International Perspectives on Violence Risk Assessment

With the world's prison population continuing to grow and the number of secure inpatient beds in psychiatric hospitals on the rise, establishing valid and reliable methods of identifying individuals who will commit violent acts is an important global health and public safety issue. One approach to identifying future offenders is through the use of risk assessment--unstructured and structured methods of predicting the likelihood of antisocial behavior. Although much has been written on the performance of risk assessment in research settings, little is known about current standards of practice and relevant public policy across the globe.

International Perspectives on Violence Risk Assessment includes chapters by leading risk assessment scholars in more than 15 countries and explores the topic from a truly international outlook. Using findings from the seminal International Risk Survey (IRiS), the largest qualitative study in the history of the field, current assessment, management, and monitoring practices on six continents are explored. Authors identify and describe the most commonly used risk assessment tools, examine risk communication preferences, and provide recommendations for mental health practitioners, criminal justice professionals, and legal professionals. Finally, authors review the seminal research studies, current practice guidelines, and relevant legal statutes of their jurisdictions. This volume serves as an invaluable resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers interested in this rapidly evolving field.

Jay P. Singh, PhD, PhD, is Founder of the Global Institute of Forensic Research and Professor of Epidemiology and Violence Risk Assessment at Molde University College in Norway. Professor Singh serves as Clinical Associate in the Department of Psychiatry and Senior Research Fellow at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on the rapid dissemination of evidence-based practice in the areas of mental health, corrections, and the law.

Stål Bjørkly, PsyD, is Professor of Health Sciences and Social Care at Molde University College in Norway. Professor Bjørkly serves as Specialist Clinical Psychologist at Helse Sør-Øst in Oslo and maintains a private practice in Molde. His research focuses on the assessment and management of institutional and community violence, the relationship between psychosis and violence, and screening for violence risk in civil psychiatric settings.

Seena Fazel, BSc(Hons), MBChB, MD, FRCPsych, is Professor of Forensic Psychiatry at the University of Oxford in England. Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow and Honorary Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, Professor Fazel's research focuses on violence risk assessment, the relationship between mental illness and violent crime, and the mental health of prisoners.

Series Foreword

Acknowledgments

About the Editors

Contributors

Section 1: Violence Risk Assessment: The International State of the Art

1. An Introduction to the Assessment of Violence Risk
Nicholas Scurich

2. Methodological Considerations in Risk Assessment Research
Seena Fazel and Stål Bjørkly

3. Adapting Risk Assessment Tools to New Jurisdictions
Vivienne de Vogel and Michiel de Vries Robbé

4. Implementation of Violence Risk Assessment Instruments into Mental Healthcare Settings
Quazi Haque

5. The Process and Context of Violence Risk Assessment: Toward Integrating Science into Clinical Practice
Eric B. Elbogen

6. Violence Risk Assessment Tools: A Systematic Review of Surveys
Claudia C. Hurducas, Jay P. Singh, Corine de Ruiter, and John Petrila

Section 2: The International Risk Survey (IRiS): Global Findings

7. The International Risk Survey (IRiS): Use and Perceived Utility of Structured Violence Risk Assessment Tools in 44 Countries
Jay P. Singh, Sarah L. Desmarais, Randy K. Otto, Karen L. Petersen, Michelle M. Pritchard, and Tonia L. Nicholls

8. Comparing Preferences for Actuarial vs. Structured Professional Judgment Violence Risk Assessment Measures across Five Continents: To What Extent is Practice is Keeping Pace with Science?
Tonia L. Nicholls, Karen L. Petersen, and Michelle M. Pritchard

9. Risk Communication: An International Update
Kirk Heilbrun, Rebecca Newsham, and Victoria Pietruszka

10. Perceived Barriers to the Implementation of Violence Risk Assessment Tools
Adrian Cree

Section 3: The International Risk Survey (IRiS): Country-Specific Findings

11. Violence Risk Assessment in Latin America
Jorge O. Folino, Daniella K. Villalba, and Jay P. Singh

12. Recidivism Risk Assessment in Belgium: Clinical Practice, Research, and Legislative Aspects
Claire Ducro and Thierry Pham

13. Canadian Contributions to Violence Risk Assessment: Policy, Practice, and Future Directions
Adam J. E. Blanchard, Kim A. Reeves, and Andrea L. Gibas

14. Violence Risk Assessment in Denmark
Louise Hjort Nielsen, Sarah B. van Mastrigt, and Tine Wøbbe

15. The Current Status of Sexual and Violent Recidivism and Risk Assessment Research in Germany and Austria
Martin Rettenberger

16. Violence Risk Assessment in Hong Kong
Robyn Mei Yee Ho and Chor Kwan Yan

17. The Assessment of Violence Risk: The State-of-the-Art in Mexico
Verónica Godoy-Cervera, Paulino Dzib, Isaac Aguilar Ortega, Daniella K. Villalba, and Jay P. Singh

18. Risk Assessment in The Netherlands
Corine de Ruiter

19. Violence Risk Assessment Practices in Spain
Karin Arbach-Lucioni and Antonio Andrés-Pueyo

20. Violence Risk Assessment in Switzerland
Sabine Hahn

21. The Current State of Violence Risk Assessment in England and Wales
Michael Doyle and Sarah-Jayne Leonard

22. Risk Assessment in the United States
David DeMatteo, Stephanie Brooks Holliday, Meghann Galloway, and Unnati Patel

23. Risk Assessment Practices for Sexual and Violent Offenders in Israel
Rabeea Assy and Doron Menashe

Appendix: Structured Instruments Commonly-used in Violence Risk Assessments
Stephanie Wilson, Jay P. Singh, Natascha Leech, and Tonia Nicholls

Index