Assessment of criminal recidivism risk with adolescents who have offended sexually: a review.

The assessment of criminal recidivism risk among adolescents who have offended sexually is a complex task with significant implications for the adolescent and the community. We reviewed the empirical and professional literature on factors associated with criminal recidivism in adolescents who have offended sexually. Supported, promising, possible, and unlikely risk factors are presented and findings are contrasted against the extensive data available for adults who offend sexually and adolescent criminality in general. Limitations with the existing literature are noted, such as shortage of validated risk factors for qualitative aspects of reoffending and research specifically with females and ethnic minorities. Recent attempts to combine evidence-based risk factors with case-specific clinical considerations into structured professional or empirically guided judgment formats are presented. We conclude with suggesting practical strategies for the assessment and communication of recidivism risk.