This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Webster, C. D. Articles by Bloom, H. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Transcending The Actuarial Versus Clinical Polemic In Assessing Risk for Violence

St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton

Stephen J. Hucker

McMaster University

Hy Bloom

University of Toronto

Much energy has been expended over recent years in debating the relative merits of actuarial versusclinical approaches to violence risk prediction. Although it has gradually become apparentthat scores based on more or less static factors obtainable from the record do indeed associatewith outcome violence over years of follow-up, there is no reason to suppose that, at least potentially,dynamic variables do not hold as much or more promise when it comes to projections overweeks or months. Clinicians involved in release decision-making might wish to consider the following,in order of importance: (a) the legal framework within which the decision is being made,(b) the thoroughness with which scientific methods have been applied to the particular case atissue, (c) the precision of the individualized statement of violence risk being offered, (d) thesteps which could be taken to reduce that risk, and (e) if available, the individual's violence riskassessment score in relation to already amassed pertinent statistical data.

Key Words: violence • risk • actuarial • clinical

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. P.B. Lodewijks, T. A.H. Doreleijers, and C. De Ruiter Savry Risk Assessment in Violent Dutch Adolescents: Relation to Sentencing and Recidivism Criminal Justice and Behavior, June 1, 2008; 35(6): 696 - 709. [Abstract] [PDF]

				G. A. Chaimowitz, M. Mamak, and R. Padgett Management of the Mentally Abnormal Offender Brief. Treat. Crisis Interven., February 1, 2008; 8(1): 15 - 26. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D.A. Louw, C.C. Strydom, and K.G.F. Esterhuyse Prediction of violent behaviour: Professionals' appraisal JCriminology and Criminal Justice, November 1, 2005; 5(4): 379 - 406. [Abstract] [PDF]