Clinician's Guide to Violence Risk Assessment

by Mills, Jeremy F.; Kroner, Daryl G.; Morgan, Robert D.

• ISBN13: 9781606239841
• ISBN10: 1606239848
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-10-27
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

Presenting a comprehensive framework for conducting a scientifically grounded violence risk assessment, this book is authoritative, current, and practical. The essentials of doing this type of evaluation are reviewed, and available risk appraisal instruments are described for general violence, sexual violence, and spousal violence. The authors provide expert advice on choosing suitable instruments and approaches for particular cases, interpreting the resulting data, and communicating with legal decision makers. A detailed outline shows how to organize assessment findings into an effective final report; a sample completed report is featured in the appendix.

Author Biography

Jeremy F. Mills, PhD, CPsych, is a psychologist with a practice in forensic, correctional, and counseling psychology in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. In addition, he serves as Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa. A Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Mills’s research interests include violence risk assessment, violence risk communication, and the assessment of suicide risk. Dr. Mills provides consultation and training in the area of violence risk assessment. Daryl G. Kroner, PhD, CPsych, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Previously, he was a prison psychologist. Dr. Kroner’s research interests include correctional mental health, dynamic risk assessment during community supervision, and the social-context aspects of risk assessment. Robert D. Morgan, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. In addition, he is Director of Clinical and Forensic Services at Lubbock Regional Mental Health Mental Retardation Center. Dr. Morgan’s research interests include correctional mental health, forensic psychology, and professional development and training.

Table of Contents

Violence Risk Assessment: An Introduction	p. 1
The Clinician's Knowledge and Training	p. 3
Why Conduct Violence Risk Assessments?	p. 5
Therapeutic versus Violence Risk Assessments	p. 11
Advancements in Risk Assessment	p. 15
Ethics Essentials	p. 24
Conclusion	p. 32
Violence Risk Factors	p. 33
Violent Reoffending in the Criminal Recidivist	p. 34
Offenders with Mental Disorders	p. 36
Sexual Violence	p. 44
Spousal Violence	p. 50
Psychopathic Traits	p. 55
Conclusion	p. 64
Risk Appraisal Instruments	p. 65
Instruments Specifically Developed to Predict Nonsexual Violence	p. 69
Instruments Developed to Predict General Reoffending That Also Predict Nonsexual Violence	p. 81
Instruments Developed to Predict Sexual Violence	p. 87
Instruments Developed to Predict Spousal Violence	p. 102
Issues in Risk Assessment	p. 108
Choosing a Risk Appraisal Instrument	p. 109
Professional Override?	p. 118
Assessing Change from Intervention/Treatment	p. 120
The Perception and Communication of Risk Information	p. 124
An Integrated-Actuarial Approach to the Assessment and Management of Risk for Violence	p. 134
Anchoring the Assessment with Actuarial Estimates	p. 135
Integrating Dynamic Factors for Intervention/Treatment and Risk Management Purposes	p. 136
The Two-Tiered Violence Risk Estimates Scale: An Integrated-Actuarial Approach	p. 139
Other Examples of Integrated-Actuarial Risk Assessment	p. 156
Interventions to Reduce Risk	p. 157
The Risk Assessment Process	p. 159
Transparency	p. 159
Information Gathering	p. 163
Reporting the Findings	p. 167
Telling the Story: An Outline for the Report	p. 172
Assessment Context	p. 173
Psychosocial Background	p. 177
History of Violence and Criminal Behavior	p. 183
Risk Assessment and Risk Management	p. 184
Testifying in Legal Proceedings	p. 189
Appendix. Sample Violence Risk Assessment	p. 193
References	p. 207
Index	p. 233
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