bourgon, 2009, “The Accuracy of Recidivism Risk Assessments for Sex Offenders: A Meta-Analysis of 118 Prediction Studies,” Psychological Assessment 21(1): 1—21. 
 
2 Holly A. Miller, 2015, “Protective Strengths, Risk, and Recidivism in a Sample of Known Sexual Offenders,” Sexual Abuse 27(1): 34—50. 
 
3 Michiel de Vries Robbe, Vivienne de Vogel, Koen Koster, and Stephan Bogaerts. 2015, “Assessing Protective Factors for Sexually Violent Offending with the SAPROF,” Sexual Abuse 27(1): 51—70. 
 
Several adult measures include assessment of assets, strengths, or protective factors.2 Among these, the Structured Assessment of Protective Factors (SAPROF) for violence risk appears the most promising regarding its use in conjunction with actuarial risk assessment instruments.3 A youth version of the SAPROF is also available.     
Although there is no single “best” risk assessment instrument, each one provides information that can be useful to the assessment process and the dynamic, or clinical, risk instruments can be individualized based upon the unique characteristics of each person being evaluated for risk. 
 
Caution is strongly recommended when using any risk assessment instruments with non-white male populations or any females, as there has not been sufficient research to demonstrate validity with these groups (e.g., adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, African American and American Indian/Alaskan Natives, or other cultural groups).  
 
To read more about adult risk assessment instruments, see the resources below:  
 
Sex Offender Risk Assessment (website) 
Chapter 6 of the Sex Offender Management Assessment and Planning Initiative’s online resource discusses risk assessment.  
 
Sex Offender Risk Assessment (PDF, 6 pages) 
ATSA developed the short overview of Sex Offender Risk Assessment, including definitions.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© 2018 National Sexual Violence Resource Center.