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Psicothema was founded in Asturias (northern Spain) in 1989, and is published jointly by the Psychology Faculty of the University of Oviedo and the Psychological Association of the Principality of Asturias (Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos del Principado de Asturias).
We currently publish four issues per year, which accounts for some 100 articles annually. We admit work from both the basic and applied research fields, and from all areas of Psychology, all manuscripts being anonymously reviewed prior to publication.

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  • Director: Laura E. Gómez Sánchez
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Predicting risk of recidivism in Spanish young offenders: Comparative analysis of the SAVRY and YLS/CMI

Elena Ortega-Campos, Juan García-García, Leticia De la Fuente-Sánchez, and Flor Zaldívar-Basurto

Health Research Center, University of Almería

Background: This study offers a comparative analysis of evidence for the predictive validity of SAVRY and YLS/CMI scores in predicting risk of recidivism in a group of young people who received a Juvenile Justice order. Methods: The sample was made up of 594 youths aged between 14 and 18 (M=15.63, SD=1.08) at the time they committed an offense. Results: Both instruments showed high accuracy in predicting recidivism, with the greatest accuracy observed in the SAVRY and YLS/CMI total scores, as well as in the Individual domain of the SAVRY. Comparative analysis of the AUCs of both instruments indicated no statistically significant differences between total scores from the two instruments. Results showed statistically significant differences in comparisons of means and AUCs between the groups of young reoffenders and non-reoffenders in all cases. Our results did not support the hypothesis that dynamic risk factors are a better predictors of recidivism in young offenders. Conclusions: This study offers empirical evidence of the predictive capacity and differential functioning of the SAVRY and YLS/CMI instruments in the Spanish context.

Predicción del riesgo de reincidencia en jóvenes infractores españoles: comparación de los instrumentos SAVRY e YLS/CMI. Introducción: se presenta un análisis comparativo de la evidencia de validez predictiva de las puntuaciones del SAVRY e YLS/CMI para predecir el riesgo de reincidencia en un grupo de jóvenes a los que se les había abierto un expediente en Justicia Juvenil. Método: la muestra estaba compuesta por 594 jóvenes que tenían entre 14 y 18 años (M=15.63, DT=1.08) en el momento de la comisión del hecho delictivo. Resultados: los resultados de ambos instrumentos mostraron una alta capacidad predictiva de la reincidencia, con mayor precisión observada en las puntuaciones totales de SAVRY e YLS/CMI, así como en el dominio individual de SAVRY. El análisis comparativo de las AUC de ambos instrumentos no indicó diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre las puntuaciones totales de los dos instrumentos. Se han encontrado diferencias estadísticamente significativas en las comparaciones de medias y AUC entre los grupos de jóvenes reincidentes y no reincidentes. Los resultados de este trabajo no apoyan la hipótesis de que los factores de riesgo dinámicos son mejores predictores de la reincidencia en los jóvenes infractores. Conclusiones: el presente estudio ofrece evidencia empírica de la capacidad predictiva y el funcionamiento diferencial de los instrumentos SAVRY e YLS/CMI en el contexto español.

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Impact factor 2022:  JCR WOS 2022:  FI = 3.6 (Q2);  JCI = 1.21 (Q1) / SCOPUS 2022:  SJR = 1.097;  CiteScore = 6.4 (Q1)