A Review of Violence Prediction: Guidelines for the Forensic Practitioner

Abstract

Abstract Violence prediction is a most important subject today in our society which is one enmeshed in a surprising degree of criminality. This aura of violence and threat contrasts markedly with our image of ourselves as an advanced, civilized, and genteel society. A book review is not a place to indulge in speculation as to why this is a crime-ridden land. Suffice to say that in numerous circumstances, individuals are frequently assessed for violence potential and that such assessment is fraught with pitfalls—not the least of which is the problem of predicting future events, weighing the possibility of future intervening effects or circumstances, and attempting to deal with cultural factors that play an obviously important role in violence. In any event, numerous variables enter into the assessment mechanism which is relevant both to the criminal justice and mental health systems.