Developmental Risk and Protective Factors in Forensic Risk Assessments of Children Over the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility: A Study of Forensic Reports in Norway (2013–2024)

This cross-sectional study investigates how developmentally relevant risk and protective factors are incorporated into clinical risk assessments of children aged 15–17 years within the Norwegian criminal justice system. Analysing 67 forensic reports completed between 2013 and 2024, we examined the coverage and depth of these factors across five developmental domains. We also assessed whether the use of structured risk assessment tools and the expertise of child and adolescent specialists were associated with greater coverage and depth. Overall, coverage across the developmental domains was limited and inconsistent, with early-onset factors most frequently addressed, and peer, community and protective factors addressed less frequently. Depth of developmental reasoning followed a pattern similar to coverage. Both structured professional judgement tool use and child and adolescent specialist involvement were significantly associated with greater coverage and depth of developmentally relevant factors. Importantly, tools developed for children and adolescents were associated with substantially greater coverage and depth than unstructured approaches and tools developed for adults. These findings suggest that methodological structure and evaluator expertise are associated with broader and more explicit integration of developmental factors in forensic risk assessments of children. Tools developed for children and adolescents were associated with notably greater coverage and depth.