Risk Assessments for Youth Webinar
TLDRThe webinar, 'Risk Assessments for Youth,' hosted by Trevor Wulff from OJJDP's NTTAC, alongside colleagues Eileen LeFurgy and Megan Nieto, delved into critical strategies for assessing and managing risks associated with youth in the juvenile justice system. Dr. Jennifer Pealer, an expert in criminology, provided an in-depth analysis of risk assessment, emphasizing the importance of classifying youth based on behavioral or psychological risk dimensions. She discussed the evolution of assessment tools, from first-generation intuitive assessments to fourth-generation models that integrate static and dynamic factors with a case management approach. Dr. Pealer highlighted the significance of addressing criminogenic needs and the principles of risk, need, and responsivity in crafting effective intervention strategies. The session also touched on the challenges of assessment, including ensuring instruments are validated and normed, and the need for ongoing training to prevent assessment drift. The webinar concluded with a Q&A, addressing questions on prioritizing risk factors and considerations for youth with disabilities.
Takeaways
- 🎓 The webinar focused on 'Risk Assessments for Youth,' highlighting the importance of understanding and classifying the risk levels of youth in the juvenile justice system.
- 🕵️♂️ Risk assessments aim to answer critical questions about a youth's likelihood to appear for court, their potential dangerousness to the community, and their probability of re-offending.
- 🗓 The timing of risk assessments is crucial, with key moments identified as pre-trial decision-making and post-adjudication, which can influence placement and service provision.
- 📊 Risk is not equated with the seriousness of the offense but is a multi-faceted construct that includes various predictors of criminal behavior.
- 🔍 Actuarial assessments are favored over clinical assessments for their superior predictive validity, relying on structured analysis and data rather than subjective judgment.
- 📈 The evolution of risk assessments has progressed through four generations, with the fourth generation incorporating static and dynamic factors, and a case management component.
- 🛠️ Dynamic risk factors are changeable and are key targets for intervention; addressing these factors can reduce the risk of re-offending.
- 🤝 Classification instruments should be used to standardize assessments, reduce bias, and ensure equitable resource allocation across different youth populations.
- 📉 Adhering to the risk and need principles is vital for effective youth engagement and outcomes, with higher risk youth requiring more intensive supervision and services.
- 📝 It's important to use validated and normed instruments to ensure assessments are accurate and reliable for the specific population being assessed.
- ⚖️ Assessments should not be a one-size-fits-all approach; specialized instruments are necessary for specific cases, such as youth with sexual offending behaviors.
Q & A
What is the main purpose of conducting risk assessments for youth?
-The main purpose of conducting risk assessments for youth is to classify them based on behavioral or psychological dimensions of risk, which helps in making informed decisions about their detention, community safety, and likelihood of re-offending.
When should risk assessments be conducted during the youth justice process?
-Risk assessments should be conducted at major points in the system, including pre-trial decision-making, post-adjudication before disposition, and post-adjudication to determine the appropriate level of care and services.
What are the two main areas for conducting assessments with youth?
-The two main areas for conducting assessments are pre-trial decision-making, which focuses on the youth's appearance in court and community safety while awaiting trial, and post-adjudication, which is about determining the appropriate placement and services based on the youth's level of risk and needs.
How does the seriousness of an offense relate to the risk of re-offending?
-The seriousness of an offense is not a strong predictor of criminal behavior or the risk of re-offending. Risk assessments consider multiple factors that work together to predict the likelihood of future criminal behavior, rather than focusing solely on the seriousness of the offense.
What is the difference between actuarial and clinical assessments?
-Actuarial assessments are based on an analysis of records and semi-structured conversations with the youth, providing a data-driven outcome of low, moderate, or high risk. Clinical assessments, on the other hand, rely on the professional judgment and experience of the assessor to determine the youth's level of risk.
Why are dynamic risk factors important in assessments?
-Dynamic risk factors, also known as criminogenic needs, are important because they predict criminal behavior and can change over time. Targeting these needs through interventions can reduce the risk of re-offending and enhance public safety.
How does the risk principle guide the level of supervision and services provided to youth?
-The risk principle states that the level of supervision and services should be differentiated based on the youth's risk level. Higher risk individuals require more supervision and services, and there should be no mixing of risk levels in programming or residential settings.
What are some common problems associated with the use of assessments?
-Common problems include conducting assessments just to check a box without using the results, using assessments that are not normed or validated for the specific population, assuming a one-size-fits-all approach, and not adequately training staff on the proper use of the assessment instrument.
How can addressing criminogenic needs help reduce recidivism rates?
-Addressing criminogenic needs through targeted interventions can help reduce recidivism rates by directly tackling the factors that contribute to criminal behavior. This approach is more effective than generic services and is aligned with the need principle.
What is the importance of specialized instruments for specific cases?
-Specialized instruments are crucial for getting accurate and relevant assessments for specific cases, such as those involving sexual offending behaviors. Using a general instrument for these cases might not predict the specific type of recidivism, hence the need for specialized tools.
How can agencies ensure that their assessment instruments are effective and reliable for their population?
-Agencies can ensure effectiveness and reliability by validating and norming their instruments to their specific population, ensuring inter-rater reliability among staff, providing proper training and certification for assessors, and regularly conducting booster trainings to maintain accuracy.
Outlines
😀 Introduction and Webinar Logistics
Trevor Wulff, from OJJDP's NTTAC, welcomes attendees to the 'Risk Assessments for Youth' webinar. He introduces his colleagues Eileen LeFurgy and Megan Nieto, and covers technical details, such as recording, closed captioning, and Q&A session instructions. An introduction to Katie Jerstad from the National District Attorney's Association is also provided, along with a reminder to use the 'call me at' feature for better audio.
📚 Opening Remarks and Webinar Overview
Katie Jerstad thanks participants and introduces Dr. Pealer as the presenter. She discusses the multidisciplinary audience and the importance of risk assessments. Jerstad outlines the webinar's objectives, the structure, and the various roles of the NDAA Juvenile Justice Team. She also highlights the importance of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) funding and the support from NTTAC.
🕵️♀️ Understanding Risk Assessments
Dr. Jennifer Pealer begins her presentation by explaining the concept of risk assessments and the importance of classifying youth based on behavioral or psychological dimensions of risk. She discusses the key questions that risk assessments aim to answer, such as the likelihood of a youth showing up for court, their potential dangerousness, and the probability of re-offending.
🧐 The Misconception of Risk
Dr. Pealer clarifies that risk does not equate to the seriousness of the offense and emphasizes that other factors beyond the offense's seriousness are crucial in predicting criminal behavior. She differentiates between actuarial and clinical assessments, highlighting the superiority of actuarial assessments in predictive accuracy.
📈 Generations of Assessments
The presentation outlines the evolution of risk assessments from first-generation quasi-clinical assessments to fourth-generation assessments that include static, dynamic, and case management components. Dr. Pealer discusses the shift from relying on intuition to using data-driven approaches and the importance of including dynamic factors that can change over time.
🤔 The Importance of Classification
Dr. Pealer explains the significance of classification in providing a standardized examination, reducing bias, determining changes in risk levels, and utilizing resources effectively. She stresses the importance of using validated instruments and the risk principle, which involves differentiating supervision and programming based on a youth's risk level.
📊 Recidivism Rates and Risk Level
Data is presented to show the impact of placement decisions on recidivism rates for different risk levels. Dr. Pealer discusses the inappropriateness of placing low-risk youth in residential facilities and the importance of aligning supervision levels with the risk principle. She emphasizes the need for dosage – the appropriate amount of supervision and services – to reduce recidivism.
🤨 Addressing Criminogenic Needs
Dr. Pealer delves into criminogenic needs, which are dynamic factors that can change and are related to re-offending. She identifies the 'big four' factors – criminal history, antisocial attitudes, antisocial personality, and antisocial peers – as strong predictors of criminal behavior. The discussion highlights the importance of addressing these factors to reduce the risk of re-offending.
📝 Assessment Challenges and Solutions
The presentation addresses common problems with assessments, such as wasting resources, not adhering to risk and need principles, and using unvalidated or non-normed instruments. Dr. Pealer stresses the need for proper training and certification for those using assessment tools and the importance of collecting outcome data to ensure the instrument's accuracy.
🛠️ Selecting the Right Assessment Tools
Guidelines for selecting assessment instruments are provided, emphasizing the use of actuarial measures, multiple domains, and specialized instruments for specific cases. Dr. Pealer advises against a one-size-fits-all approach and highlights the importance of training, certification, and continuous quality assurance to ensure the instrument's effectiveness.
🤔 Prioritizing Risk Factors and Closing Remarks
Dr. Pealer discusses the importance of prioritizing risk factors based on the individual needs of the youth, focusing on their thinking patterns and skills. She encourages collaboration between probation officers and social workers to prioritize services effectively. The session concludes with information on upcoming webinars, resources, and a reminder to complete post-event evaluations and post-tests.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Risk Assessments
💡Youth
💡Actuarial Assessments
💡Criminogenic Needs
💡 Responsivity
💡Risk-Need-Responsivity (RNR) Model
💡Validation
💡Psychometric Properties
💡Pre-Trial Decision Making
💡Post-Adjudication
Highlights
The webinar 'Risk Assessments for Youth' aimed to discuss the importance of risk assessments in the juvenile justice system.
Trevor Wulff from OJJDP's NTTAC, Eileen LeFurgy, and Megan Nieto led the discussion with Katie Jerstad from the National District Attorney's Association.
The webinar was recorded for later availability on OJJDP's multimedia channel and YouTube, with closed captioning provided for accessibility.
Technical assistance for the webinar was provided by OJJDP's NTTAC, highlighting their role in supporting juvenile justice initiatives.
Katie Jerstad emphasized the multidisciplinary nature of the audience, including law enforcement, courts, and community-based programs.
Dr. Jennifer Pealer, an expert in criminal justice from East Tennessee State University, was introduced as the key presenter on risk assessments.
The concept of forming a typology through assessments by classifying kids based on behavioral or psychological risk dimensions was explained.
Risk assessments were discussed as crucial for pre-trial decision-making and post-adjudication planning for youth.
Dr. Pealer clarified that risk does not equate to the seriousness of the offense and involves multiple predictors of re-offending.
The evolution of risk assessments from first to fourth generation was outlined, with each generation improving predictive accuracy and incorporating dynamic factors.
The importance of using validated and actuarial assessments over clinical judgments for better prediction outcomes was highlighted.
The risk principle was discussed, emphasizing the need for different levels of supervision and services based on the assessed risk level of the youth.
Data on recidivism rates based on risk level and placement type was presented to illustrate the effectiveness of adhering to the risk principle.
The need principle focuses on addressing criminogenic needs through appropriate services, which are dynamic factors that can change and be targeted in treatment plans.
Problems associated with assessments, such as not using results, using non-normed or non-validated instruments, and assuming one size fits all, were discussed.
The importance of training and certification for those using assessment tools to minimize errors and ensure proper implementation was stressed.
Dr. Pealer concluded by emphasizing that while assessments are crucial, human judgment should ultimately guide decisions about youth in the justice system.
Transcripts
Browse More Related Video
Empowering People Working with Youth to Understand and Prevent Racism
Audit & Risk Committee Meeting 6 December 2021
Cyber Supply Chain Risk Management: No Silver Bullet
Heads-Up to Healthcare Providers - Chapter 2
Kidney Disease: What You Should Know | Anjay Rastogi, MD | UCLAMDChat
Combating Racism: Preventing the Criminalization of Normal Adolescent Behavior Among Youth of Color
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)
Thanks for rating: