MEGA^♪: An Ecological Risk Assessment Tool of Risk and Protective Factors for Assessing Sexually Abusive Children and Adolescents

Abstract

MEGA^♪ is a comprehensive, ecologically framed, structured risk assessment tool for assessing sexually abusive behavior, coarse sexual improprieties, or both in all youth under 19 years, including male and female adjudicated and nonadjudicated youth, children under 12, and youth with low intellectual functioning. MEGA^♪, or Multiplex Empirically Guided Inventory of Ecological Aggregates for Assessing Sexually Abusive Adolescents and Children (Ages 19 and Under; Miccio-Fonseca, 2006b) is composed of 7 aggregates and 4 distinct risk scales: (a) Risk Scale, (b) Protective Risk Scale, (c) Estrangement Risk Scale, and (d) Persistent Sexual Deviancy Scale. Discussed are the internal consistency findings on a sample of 1,184 (979 males and 205 females). MEGA^♪'s Risk and Protective Risk Scales are discussed in depth.

Keywords:

• assessing risk in juvenile sex offenders
• female sex offender
• low intellectually functioning sexually abusive youth
• risk assessment tools for juveniles
• risk assessment for young children who are sexually abusive