Violence Risk Assessment

Abstract

This chapter examines violence risk assessments of sex offenders. The impact of a clinician providing an assessment of an individual's risk of violence, just like assessment of risk of sexual re-offending, can be great, influencing determinations that may result in loss of liberty and even death. Overlap often exists between the need to assess risk factors related to harmful sexual behaviors and the need to assess risk of future violence. As the two lines of research in sex offender risk assessment and violence risk assessment continue to expand, clinicians in the position of assessing risk among sex offenders will also need to maintain an awareness of the literature related to general violence risk assessment. The chapter reviews research and current knowledge related to general violence risk assessment and its overlap with mental illness, and delineates approaches to violence risk assessments based on current understanding of risk factors.