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Putting responsivity into risk assessment: the use of the Structured Assessment of Risk and Need (SARN) with sexual offenders who have an intellectual disability

Kerensa Hocken (Senior Forensic Psychologist, based at Her Majesty's Prison Service Whatton, Nottingham, UK)
Belinda Winder (Head of Sexual Offences, Crime and Misconduct Unit, based at Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK)
Andy Grayson (Reader in Psychology, based at Psychology Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK)

Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour

ISSN: 2050-8824

Article publication date: 9 September 2013

565

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relevance of the Structured Assessment of Risk and Need (SARN) for sexual offenders with intellectual disability (ID).

Design/methodology/approach

A thematic analysis was conducted on the transcript of a discussion group of experts who work with sex offenders with ID in custody.

Findings

The principal concern of the researchers at the outset of the paper was that the risk factors within the SARN might not be relevant to sexual offenders with an intellectual disability. However, what emerged from the analysis was that, from the perspective of expert practitioners, the limitations of the SARN with respect to working with sex offenders with ID is as much to do with the way in which it is administered, as it is to do with its “content”.

Practical implications

The process of risk assessment is critical when assessing risk with sex offenders with ID, highlighting the importance of incorporating responsivity principles into the risk assessment process.

Originality/value

The paper encourages risk assessors to rethink their assumptions about indicators of risk and progress and provides guidance about how practitioners can assess risk more effectively with sex offenders with ID.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The first author has received partial funding from the Prison Service towards this research, which forms part of a programme of doctoral study. The authors would like to thank the treatment managers for the Becoming New Me programme in England and Wales for their valuable input; without this, the research would not have been possible. They specially thank Fiona Williams from Operational Support and Interventions Group, National Offender Management Service. Many of the suggestions for interviewing offenders with ID outlined in this paper are based on techniques used on the Becoming New Me Programme run in prisons and the probation service, for which she is responsible.

Citation

Hocken, K., Winder, B. and Grayson, A. (2013), "Putting responsivity into risk assessment: the use of the Structured Assessment of Risk and Need (SARN) with sexual offenders who have an intellectual disability", Journal of Intellectual Disabilities and Offending Behaviour, Vol. 4 No. 3/4, pp. 77-89. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIDOB-05-2013-0009

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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