Summary
In conclusion, we have attempted to illustrate how the area of risk assessment has made significant advances in the last 15 years. As the field moved from an emphasis on the prediction of violence and identification of “dangerous” persons to a risk assessment model, application of new research approaches led to optimism that improvements in evaluation of violence potential were possible. A substantial re-invigoration of research and clinical interest in the topic has ensued, which has resulted in much productive research determining the evidence for many risk factors for violence, as well as innovative ways to utilize that information to improve the risk assessment process. Our hope in making recommendations for the future is that the findings of the science of violence risk assessment can facilitate evidenced-based practice in this area, and that the science may be advanced through incorporation of theoretical perspectives to help understand as well as predict violence. Optimally, future work in this area will improve not only the quality of the risk assessment enterprise, but will do so in a way that will facilitate improved management of that risk.
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McNiel, D.E. et al. (2004). Risk Assessment. In: Taking Psychology and Law into the Twenty-First Century. Perspectives in Law & Psychology, vol 14. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47944-3_5
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