Risk Assessment
A common misconception regarding violence risk assessments is that they can precisely predict an individual’s future violence risk. There is no way to predict whether or not someone will become violent in the future. Violence risk assessments have moved from a violence prediction model to a clinically relevant risk assessment/ management model. Under the contemporary conceptualization of violence risk assessments, “risk” is now viewed as:
Highly dependent on situations and circumstances
Dynamic and subject to change
Varies along a continuum
An evidence-based violence risk assessment tool is a measure that has numerous meaningful violence risk factors that have been identified through research. Common evidence-based risk factors include substance use problems, certain personality features, anger, impulsivity, selection of peers, stress, trauma, and many others.
Dr. Roginsky’s training allows her to conduct several types of risk assessments, primarily for adolescents and children. The most common risk areas assessed are violence, inappropriate sexual behaviors, and firesetting risk.