Simplifying the Estimation of Violence Risk by Police Among Individuals Charged for Sexual Assault

Abstract

The six items from the Static-2002R that form the Brief Assessment of Recidivism Risk–2002R (BARR-2002R) have demonstrated very good predictive accuracy for violent recidivism with postadjudicated individuals who have sexually offended. In light of the constrained resources in law enforcement, the BARR-2002R may be a valuable tool to evaluate risk for identifiable perpetrators of sexual assault. The present study investigates the utility of the BARR-2002R to predict future violence propensities of 293 individuals who have been charged for sexual assault. The BARR-2002R showed a large effect in its ability to predict future general and violent offending and was associated with increased frequency of reoffending, including violent reoffending. The BARR-2002R was associated with the imminence of any recidivism but not violent recidivism. The severity of future violent offending was not associated with BARR-2002R scores. Findings suggest that the BARR-2002R may have a place in policing to evaluate violence risk among individuals charged with sexual assault. Implications of risk evaluation in law enforcement are further discussed.