| dc.description.abstract | Youth violence is a serious social problem that is often encountered in the criminal justice
system. Currently, there are very few instruments available that have been specifically
designed to assess violence risk In Juvenile offenders. This study examined the predictive
and concurrent validity of a new Instrument, The Structured Assessment for Violence Risk
in Youth (SAVRY), in a sample of adolescent offenders. The SAVRY was retrospectively
coded using file information on 127 juvenile offenders aged 12 to 18 years. A follow-up
period with a mean of 35.5 months (SO = 14.8, range = 6.0 to 61.0) was used to determine
general and violent reoffending. Results substantiated the predictive validity of the SAVRY
total score for both general and violent reoffending with Areas Under the Curve of .75 and
.77, respectively. Similarly, analysis of the predictive validity of the SAVRY risk ratings
indicated that youths in the higher risk categories were at significantly greater risk for both
general and violent reoffending. As well, the SAVRY was found to be superior to the Youth
Level of Service/Case Management Inventory in the prediction of both general and violent
reoffending. Limitations of the current research are discussed. | |
