Sex Offender/Violence Risk

The judicial and/or correctional systems often have an interest in determining mental health treatment needs and the likelihood of future sexual or violent recidivism. While the assessment of such risk is far from an exact science, forensic psychology can offer evaluations of acute clinical and actuarial risk that meaningfully place offenders into higher and lower risk categories. Recommendations can also address issues such as appropriateness for community management vs. incarceration, level of community supervision, and necessary restrictions upon behavior in the community. Violence risk should be thought of as something that can potentially be managed properly and mitigated except in the more extreme cases.