Since there has been little research on the sexual offending behavior of different racial groups, this study compared the characteristics and risk factors for American, non-Hispanic Whites (n =797) and Blacks (n = 788) who had been convicted of a sexual crime in New Jersey.
The results indicated that Whites appeared more paraphilic; whereas Blacks displayed higher antisociality. Despite the differences, however, the Static-99R, sexual recidivism risk tool, predicted equally well for both racial groups: Whites (area under the curve [AUC] = .76) and Blacks (AUC = .78). The findings suggest that there may be opportunities to improve treatment for the individuals at risk for sexual offending by tailoring interventions to the distinctive risk-relevant characteristics of Whites and Blacks. (publisher abstract modified)