Study results show that the psychopathy checklist-youth version (PCL:YV) was a better predictor of recorded violence than the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS/CMI). The PCL:YV and YLS/CMI equally predicted the total number of charges and convictions, and charges and convictions for assault in the sample of British adolescents. For recorded violence, the PCL:YV was a significantly better predictor for male than for female participants. Results are discussed in relation to the value of using risk-needs assessment instruments as compared with scales with a more psychopathological and personality focus. Offender assessment and the development of tools that successfully identify individual areas of risk and need are necessary to identify treatment targets and thereby reduce offending. The psychopathy checklist-revised (PCL-R) and the Level of Service Inventory-Revised (LSI-R) are two widely used and validated offender risk assessment tools for this purpose. Participants in this study consisted of 94 male and female adolescents from a secure unit (n=40) and a residential school (n=54) in the United Kingdom. By comparing the predictive validity of the PCL:YV and the YLS/CMI for juvenile offenders, this study examined whether a broad needs-risk tool predicted violence better than a focused individual assessment of psychopathy. Tables, references