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Predicting Violent Behavior Through a Static-Stable Variable Lens

NCJ Number
222045
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 18 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2003 Pages: 891-904
Author(s)
Jeremy F. Mills; Daryl G. Kroner; Toni Hemmati
Date Published
August 2003
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study examined the differential relationship of criminogenic domains to violent and nonviolent recidivism among a sample of violent offenders.
Abstract
The results support the hypothesis that there are differences in the criminogenic domains important in the prediction of recidivism outcome variables. Also, there was additional evidence from the findings that stable variables do add to static (fixed) variables in the prediction of risk. The implications suggest that optimal risk prediction needs to account for the most important criminogenic components specific to the outcome of interest (violent versus nonviolent offending). Overall, the results of the study provide direction to the optimal development of risk assessment instruments. Estimating criminal risk has been approached from differing theoretical perspectives. The purpose of this study was two-fold. First, it set out to determine the specific criminogenic domains related to violent recidivism by comparing violent recidivists with nonrecidivists and nonviolent recidivists. It was hypothesized that the criminogenic domains that predict violent behavior would differ from those that predict nonviolent behavior. Second, the study aimed to assess the relative contribution that criminogenic domains make to the prediction of violence within a fixed-stable framework. It was hypothesized that stable variables would add to fixed variables in the prediction of violence. The study sample consisted of 209 incarcerated adult males sentenced to 2 years or more in Canada. Tables, references