Cross-Cultural Violence Risk Assessment: Adapting the HCR-20 V3 for Incarcerated Offenders in Mexico

This prospective study investigated the predictive validity of a culturally adapted version of the Historical-Clinical-Risk Management-20 (HCR-20^V3) with a sample of 114 incarcerated males in a medium-security prison in Mexico City. The goal was to integrate a culturally responsive approach to violence risk assessment by incorporating culturally relevant risk factors identified by forensic mental health professionals in Latin America who conduct violence risk assessments. These risk factors related to problematic family and peer relationships, machismo, normalization of violence, and economic disadvantage. Data collection for HCR-20^V3 ratings involved clinical interviews and a review of institutional documents; data on aggressive incidents were collected through document review, self-report follow-up interviews, and guard reports. Participants who engaged in institutional violence during the 3-month follow-up period were given significantly higher scores on several culturally relevant risk factors than those who did not engage in institutional violence. Although the culturally adapted HCR-20^V3 items did not provide incremental validity to the original HCR-20^V3 items, the culturally adapted HCR-20^V3 total score produced an area under the ROC curve of .73-.74. The findings provide evidence that the culturally adapted HCR-20^V3 has strong predictive validity and the utility of adapting culturally relevant risk factors for the assessment of violence risk.