Two sides of the same coin or different currencies? Increasing protection and promoting risk reduction in sexual offense treatment featuring three measures of protective factors.

The present study examined the intersection of risk and protective factors and their associations with sexual, violent, and general recidivism in a treated multisite correctional sample of men (N = 405) with sexual offense conviction histories. Three measures of protective factors-Structured Assessment of Protective Factors, Protective Factors List, and Structured Assessment of Protective Factors-Sexual Offence version-were rated at pre- and posttreatment from detailed institutional files. Violence Risk Scale-Sexual Offense version and Static-99R were examined for incremental predictive validity analyses. Protection measure scores showed good convergence with dynamic risk and change scores and significantly predicted decreased recidivism. Incremental predictive validity analyses, however, demonstrated that Violence Risk Scale-Sexual Offense version dynamic risk and change scores uniquely predicted sexual and violent recidivism in their expected directions, while protection measure baseline and change scores generally did not. Clinical applications of protective factors in sexual violence risk assessment and management are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).