Evidence from several longitudinal studies has established the relevance of the approach of evolutionary criminology to understanding and intervening with adolescent criminal offenders, seeking to halt the criminal behavior before its potential consolidation in adulthood. The aim of this study is to present the psychometric properties of the Criminal Engagement Severity Scale (EGED) to discriminate between transitory and persistent delinquency in Chilean adolescents of both sexes. The characteristics of the sample are revealed through descriptive analyses, and evidence of validity and reliability is provided that show its discriminant capacity using ROC curves and odds ratios, measures of internal consistency (Cronbach’s α and McDonald’s Ω), intraclass correlation, and unidimensional statistics. The results indicate that the EGED adequately discriminates between transitory and persistent delinquency, so that its use in contexts of assessment and intervention with adolescent criminal offenders can be recommended, because it helps to determine the intensity of the intervention required.

We aimed to provide evidence of validity and reliability for the scores of a stressful life events risk assessment in offender and non-offender Chilean adolescents. The design was instrumental. A total of 2,516 adolescents from two previous projects were part of the study. The offender sub-sample (25.36%) was recruited by non-probabilistic convenience sampling and the non-offender (74.64%) by proportional and stratified by conglomerates sampling. We identified 47 items that are risk factors for delinquency and antisocial outcomes, and we grouped them into six theoretical dimensions. We obtained good content coherence, acceptable internal consistency, adequate factor structure, convergent associations with theoretically related constructs, and predictive capacity for some dimensions. The logistic regression analysis showed that adolescents who accumulated more risk factors had an augmented risk of being an offender. The hierarchical multiple regression indicated that four of the six dimensions were predictors of violent antisocial behavior. As evidence of three validity sources and reliability were demonstrated, we recommend using the scale for detecting events that are risk factors of antisocial and delinquent behavior in adolescents and for intervention to prevent violent criminal and antisocial conduct.

The FER-R, Risk and Resource Assessment Form, is a multidimensional inventory of structured professional judgment that assesses criminogenic risks and resources for the design and management of individualized intervention plans with criminally sanctioned adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the FER-R, reviewing its factorial structure to contribute evidence of convergent and discriminant construct validity in a sample of adolescents sentenced for crimes in Chile. For each domain (risks and resources) with its respective facets, a unidimensional bifactor structure (CFA-BF) was obtained, with adequate indices of fit that confirmed its construct validity, while the convergent validity was demonstrated with the YLS/CMI and the divergent validity with two MACI scales. The FER-R adds factorial validity to the evidence of the previously reported predictive validity, making it a robust inventory for the evaluation of young offenders, and a relevant tool to manage differentiated interventions in Chile, with a high potential for use in Latin America. The importance of finding a suitable balance in assessing risks and protective factors is discussed, in order to manage interventions adjusted to the needs of the adolescents to promote their criminal desistance.

The study examines the association between exposure to community violence (EVC) and self-reported antisocial behaviors (CAT), among adolescents attending highly vulnerable educational institutions in Chile and Brazil. A binational sample comprising 2,214 participants (51 % male, 49 % female), who responded two instruments, EEVC and CACSA. Employing an explanatory design with observable variables (DVO), the analysis assessed the relationship between EVC and CAT considering variations by gender and age across both countries. Results indicated higher levels of reported EVC in Brazil (p < .001), whereas Chilean participants exhibited greater levels of CAT (p < .001). Although these inter-country differences were systematic and statistically significant, effect sizes were minimal, suggesting comparable social contexts in both settings. Furthermore, gender moderated the impact of ECV on antisocial behavior, with a stronger association observed among male adolescents. These findings are consistent with international literature, yet they also reveal heightened levels of severity within the studied populations.

Objetivo: Explorar las propiedades psicométricas del instrumento ERASOR 2.0 en una muestra de adolescentes chilenos que han cometido prácticas sexuales abusivas. Método: A través de un diseño instrumental se analizaron los registros de 196 adolescentes varones entre 12 y 18 años, procedentes de seis regiones del país. Resultados: Con base en criterios externos extraídos de los instrumentos MACI y CACSA se informan aceptables propiedades psicométricas de análisis de fiabilidad (Alfa de Cronbach 0.75), confiabilidad interjueces (kappa de Fleiss 0.67) y validez concurrente. Discusión: El presente estudio destaca por ser la primera exploración psicométrica del instrumento en Latinoamérica, en la cual se reporta una adecuada evidencia de confiabilidad y validez que sustentan su uso en programas de tratamientos y contextos jurídico-forenses de Chile.