An Examination of Latent Constructs of Dynamic Sexual Violence Risk and Need as a Function of Indigenous and Nonindigenous Ancestry

The present study examined latent constructs of dynamic sexual violence risk and need, as measured by the Violence Risk Scale-Sexual Offense version (VRS-SO), as a function of Indigenous ancestry among a Canadian federal sample of 1,063 treated men convicted for a sexual offense. Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis of VRS-SO dynamic items ratings supported a correlated 3-factor oblique solution across Indigenous (n = 393) and nonindigenous (n = 670) groups, corresponding broadly to the domains of sexual deviance, criminality, and treatment responsivity. Associations examined between pre- and posttreatment rated factor scores and sexual and violent recidivism were moderated less by Indigenous ancestry and more by victim profile. Specifically, sexual deviance scores were significantly associated with 5- and 10-year sexual recidivism outcomes among both ancestral groups, but only among men with exclusively child victims. Further, criminality was predictive of all outcomes, particularly violent recidivism, irrespective of ancestry or victim type. Treatment responsivity was significantly predictive of sexual and violent recidivism, but only among men who had an adult victim. Change scores on all 3 factors, while controlling for pretreatment score, were significantly associated with decreased sexual and violent recidivism across ancestry and victim groups. Results underscore a common structure to sexual violence risk that emerges from the VRS-SO for Indigenous and non-Indigenous men and that risk and change scores from the three factor domains have comparable predictive properties across these broad ancestral groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).