MEGA♪ Tool: An Analysis of "Risk/Treatment Needs and Progress Protocol" by Kang, Beltrani, Manheim, Spriggs, Nishimura, Sinclair, Stachniuk, Pate, Righthand, Prentky, and Worling (2019)

• Published in: Journal of child sexual abuse Vol. 29; no. 3; pp. 351 - 372
• Main Author: Miccio-Fonseca, L. C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Routledge 02-04-2020; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Adolescents; Adults; Age groups; Clinical assessment; Clinical research; juvenile sex offenders; MEGA; Needs; Offenses; Risk assessment; Risk assessment tools; Sex crimes; Sexual abuse; sexually abusive females; sexually abusive youth; sexually abusive youth with low intellectual functioning; Treatment needs; Youth; sexually abusive youth; sexually abusive youth with low intellectual functioning; Risk assessment tools; juvenile sex offenders; sexually abusive females; MEGA♪ risk assessment
• ISSN: 1053-8712; 1547-0679
• DOI: 10.1080/10538712.2020.1733161

A new risk/treatment needs protocol for assessing "juveniles with sex offenses" operationalized in the Treatment Needs and Progress Scale (TNPS) was recently introduced, prompting quick embrace before any serious examination. This article critiques the proposed protocol and TNPS. Highlighted are misleading statements, substantial omissions related to review of research, and significant margins of TNPS underpinnings that cause considerable pause. Target population, essential to adopting and implementing TNPS, is not clearly stated. Multiple basic rudimentary steps are missing in the research protocol for two age groups. The "new" protocol appears to be a re-installment of the old one, applying templates from adult tools and empirical findings on adults to adolescents, thus treating youth like adults, an outdated stance in contemporary research and clinical practice related to risk assessment of sexually abusive youth..