ABSTRACT
This chapter overviews the history, development, and validation of the Juvenile-Sex Offender Assessment Protocol (J-SOAP) and its revision (J-SOAP-2). We summarize points of application, including the unique mechanical “structure” of the scale (i.e., not actuarial, without cutoff scores, and not structured professional judgment), and user’s common missteps, such as inappropriate characterization of risk. We discuss ways to improve interrater reliability, include an illustrative vignette, and provide discussion of high-priority research needs, followed by a preview of our recent project that developed a fully dynamic, developmentally sensitive treatment needs and progress scale that hopefully addressed many of the limitations discussed in this chapter [Prentky, R., Righthand, S., Worling, J., & Kang, T. (2020). Development and implementation project for the youth needs and progress scale (YNPS). Project funded by U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs [Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking]; SMART Office, 2016-AW-BX-K004]. Final Report posted at NCJRS’S website: www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/smart/grants/254814.pdf].
