Forensic mental health professionals often ask how effective risk assessments are. However, if the results are not clearly communicated to the specific audience, they lose their significance.
In her presentation for the International Forensic Psychiatry Lecture Series, Dr. Ilvy Goossens discussed her research on effective forensic risk communication strategies.
Read moreDecisions about treatment, supervision, or detention often depend on how well forensic mental health professionals can predict the risk of reoffending. Although risk assessment tools have been developed to guide professionals in this important query, some professionals continue to assess these risks using unstructured professional judgment.
A meta-analysis shows that these tools can help predict various types of reoffending more accurately than unstructured professional judgments.
Violence in gangs doesn’t affect everyone the same way. It clusters around small groups of people who are closely connected to each other and to violent behaviour. Gang members who act violently, spend time with violent peers, or know people who have been victimized have a much higher risk of being victims of violence themselves. In contrast, gang members who avoid violence and build nonviolent connections are less likely to be victimized.
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