Examining the Factor Structure of a Risk Assessment Inventory in Young Offenders: FER-R, Risk and Resource Assessment Form.

Paula Alarcón,Ricardo Pérez-Luco,Sergio Chesta,Lorena Wenger,Andrés Concha-Salgado,Eduardo García-Cueto

doi:10.3390/ijerph19020756

Abstract

The FER-R, Risk and Resource Assessment Form, is a multidimensional inventory of structured professional judgment that assesses criminogenic risks and resources for the design and management of individualized intervention plans with criminally sanctioned adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the FER-R, reviewing its factorial structure to contribute evidence of convergent and discriminant construct validity in a sample of adolescents sentenced for crimes in Chile. For each domain (risks and resources) with its respective facets, a unidimensional bifactor structure (CFA-BF) was obtained, with adequate indices of fit that confirmed its construct validity, while the convergent validity was demonstrated with the YLS/CMI and the divergent validity with two MACI scales. The FER-R adds factorial validity to the evidence of the previously reported predictive validity, making it a robust inventory for the evaluation of young offenders, and a relevant tool to manage differentiated interventions in Chile, with a high potential for use in Latin America. The importance of finding a suitable balance in assessing risks and protective factors is discussed, in order to manage interventions adjusted to the needs of the adolescents to promote their criminal desistance.

Highlights

It has an inter-rater reliability study [29] by Intra-class Correlation Coefficient analysis, obtaining a CCI value = 0.858 and reliability by internal consistency with satisfactory indices for risks and for resources. These results show an adequate and robust predictive utility of the FER-R for criminal recidivism, and if the magnitude of the partial prediction is considered, three dynamic criminogenic risk factors of greater prediction are highlighted: (1) education (AUC = 0.74), and progressive school disengagement (AUC = 0.78); (2) peers with high criminal commitment (AUC = 0.71); and (3) family (AUC = 0.66), in particular the weakness of parental supervision (AUC = 0.66); drugs and negative attitudes have a lower predictive weight (AUC = 0.63)
The FER-R, being an instrument built in a Latin American context, allows progress in the cultural relevance of these evaluations, especially due to the greater relevance of the family-risk dimension, being able to monitor its factorial structure in different groups and countries of the region if this study is replicated with diverse samples
It can be concluded that the FER-R is a state-of-the-art inventory, based on structured professional judgment, with solid evidence of internal and external validity, which simultaneously includes the evaluation of criminogenic risks and protective factors, and critical aspects considered for assessment instruments of risks (Fazel & Wolf, 2018)

Summary

Introduction

The study of social behavior during adolescence, and especially adolescent-offender evaluation, is a special challenge; it offers a window of opportunity to enhance their development and psychosocial well-being [1] and, likewise, allows us to recognize multiple variables involved in the onset and persistence of antisocial behaviors in this phase of the life cycle [2].The increase in evidence-based practices and the modernization of justice systems in different countries, and recently in Ibero-America, has led to the incorporation of riskassessment tools to support judicial decision-making and the management of intervention programs.Risk-assessment tools have evolved from the first and second generation, focused almost exclusively on the prediction of recidivism, towards tools that, on the one hand integrate structured professional judgment, and on the other, concentrate on intervention management (third and fourth generation). The study of social behavior during adolescence, and especially adolescent-offender evaluation, is a special challenge; it offers a window of opportunity to enhance their development and psychosocial well-being [1] and, likewise, allows us to recognize multiple variables involved in the onset and persistence of antisocial behaviors in this phase of the life cycle [2]. The increase in evidence-based practices and the modernization of justice systems in different countries, and recently in Ibero-America, has led to the incorporation of riskassessment tools to support judicial decision-making and the management of intervention programs. Risk-assessment tools have evolved from the first and second generation, focused almost exclusively on the prediction of recidivism, towards tools that, on the one hand integrate structured professional judgment, and on the other, concentrate on intervention management (third and fourth generation). Risk-assessment tools have diversified and offer important advantages over traditional clinical evaluations; they serve to establish evidence-based practices both in specialized.

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