The Validity and Reliability of the Violence Risk Scale–Youth Version in a Diverse Sample of Violent Young Offenders

The Violence Risk Scale–Youth Version (VRS-YV; S. Wong, Lewis, Stockdale, & Gordon, 2004-2011) is a risk assessment and treatment planning tool for youths designed to assess violence risk, identify dynamic risk factors or treatment targets, and evaluate changes in risk from treatment or other change agents. We examined the psychometric properties of the VRS-YV on a diverse sample of 147 young offenders. The tool demonstrated high internal consistency (α = .90) and interrater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = .90). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified three factors: Interpersonal Aggression, Antisocial Tendencies, and Family Problems. VRS-YV static, dynamic, and total scores significantly predicted violent and general recidivism, including youth and adult outcomes, with moderate to high accuracy (area under the curve [AUC] = .65-.77); however, results varied among ethnic/cultural, gender, and developmental subgroups. The VRS-YV also demonstrated strong convergent validity with two well-established youth forensic assessment tools. Clinical implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed in this article.