Violence Risk Assessment

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts from the lecture on Violence Risk Assessment, providing definitions and fill-in-the-blank questions for review.

Violence Risk Assessment

A prominent focus in forensic psychology that evaluates the potential for an individual to commit violence.

Dangerousness

A specific requirement for legal processes such as civil commitment, indicating the likelihood of future violent behavior.

Mens Rea

A legal term meaning the intention or knowledge of wrongdoing in the commission of a crime.

Risk Factors

Elements that contribute to the likelihood of an individual committing future acts of violence.

Static Risk Factors

Unchanging factors such as history of violence that predict the likelihood of future violence.

Dynamic Risk Factors

Variables that can change over time or with intervention, affecting an individual’s risk of violence.

Actuarial Risk Assessment Instruments

Structured tools that use statistical methods to assess risk based on measurable factors.

Structured Professional Judgment (SPJ)

An assessment approach that combines clinical judgment with structured guidelines to evaluate risk.

Protective Factors

Elements that decrease the likelihood of an individual committing violence.

Risk Management

A process focused on reducing the likelihood of violence and ongoing assessment rather than just prediction.

Fill in the Blank:

The _ approach combines clinical judgment with structured guidelines in risk assessment.

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_ factors are variables that can change over time and are relevant for assessing violence risk.

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The legal concept of _ refers to the mental state of the defendant at the time of committing a crime.

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In violence risk assessment, it is important to identify both _ and protective factors.