Assessing and Managing Violence Risk in Juveniles

Highly practical and accessible, this is an indispensable resource for any mental health practitioner working with youth at risk for violent behavior. Presented is a comprehensive framework for evaluating juveniles in the justice system or those whose behavior in school, therapy sessions, or other contexts raises concern about violence. Detailed case examples illustrate the authors' scientifically grounded approach to selecting appropriate instruments, analyzing and communicating assessment results, and designing effective interventions. Special problems addressed include bullying, sexual aggression, firesetting, and homicide. The book also examines the development of aggressive conduct problems and their connections to other emotional and behavioral disorders.

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Reviewer:Gary B Kaniuk, Psy.D.(Cermak Health Services)
Description:This book describes how to assess and manage risk of violence in aggressive children and adolescents, providing theory and practice undergirded by research in the field.
Purpose:The authors state their principal goal "was to bridge the gap between science and practice in assessing and managing violence risk in adolescents." Later they add, "This book is about risk assessment, but more important, it is about violence prevention. If we do it right, risk assessment and risk management should be integrated and complementary tasks." Lastly, they note, "At a time when most professionals in human service and justice systems are being asked to do more and more good with fewer and fewer resources, we would do well to invest wisely. That's what this book is about.
Audience:The intended audience includes clinical psychologists, social workers, family therapists, school psychologists, psychiatrists, and other professionals who work with potentially violent youth. The authors suggest it also will be of interest to juvenile justice professionals and may serve as a supplemental text in graduate-level courses. I would add that graduate students in forensic psychology programs would gain a great deal from this material. Dr. Borum is associate professor in the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy at the University of South Florida and Dr. Verhaagen is managing partner of Southeast Psychological Services in Charlotte, North Carolina. Both authors have published fairly extensively in the field of risk assessment.
Features:The book is divided into three parts: Understanding Youth Violence; Conducting Violence Risk Assessments with Juveniles; and Treatment and Intervention. The first part covers the problem of violence in juveniles in general, presenting trends and risk factors and showing the relationship between mental disorder and violence. Parts II and III present the practice of assessment and treatment as the authors discuss psychological testing and report writing. Chapter 7 on report writing and risk communication provides a step-by-step approach to effectively writing and answering the referral question. Chapter 10 on intervention plans provides a good case example and salient principles of discharge planning. The reader can see the thinking of an expert in the context of a specific case. This book is very pragmatic and one can use this information immediately in clinical work. The chapter on psychological testing is somewhat brief, which is the only shortcoming of the book, although the authors do refer readers to other resources for this information.
Assessment:This book is useful for those involved in risk assessment, in either clinical or forensic arenas. The authors provide important information in a very readable volume. Graduate students will appreciate such enlightening guidance. Violence is so prevalent in the United States that clinicians need an organized and sensible way of analyzing and presenting information to those who will make critical decisions regarding an individual's future. This book is a great beginning.

Randy Borum, PsyD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy at the University of South Florida, where he also holds appointments in the Department of Criminology and the College of Public Health. His over 100 professional publications include the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth.

David Verhaagen, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and a managing partner of Southeast Psychological Services in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has served as the clinical director of three mental health agencies that treat children and adolescents, including the largest of its kind in the state. Dr. Verhaagen's four previous books include a text on treating sexually aggressive youth.