RNR vs. DTS

The following table illustrates the differences between the Risk/Needs/Responsivity (RNR) model and the Development/Trait/State (DTS) model.

Concept	RNR Model	DTS Model
Risk	Risk is static	Risk has Development, Trait, and State components
Needs	Focus treatment on criminogenic Needs such as housing, employment, drug use, finances, relationships, and attitudes	Treating Needs will tend to create temporary (State) changes in risk
General Responsivity	Focus primary treatment efforts on criminogenic needs	Focus on criminogenic Needs to create temporary risk reductions and focus on Developmental and Trait issues to create lasting change
Specific Responsivity	Tailor the treatments to the offender	Tailor the treatments to the offender’s Development, Trait, and State
Opportunity	Not addressed in RNR model	Opportunity factors affect the State of criminal propensity and must be controlled. Reduce opportunity and monitor rapidly changing psychological states to prevent recidivism.
Development	Not assessed in RNR model	Physical and mental development creates important changes in risk levels over time
Causal model	Criminal behavior is learned or is caused by strains	Criminal behavior is natural, and variation is a function  of life course development, Trait and State.
Treatment model	Social learning.  Use case management model from treatment literature	Control needs to be taught.  Use response to  intervention (RTI) model from education literature
Research Strategy	Prove that offender risk is dynamic using group level experiments	Assess the dynamics of offender risk using single case  research design