Evaluation of a modified procedure for rating the presence of HCR‐20 V3 risk factors

Abstract

Introduction

We evaluated a modified procedure for making more detailed ratings of the presence of risk factors for violence using the HCR-20 V3 in a field study.

Method

Participants were 225 offenders recruited from correctional and forensic mental health institutions who were assessed by trained clinicians. We examined the measurement precision and predictive validity of ratings made using the modified procedure compared to ratings made by the same clinician using the standard procedure.

Results

Ratings made using the modified procedure had equivalent or superior internal consistency to the original rating procedure and had equivalent predictive accuracy (validity) with respect to future violence according to logistic regression analyses.

Discussion and conclusion

These findings suggest that the modified procedure may increase the sensitivity of Presence ratings of the HCR-20 V3 risk factors.