Abstract

GALEOTTI, Raquel et al. Sex Offenders: Professionals' Perspective on the Use of SVR-20 in Uruguay. Psicol. Conoc. Soc. [online]. 2025, vol.15, n.1, e1520.  Epub Dec 01, 2025. ISSN 1688-7026.  https://doi.org/10.26864/pcs.v15.n1.11.

Sexual violence highlights, among other issues, the need to develop rigorous and scientifically validated intervention and assessment strategies in order to determine the prediction of the risk of recidivism of sexual offenders. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of the application of a structured clinical judgement risk assessment tool for sexual violence (SVR-20) in the Uruguayan prison system, to analyse its acceptability by technical staff and to identify the institutional requirements for its application. A descriptive study was carried out from a mixed approach using the Delphi Method of expert judgement, which combined survey techniques and focus groups with professionals and semi-directed interviews with managers of the institutional technical management. The results show a very positive assessment of the possibility of incorporating the SVR-20, in order to favour a more effective management of sex offenders in the Uruguayan penitentiary environment. The incorporation of a logic of structured clinical judgement requires specific training for professionals as well as the strengthening of intersectoral work in the evaluation process. The need for inter-institutional agreements based on the specific criminogenic needs of the country's sex offender population was noted. It is concluded that the use of the SVR-20 in the Uruguayan penitentiary environment for risk assessment is seen as a necessary strategy to develop evidence-based interventions in the framework of the implementation of comprehensive public policies for rehabilitation in Uruguay.

Keywords : Sexual offenders; sexual violence; risk assessment; public policy.

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