Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

I. Historical and Methodological Context

II. A New Generation of Follow-Up Research

III. Development of Actuarial Violence Risk Assessment Tools

IV. Changing the Practice of Violence Risk Assessment

V. Altering the Risk of Violence and Final Conclusions

Appendixes

• A. Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (VRAG) Items and Norms
• B. Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide (SORAG) Items and Norms
• C. Violence Risk Appraisal Guide–Revised (VRAG–R) Items and Norms
• D. Supplementary Scoring Instructions for the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide, Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide, and the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide–Revised Items
• E. General Questions About the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide, Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide, and the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide–Revised
• F. Prorating and Substituting for Missing Items on the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide, Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide, and Violence Risk Appraisal Guide–Revised
• G. Example Psychosocial History Suitable for Scoring the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide, Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide, and the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide–Revised
• H. Example Psychosocial History Suitable for Scoring the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide and the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide–Revised
• I. Model Risk Appraisal Report Based on the Psychosocial History in Appendix G Using the Violence Risk Appraisal Guide
• J. Forensic Institutional Decisions or Recommendations Scheme
• K. Problem Identification Checklist (File Version)
• L. Proximal Risk Factor Scale
• M. Dynamic Risk Appraisal Scale

References

Index

About the Authors

About the Author

Grant T. Harris, PhD, was an adjunct associate professor of psychology at Queen's University at Kingston and an adjunct professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto. Dr. Harris was awarded several competitive research grants and published more than 150 scholarly works on the topics of actuarial violence risk assessment, sexual aggression, psychopathy, and the assessment and treatment of offenders and psychiatric clients. For each topic, the work addressed four issues: risks for the phenomenon, appropriate intervention, translation of knowledge for practitioners, and policy implications of the findings.

Sadly, Dr. Harris suffered a fatal stroke in October 2014.

Marnie E. Rice, PhD, is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Canada's highest academic accolade. She has worked at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care (formerly called the Mental Health Centre Penetanguishene) for 40 years as a clinical psychologist, researcher, and, for 14 years, director of research. She is currently Research Director Emerita and continues her research part time.

Dr. Rice is also a professor of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences (part time) at McMaster University, a professor of psychiatry (adjunct) at the University of Toronto, and an associate professor of psychology (adjunct) at Queen's University. She has more than 150 scientific publications, including approximately 30 on the topic of violence risk assessment.

Vernon L. Quinsey, PhD, is Professor Emeritus of psychology, biology, and psychiatry at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario and former director of research at the Penetanguishene, Ontario, Mental Health Centre. He is a recipient of a Significant Achievement Award from the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, a Career Contribution Award from the Criminal Justice Section of the Canadian Psychological Association, and the Donald Hebb Award for contributions to psychology as a science from the Canadian Psychological Association.

Catherine A. Cormier, BA, was a research and clinical psychometrist for many years with the Research Department at the Mental Health Centre Penetanguishene, now the Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care. Her work was devoted to research and clinical assessment and treatment for violent offenders, particularly sex offenders and psychopaths.

Ms. Cormier and her colleagues also developed the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment, the actuarial prediction instrument for domestic assaulters in conjunction with the Ontario Provincial Police, provincial corrections, and emergency clinics. Her last project involved the evaluation of the implementation of an evidence-based, integrated 3-month treatment for people with substance abuse and concurrent psychiatric diagnoses.