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MEGA♪: Empirical Findings on the Preternatural: Sexually Violent and Predatory Sexually Violent Youth

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Abstract

Applied are empirical findings from two major studies employing the ecologically framed MEGA♪ risk assessment tool: MEGA♪Combined Samples Studies (N = 3901 [1979–2017] (Miccio-Fonseca 2017a, d) and MEGA♪Combined Cross Validation Studies (N = 2717). Samples consisted of male, female, and transgender-female sexually abusive youth, ages 4–19, including youth with low intellectual functioning of borderline or low average. Findings further support a previously presented nomenclature identifying two subsets overlooked by most contemporary risk assessment tools: sexually violent and predatory sexually violent youth (Miccio-Fonseca and Rasmussen Journal of Aggression Maltreatment & Trauma, 18, 106–128, 2009, 2014). MEGA♪Studies provided normative data, with cut-off scores (calibrated) according to age and gender, establishing four risk levels: Low, Moderate, High, and Very High. The fourth risk level, Very High, sets MEGA♪ apart from other risk assessment tools for sexually abusive youth, which are limited to three risk levels. Very High risk level definitively identifies the most dangerous youth, thus empirically supporting the nomenclature of sexually violent and predatory sexually violent youth.

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Notes

  1. Erroneously published as 1979–2017 in the online version of Miccio-Fonseca (2018) Family Lovemap article for the Special Issueon Risk Assessment of Sexually Abusive Youth in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse.

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  1. Clinic for the Sexualities, 591 Camino de la Reina, Suite 705, San Diego, CA, 92108, USA

    L. C. Miccio-Fonseca

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California Coalition on Sexual Offending provided a $2000 research award, which was used for the final statistical analysis of the cross-validation study.

Name of the tool is MEGA♪; copyrighted and registered by the author includes the musical note.

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Miccio-Fonseca, L.C. MEGA♪: Empirical Findings on the Preternatural: Sexually Violent and Predatory Sexually Violent Youth. Journ Child Adol Trauma 12, 457–467 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-018-0242-8

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