Violence touches the lives of many in our society. When people are victimized by violent crime, the general public assumes that the victim could have been spared if the perpetrator had been identified as potentially dangerous by mental health agents. Yet the prediction of dangerousness remains an inexact science and depends upon many complex factors.
Clinical Assessment of Dangerousness provides a thorough and clear description of research findings in order to help clinicians make sound decisions concerning their patients' dangerousness. The book covers a broad spectrum of violent behavior – from parricide and filicide, to stalking and harassment – as well as crucial issues such as biological factors, domestic violence, and the influence of drugs and alcohol on violent behavior.
The book is divided into the following sections: Basic Issues in Violence Research, Mental Health Issues and Dangerousness, Family Issues and Dangerousness, and Individual Characteristics and Dangerousness. It will serve as an important reference book that covers the most recent scientific literature and provides views on future directions for research and practice in this increasingly valuable field.
Georges-Franck Pinard is Psychiatrist at the Louis-H. Lafontaine Hospital and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Montreal.
Linda Pagani is Senior Investigator at the Research Unit on Children's Psycho-Social Maladjustment and Associate Professor at the School of Psycho-Education, University of Montreal.