The Reliability and Predictive Validity of the Stalking Risk Profile

Assessment. 2018 Mar;25(2):259-276. doi: 10.1177/1073191116653470. Epub 2016 Jun 14.

Abstract

This study assessed the reliability and validity of the Stalking Risk Profile (SRP), a structured measure for assessing stalking risks. The SRP was administered at the point of assessment or retrospectively from file review for 241 adult stalkers (91% male) referred to a community-based forensic mental health service. Interrater reliability was high for stalker type, and moderate-to-substantial for risk judgments and domain scores. Evidence for predictive validity and discrimination between stalking recidivists and nonrecidivists for risk judgments depended on follow-up duration. Discrimination was moderate (area under the curve = 0.66-0.68) and positive and negative predictive values good over the full follow-up period ( Mdn = 170.43 weeks). At 6 months, discrimination was better than chance only for judgments related to stalking of new victims (area under the curve = 0.75); however, high-risk stalkers still reoffended against their original victim(s) 2 to 4 times as often as low-risk stalkers. Implications for the clinical utility and refinement of the SRP are discussed.

Keywords: SRP; Stalking Risk Profile; risk assessment; stalking; structured professional judgment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Community Mental Health Services
  • Female
  • Forensic Psychiatry / instrumentation*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • ROC Curve
  • Recidivism / psychology
  • Recidivism / statistics & numerical data*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Assessment / methods*
  • Risk Factors
  • Stalking / epidemiology*
  • Stalking / psychology*
  • Survival Analysis
  • Victoria / epidemiology
  • Violence / statistics & numerical data