Up until now actuarial risk indicators for sexual violence using static indicators have not typically taken age of the offender into account. The big guys (Harris, Rice, & Quinsey) using the VRAG and SORAG explicitly resisted the idea, stating that adding age does not improve prediction, all though there is a lot of support for the idea that criminal tendencies “age out.” The recent article in Sexual Abuse: A Journal for Research and Treatment, finally gives firm support for the idea, although they use the Static-99 and the Automated Sexual Recidivism Scale. They show that failure to take age into account underestimates risk levels in young adults and overestimates risk in older adults.
Source: Wollert, R., et al. (2010). Recent research (N = 9,305) underscores the importance of using age-stratified actuarial tables in sex offender risk assessments. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 22, 4, 471-490.