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Seattle University Collaborative Projects - International Academy of ...

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Risk Assessment in Offenders with Intellectual Disability: A Validation Study <strong>of</strong>the Dutch Version <strong>of</strong> the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide in Predicting AggressiveIncidentsClaudia Pouls, Knowledge Centre Forensic Psychiatric Care, Lanaken, Belgium(claudia.pouls@opzcrekem.be)In the past years, risk assessment research has been extended to <strong>of</strong>fenders with intellectualdisability (ID). Existing risk assessment tools are now validated and new instruments –specifically for <strong>of</strong>fenders with ID – are being developed. However, most <strong>of</strong> this research focusesprimarily on the prediction <strong>of</strong> (long term) recidivism, and relatively little attention has beengiven to the prediction <strong>of</strong> institutional aggression. The few studies that have been done, showconflicting results. In this presentation, the results <strong>of</strong> a validation study in a Belgian sample <strong>of</strong><strong>of</strong>fenders with ID will be presented in the prediction <strong>of</strong> aggressive incidents. An approved Dutchtranslation <strong>of</strong> the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG), one <strong>of</strong> the most widely used riskassessment instruments, was scored in 60 forensic ID patients. This sample was then followed upfor a period <strong>of</strong> 6 months regarding institutional aggression. Although the psychometrics weregood, the VRAG failed to predict aggressive incidents in the clinic. In conclusion, while theVRAG has proven its value to predict aggressive recidivism, the instrument could not reliablypredict aggressive incidents in the current forensic ID sample.The Psychometric Characteristics <strong>of</strong> the HKT-EX Risk Assessment Tool in aSample <strong>of</strong> 342 Forensic Psychiatric Patients in the NetherlandsMichelle Willems, Tilburg <strong>University</strong> (M.Willems@uvt.nl)Stefan Bogaerts, Tilburg <strong>University</strong> (s.bogaerts@uvt.nl)Marinus Spreen, Dr. S. van Mesdag Forensic Psychiatry Centre, Netherlands(m.spreen@fpcvanmesdag.nl)In the Netherlands, the Dutch risk assessment tool HKT-30 (Historical-Clinical-Future-30) isincreasingly used in forensic psychiatric practice. Currently, the HKT-30 is being revised in alarge research project, for the purpose <strong>of</strong> which an experimental version <strong>of</strong> the HKT-30 has beencreated, containing more and other items: the HKT-EX. This study investigated somepsychometric properties <strong>of</strong> the HKT-EX, namely the factorial structure, the internal consistencyand inter-rater reliability. The study sample consisted <strong>of</strong> 342 forensic psychiatric patients, whohad been discharged from any <strong>of</strong> the Dutch maximum-security forensic psychiatric hospitalsbetween 2004 and 2008. The HKT-EX was rated by trained Masters level Psychology studentson the basis <strong>of</strong> criminal file information. To determine the inter-rater reliability, for 60 patientsthe HKT-EX was rated twice by two different raters. To determine the factorial structure, factor348

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