The Predictive Validity of General and Offence-Specific Risk Assessment Tools for Child Pornography Offenders' Reoffending

Abstract

Child pornography offenders (CPOs) are ever present in the criminal justice system, yet the research on this population of offenders is less advanced than in many other areas of corrections (Eke & Seto, 2012; Seto & Eke, 2005). In order to effectively manage CPOs, it is necessary to accurately assess their risk, and, where applicable, provide rehabilitation options targeted toward their criminogenic needs. The current study examined the both the Level of Service Inventory-Ontario Revision (LSI-OR) and a modified version of the Child Pornography Offender Risk Tool (CPORT-M) and their ability to predict child pornography (CP), sexual, violent, and general recidivism with a sample that included CPOs, other sexual offenders (SOs), and non-sexual offenders (NSOs), who are under the responsibility of the province of Ontario. The results from the ROC analyses that examined the LSI-OR with the recidivism variables, for the various groups of offenders, suggested that the LSI-OR has good predictive accuracy for general recidivism for all of the offenders, as well as good predictive accuracy of violent and sexual recidivism with only the SO and NSO groups. Further, it was found that the CPORT-M had good predictive accuracy for general recidivism among the CPOs. It is appropriate to use both the LSI-OR and the CPORT-M to assess risk of general recidivism with CPOs.